Greetings!!
Another week has flown by. Where does the time go?? Naturally I am very busy with ceramic orders and that helps the time pass, but geeze it seems like it is flying and I am not getting everything accomplished that I want to.
Yesterday I had to go to the doctor's office. My back has been getting much worse over the years and on Thanksgiving day I made it even worse. I really hurt it lifting the turkey out of the oven. The sciatic joint area and lower lumbar are both in really bad shape. I need surgery but with no insurance and no steady income that is not going to happen any time soon. I can barely walk. When I go grocery shopping today I will use the motorized cart and ride through the store. I absolutely hate the idea of this but with every step the pain gets worse. I will never make it through the store otherwise.
When I go to the basement to work on ceramics I stay there a little longer than usual because the trip back up the stairs is a killer. You've heard the song, "One Day at a Time", well I am now taking it one step at a time. With each step I pray, "Lord, give me strength to concur this next step". Yes, it really is that bad!! There is no such thing as a comfortable position whether sitting, standing, walking or laying down. The morphine I am on helps take the edge off just a bit, but sometimes that is better than nothing. I don't like taking pills if I can avoid it so usually wait until I just can't tolerate the pain any more.
I rely more and more on the Lord every day just to get me through. The bible says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I have to constantly remind myself of this when I want to give up. Fighting pain is hard on the body and mind. I also have chronic pain with the fibromyalgia, but even as bad as it gets it is not as bad as this. I can somewhat push through that and at least take care of the basic household chores. Now, I can not even take care of myself without help. I hate feeling like this!! I refuse to give up!! Never give up!! That is what I keep telling myself as I struggle each day to have some sort of a normal life. But alas, normal for one person is not normal for another.
On the bright side of my doctor's visit, I have managed to get my blood pressure back down to normal range without medicines since August. So the doctor has decided to keep me off the meds so long as I continue to lower my blood pressure. Getting people out of my life that has caused me an unusual amount of stress has helped a lot. I know it is not from exercising because of my back the way it is, there isn't any exercising going on, LOL. Maybe it is someone new in my life that is always positive and uplifting. Someone I can trust with my life? I'm sure that is what it is, a dear friend that I can lean on completely. :-)
I'm sure to some this post sounds like I am just moaning, and complaining. But in every dark cloud there is a silver lining. As my back grows weaker my faith grows stronger. My Lord and Savior, Jesus, helps me get through every hour of every day. The less moving around I can do, the more time I have for my ceramics, which I love, and for reading my bible or other Christian books, which I also love. And I know that this too, will someday come to pass. My suffering is nothing compared to what Jesus endured for a lowly sinner like me.
The day will come when I will be given a new body, a spiritual body, one without pain and illness. One without sorrow. There will be no more tears from pain of the heart or of the body. There will be nothing but joy, peace and true happiness. Knowing that this time here on earth is nothing but a blink of an eye compared to all eternity with Jesus gives me the strength to endure. I suffer, yet I am blessed beyond measure because the riches that await me in heaven are far greater than anything good or bad that I will see in this lifetime.
Do you know Jesus? I pray you do!! But if you do not, I pray you seek and find Him for He is the one and only key to all eternity!!
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Who do you live for???
Greetings!!
Well the good Lord laid this on my heart this morning so I figured it is to be talked about.
Who do you live for? What makes you tick? Is there someone special in your life that you just don't ever want to do without so you feel like you live for him or her? Your spouse? Your children? Perhaps your parents or a dear friend? I live for Jesus!!
Don't get me wrong, there are some very special people in my life that I would never want to do without. I love them dearly. But if it came down to having to make a choice between them or Jesus,,, Jesus would have to win hands down!! My relationship and my life with Jesus is for all eternity. The things of this earth are temporary. In the grand scheme of things, earthly life is but a blink of an eye compared to eternity. Here today, gone tomorrow so to speak.
Its really hard to imagine what eternity is. Its hard to wrap your mind around it. But let me see if I can give you a bit of an analogy. Pick the largest sandy beach in the world and imagine how big it is, stand in the middle of it. Now take one single tiny grain of sand and put it in your hand as you stand on that huge beach that you can not see the beginning or the end. That tiny grain of sand is life on this earth and the beach is eternity. Get the idea now? You can not see the beginning of eternity and there is no end to it. What do you then think is more important, life today or eternity?
When we can put things in perspective such as this then we can really begin to see what is more important. I suffer from chronic illness and pain, but I do not let it control my life today because my eternal life is much more important to me. I live for Jesus!! I am promised a new body without illness, pain and sorrow in my eternal life. So now I don't worry about what I am suffering today because it is but a blink of the eye in comparison to what I will have for all eternity. Living a sinful life today is not worth what I might lose in heaven. Am I perfect and without sin? Of course not!! But I strive to do the best I can and repent when I make a mistake because I want the rewards that await me in heaven and do not want to spend an eternity suffering in the lake of fire called hell.
We were not promised a life on earth without trials and tribulations but we were promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us if we but call upon Him. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can also endure and get through all things through Christ. If you suffer from chronic illness and pain you can get through it with His help. One day at a time, one hour at a time and even one minute at a time, but you can make it with His help. Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be delivered. I believe these things with all my heart. I have called upon my Lord and Savior millions upon millions of times and each time He was there. He comforted me and strengthened me. He carried me when I no longer had the strength to carry myself.
When Peter got out of the boat and walked on water he had his focus on Jesus. The minute he let the storms around him distract him enough to take his eyes off of Jesus he started to sink. That is like life today. The minute we let the storms of life distract us from keeping our focus on Jesus we begin to sink. But like Peter if we keep our eyes on the Lord we can weather the storms of life and walk on water or rise above those storms. So, get out of the boat and walk straight ahead because Jesus is there to help you!!
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!
Well the good Lord laid this on my heart this morning so I figured it is to be talked about.
Who do you live for? What makes you tick? Is there someone special in your life that you just don't ever want to do without so you feel like you live for him or her? Your spouse? Your children? Perhaps your parents or a dear friend? I live for Jesus!!
Don't get me wrong, there are some very special people in my life that I would never want to do without. I love them dearly. But if it came down to having to make a choice between them or Jesus,,, Jesus would have to win hands down!! My relationship and my life with Jesus is for all eternity. The things of this earth are temporary. In the grand scheme of things, earthly life is but a blink of an eye compared to eternity. Here today, gone tomorrow so to speak.
Its really hard to imagine what eternity is. Its hard to wrap your mind around it. But let me see if I can give you a bit of an analogy. Pick the largest sandy beach in the world and imagine how big it is, stand in the middle of it. Now take one single tiny grain of sand and put it in your hand as you stand on that huge beach that you can not see the beginning or the end. That tiny grain of sand is life on this earth and the beach is eternity. Get the idea now? You can not see the beginning of eternity and there is no end to it. What do you then think is more important, life today or eternity?
When we can put things in perspective such as this then we can really begin to see what is more important. I suffer from chronic illness and pain, but I do not let it control my life today because my eternal life is much more important to me. I live for Jesus!! I am promised a new body without illness, pain and sorrow in my eternal life. So now I don't worry about what I am suffering today because it is but a blink of the eye in comparison to what I will have for all eternity. Living a sinful life today is not worth what I might lose in heaven. Am I perfect and without sin? Of course not!! But I strive to do the best I can and repent when I make a mistake because I want the rewards that await me in heaven and do not want to spend an eternity suffering in the lake of fire called hell.
We were not promised a life on earth without trials and tribulations but we were promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us if we but call upon Him. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can also endure and get through all things through Christ. If you suffer from chronic illness and pain you can get through it with His help. One day at a time, one hour at a time and even one minute at a time, but you can make it with His help. Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be delivered. I believe these things with all my heart. I have called upon my Lord and Savior millions upon millions of times and each time He was there. He comforted me and strengthened me. He carried me when I no longer had the strength to carry myself.
When Peter got out of the boat and walked on water he had his focus on Jesus. The minute he let the storms around him distract him enough to take his eyes off of Jesus he started to sink. That is like life today. The minute we let the storms of life distract us from keeping our focus on Jesus we begin to sink. But like Peter if we keep our eyes on the Lord we can weather the storms of life and walk on water or rise above those storms. So, get out of the boat and walk straight ahead because Jesus is there to help you!!
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The 23rd Psalm
Greetings!
This morning as I was reading the latest reports out of Washington the Lord laid heavy on me the 23rd Psalm. I thought to myself, I just can't imagine why God would put this on my mind while reading the reports of impending doom for our country if the politicians in Washington do not get their act together and stop bickering like children. So, lets take a look at the Psalm and see where it leads us.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Well the very first verse tell us that the Lord is our Shepherd, I shall not want. When I was a kid I misunderstand the part, "I shall not want". I thought it was saying I shall not want the Lord as my Shepherd. What can I say, I was pretty young then, LOL. Actually what this means is we shall not want for anything because the Lord provides for our needs.
So many of us think our wants are our needs but truth be told they are not. Your basic needs will always be provided by the Lord. You can survive some very rough times. And it looks like those very rough times might be heading our way very soon with the financial problems of the United States and the "good ole boys" of Washington, DC behaving like little boys.
Verse 2 says, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside still waters. When I read that verse it tells me that the Lord is showing the writer a peaceful and comfortable life. After all, lying in green pastures or walking beside still waters is a calming thing. Can you not picture yourself just taking a nap out in a field of grass on a warm sunny day? Doesn't that sound pretty nice? Or how about sitting by a lake that is calm? Sounds pretty peaceful to me.
Verse 3, He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Wow! Let's take the first part of that, He restoreth my soul. He forgives me and brings my soul back to life. We must understand that we need forgiveness of our sins and need to repent of those sins or we will be dead to God and condemned to an eternity in Hell. Here the writer is saying, He forgives me, I am alive again!!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. When we are Christians and are forgiven the Lord will lead us to be righteous and we do it for the name of Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!
Verse 4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for though art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. I love this verse, but I think there is some controversy over its true meaning. The valley of the shadow of death seems to be associated with many as dying. But I don't believe so. I have a strong feeling being laid on me that we are not talking of the dying of the body here. We are talking about the valley of the shadow of death being sin, the death of the spirit through sin. But because we are forgiven, Jesus will remain with us and comfort us and help us get through that valley of sin and temptation. We do not have to be afraid of it because the Lord is always with us.
Verse 5, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. I believe I can face my enemies and it will not matter because I am anointed by the Lord, I am a child of the King and my cup runneth over with His love and blessings.
Verse 6, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In this two part verse I believe goodness and mercy from the Lord will be with me all the days of my earthly life, but then I will live with the Lord in heaven for all eternity.
To me this is more a Psalm of faith rather than of death of this body. It is telling us when we ask for forgiveness of our sins, we will be forgiven. And even though there will be many trials, tribulations and temptations we can get through them when we follow the Lord and our reward will be a life eternal in heaven with our Lord and Savior.
Now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with the news coming out of Washington, DC. I believe God is showing us that even if this fiasco happens and the budget is not resolved, and things go from bad to really bad we can get through this valley if we lean on Jesus and trust in Him to lead us through it. God did not promise us a perfect life here on earth free of trials and tribulations. But He did promise to never leave us nor forsake us if we call upon Him. He can and He will get us through any mess we humans can create here on earth. And if we are righteous and faithful to Him we will dwell with Him forever in the house of the Lord. Praise the Lord for showing me this message today. What wonderful peace it has given me. Thank you Jesus!!
Until next time,,,,,,Blessings!
This morning as I was reading the latest reports out of Washington the Lord laid heavy on me the 23rd Psalm. I thought to myself, I just can't imagine why God would put this on my mind while reading the reports of impending doom for our country if the politicians in Washington do not get their act together and stop bickering like children. So, lets take a look at the Psalm and see where it leads us.
Psalm 23
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Well the very first verse tell us that the Lord is our Shepherd, I shall not want. When I was a kid I misunderstand the part, "I shall not want". I thought it was saying I shall not want the Lord as my Shepherd. What can I say, I was pretty young then, LOL. Actually what this means is we shall not want for anything because the Lord provides for our needs.
So many of us think our wants are our needs but truth be told they are not. Your basic needs will always be provided by the Lord. You can survive some very rough times. And it looks like those very rough times might be heading our way very soon with the financial problems of the United States and the "good ole boys" of Washington, DC behaving like little boys.
Verse 2 says, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside still waters. When I read that verse it tells me that the Lord is showing the writer a peaceful and comfortable life. After all, lying in green pastures or walking beside still waters is a calming thing. Can you not picture yourself just taking a nap out in a field of grass on a warm sunny day? Doesn't that sound pretty nice? Or how about sitting by a lake that is calm? Sounds pretty peaceful to me.
Verse 3, He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Wow! Let's take the first part of that, He restoreth my soul. He forgives me and brings my soul back to life. We must understand that we need forgiveness of our sins and need to repent of those sins or we will be dead to God and condemned to an eternity in Hell. Here the writer is saying, He forgives me, I am alive again!!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. When we are Christians and are forgiven the Lord will lead us to be righteous and we do it for the name of Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!
Verse 4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for though art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. I love this verse, but I think there is some controversy over its true meaning. The valley of the shadow of death seems to be associated with many as dying. But I don't believe so. I have a strong feeling being laid on me that we are not talking of the dying of the body here. We are talking about the valley of the shadow of death being sin, the death of the spirit through sin. But because we are forgiven, Jesus will remain with us and comfort us and help us get through that valley of sin and temptation. We do not have to be afraid of it because the Lord is always with us.
Verse 5, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. I believe I can face my enemies and it will not matter because I am anointed by the Lord, I am a child of the King and my cup runneth over with His love and blessings.
Verse 6, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In this two part verse I believe goodness and mercy from the Lord will be with me all the days of my earthly life, but then I will live with the Lord in heaven for all eternity.
To me this is more a Psalm of faith rather than of death of this body. It is telling us when we ask for forgiveness of our sins, we will be forgiven. And even though there will be many trials, tribulations and temptations we can get through them when we follow the Lord and our reward will be a life eternal in heaven with our Lord and Savior.
Now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with the news coming out of Washington, DC. I believe God is showing us that even if this fiasco happens and the budget is not resolved, and things go from bad to really bad we can get through this valley if we lean on Jesus and trust in Him to lead us through it. God did not promise us a perfect life here on earth free of trials and tribulations. But He did promise to never leave us nor forsake us if we call upon Him. He can and He will get us through any mess we humans can create here on earth. And if we are righteous and faithful to Him we will dwell with Him forever in the house of the Lord. Praise the Lord for showing me this message today. What wonderful peace it has given me. Thank you Jesus!!
Until next time,,,,,,Blessings!
Monday, July 25, 2011
The rain came, the rain went,,,,,
Greetings!!
Yesterday the rain came, and the rain went but the humidity stayed. We do have some cooler temperatures than we have had lately but not by much. I am late this morning writing this blog because I figured I had better take advantage of the few degrees cooler and get out and mow the lawns. I mowed both my lawn and the landlord's lawn at the house next door. He lets me use his riding mower and I do both lawns, its a pretty fair deal I would say. I have not done any lawn work in over three weeks due to the high heat and humidity.
I got about half the trimming done with the weed whacker. It is a battery operated one and is not designed to do two lawns on a single charge. So tomorrow morning I will get out and finish the trimming. I have the whacker back on the charger and it will be all set to go in the morning.
With the fibromyalgia even the riding mower will cause my muscles to cramp and spasm. So I always feel accomplished when I get a job like this done. I did not let the pain beat me today and that is such a good feeling. Those of you who live with fibromyalgia will understand how I feel. Being able to do some of the simplest tasks that most people take for granted is a sense of accomplishment and a great triumph for those with fibromyalgia.
When you have fibromyalgia even a gentle breeze can be painful. Feeling clothes touching your skin can make you want to cry. Yet you never want to give into the pain. You push yourself until you have no choice but to give in and rest for a while. It is a constant battle of your will power each and every day. People who do not suffer from this horrible disease cannot even imagine what you go through never mind understand it.
My church family are huggers, they love to hug. The pain of being hugged is excruciating for me, yet I never tell them no or to stop. Why? Because we all need to be hugged and feel loved. And I also don't want to make any one feel bad because they were trying to show me love. Our Heavenly Father commands us to love one another. Hugging is and expression of love. So I hug everyone back who hugs me. Then when I come home after services, I have to give in for a while and rest, take a muscle relaxer and or pain killer and just recover. Will I once again hug everyone next Sunday? Yes I will because I am both giving and receiving love. And love can conquer anything!!
I take one day at a time with my fibromyalgia and I do what I can and try not to worry about what I can not do. Yes, sometimes I push too hard and wind up paying for it with worse pain, muscle spasms and cramps, but then the good that is accomplished is well worth the pain and cramps. I know God is always with me and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, sometimes I just have to do it a little slower. :-)
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Yesterday the rain came, and the rain went but the humidity stayed. We do have some cooler temperatures than we have had lately but not by much. I am late this morning writing this blog because I figured I had better take advantage of the few degrees cooler and get out and mow the lawns. I mowed both my lawn and the landlord's lawn at the house next door. He lets me use his riding mower and I do both lawns, its a pretty fair deal I would say. I have not done any lawn work in over three weeks due to the high heat and humidity.
I got about half the trimming done with the weed whacker. It is a battery operated one and is not designed to do two lawns on a single charge. So tomorrow morning I will get out and finish the trimming. I have the whacker back on the charger and it will be all set to go in the morning.
With the fibromyalgia even the riding mower will cause my muscles to cramp and spasm. So I always feel accomplished when I get a job like this done. I did not let the pain beat me today and that is such a good feeling. Those of you who live with fibromyalgia will understand how I feel. Being able to do some of the simplest tasks that most people take for granted is a sense of accomplishment and a great triumph for those with fibromyalgia.
When you have fibromyalgia even a gentle breeze can be painful. Feeling clothes touching your skin can make you want to cry. Yet you never want to give into the pain. You push yourself until you have no choice but to give in and rest for a while. It is a constant battle of your will power each and every day. People who do not suffer from this horrible disease cannot even imagine what you go through never mind understand it.
My church family are huggers, they love to hug. The pain of being hugged is excruciating for me, yet I never tell them no or to stop. Why? Because we all need to be hugged and feel loved. And I also don't want to make any one feel bad because they were trying to show me love. Our Heavenly Father commands us to love one another. Hugging is and expression of love. So I hug everyone back who hugs me. Then when I come home after services, I have to give in for a while and rest, take a muscle relaxer and or pain killer and just recover. Will I once again hug everyone next Sunday? Yes I will because I am both giving and receiving love. And love can conquer anything!!
I take one day at a time with my fibromyalgia and I do what I can and try not to worry about what I can not do. Yes, sometimes I push too hard and wind up paying for it with worse pain, muscle spasms and cramps, but then the good that is accomplished is well worth the pain and cramps. I know God is always with me and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, sometimes I just have to do it a little slower. :-)
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
To boldly go where no man has gone before,,,,,,
Greetings!!
Do you remember that line from the Star Trek shows? "Space, the final frontier of men. Our mission, to seek out new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." Well I've got the to boldly go part right, LOL. I woke up this morning with a message on my heart about being bold for the Lord. Are you bold for the Lord? Do you boldly tell people about what Jesus did on the cross?
When people ask for prayer do you boldly pray for them on the spot or do you say, "yes, I will pray for you' or 'I will keep you in my prayers', or 'I will pray about it"? Often on facebook there are prayer requests asked by my friends for various people. Perhaps a sick grand-child or relative. Or perhaps someone was in an accident or had a heart attack. Usually it is something that just happened, an emergency of sorts.
I believe the people asking for prayer are being bold in asking. Especially in this world today where it no longer seems correct to mention, God, faith or Jesus in public. When a person is bold enough to ask for prayer it is my duty and priveledge as a Christian to boldly pray for the request of that person. I believe it is time that Christians stop worrying about popular opinion and do what God calls us to do.
Let's take a look at some scriptures that talk about boldness.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Ephesians 3: 11 &12 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Ephesians 6:18, 19, 20 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 boldly, as I ought to speak.
Phillipians 1: 20 20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Hebrews 4: 16 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
I believe the scriptures make it very clear. As Christians we are to be bold in our faith, when we speak about the Lord, when we pray. So when one of my friends on facebook ask for prayer, I pray in all boldness and faith in the Lord. I challenge each and everyone of you to do the same. The power of prayer is an awesome thing. And when we pray boldly we unleash that power. The Father hears those prayers and He answers them!!
As Christians we can make a difference in this world when we walk in faith and boldness.
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Do you remember that line from the Star Trek shows? "Space, the final frontier of men. Our mission, to seek out new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." Well I've got the to boldly go part right, LOL. I woke up this morning with a message on my heart about being bold for the Lord. Are you bold for the Lord? Do you boldly tell people about what Jesus did on the cross?
When people ask for prayer do you boldly pray for them on the spot or do you say, "yes, I will pray for you' or 'I will keep you in my prayers', or 'I will pray about it"? Often on facebook there are prayer requests asked by my friends for various people. Perhaps a sick grand-child or relative. Or perhaps someone was in an accident or had a heart attack. Usually it is something that just happened, an emergency of sorts.
I believe the people asking for prayer are being bold in asking. Especially in this world today where it no longer seems correct to mention, God, faith or Jesus in public. When a person is bold enough to ask for prayer it is my duty and priveledge as a Christian to boldly pray for the request of that person. I believe it is time that Christians stop worrying about popular opinion and do what God calls us to do.
Let's take a look at some scriptures that talk about boldness.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Ephesians 3: 11 &12 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Ephesians 6:18, 19, 20 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 boldly, as I ought to speak.
Phillipians 1: 20 20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Hebrews 4: 16 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
I believe the scriptures make it very clear. As Christians we are to be bold in our faith, when we speak about the Lord, when we pray. So when one of my friends on facebook ask for prayer, I pray in all boldness and faith in the Lord. I challenge each and everyone of you to do the same. The power of prayer is an awesome thing. And when we pray boldly we unleash that power. The Father hears those prayers and He answers them!!
As Christians we can make a difference in this world when we walk in faith and boldness.
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Get out of the boat,,,,,,,
Greetings!!
Many years ago a Pastor preached a sermon on faith called, "Get out of the boat". That sermon stuck with me and has taught me many valuable lessons about faith and always keeping my eye on Jesus. When we keep our eye on Jesus and do not let the turbulent times of the world distract us, we can do anything,, including walking on water.
There are a lot of good scriptures in the bible regarding having faith, including this one. Please read with me Matthew 14: 22-33. This is from the New King James Version.
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,[a] tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[b] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those who were in the boat came and[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Many years ago a Pastor preached a sermon on faith called, "Get out of the boat". That sermon stuck with me and has taught me many valuable lessons about faith and always keeping my eye on Jesus. When we keep our eye on Jesus and do not let the turbulent times of the world distract us, we can do anything,, including walking on water.
There are a lot of good scriptures in the bible regarding having faith, including this one. Please read with me Matthew 14: 22-33. This is from the New King James Version.
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,[a] tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[b] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those who were in the boat came and[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Take a good look at that scripture. Peter had faith to get out of the boat and walk to Jesus. He was walking on water. But he let the turbulent waves distract him from Jesus and he began to sink. In life today, we can get through those turbulent times in our lives that want to distract us and make us take our eyes off of Jesus if we just ignore them and keep focused on the Lord.
Jesus tells us, he will never leave us nor forsake us if we just call on Him. He also says, Fear Not, for I am with you!! We are told multiple times in the bible, Do Not Fear!! So why do we?? Satan attacks us and constantly tries to put doubt in our minds, but do not listen to him, for he is the king of lies!! Since the beginning Satan has always used doubt and lies as an attack to get us away from God. The next time he attacks you and throws turbulent waves to distract your eyes from the Lord, focus on Jesus, say his holy name over and over and Satan will have to flee!!
I know, a lot of things are easier said than done. It takes work, concentration and faith to keep Satan at bay when he attacks. But it is not impossible!! If he does manage to knock you down, pray while you are there, then get back up on your feet and move forward, trusting more and more in the Lord. To build faith we need to be in fellowship with other faith believing people. We need to support each other and encourage each other in their faith walk. One a brother or sister in Christ has a weak moment we should not criticize but should support, encourage and lift him or her up in prayer.
It is my prayer that you grow stronger every day in your faith walk. Trust in the Lord always, knowing that this time on earth is but a short one and you will have treasures in heaven for your obedience and faith.
Until next time,,,,,,,blessings!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Moving in a new direction,,,,,,,
Greetings!!
I always seem to find myself moving in a new direction. Am I just confused? Or am I adjusting to changes in my life? Sometimes I seem confused. It seems like I just get all my plans laid out and they change again and I keep wondering why. I had my plans laid out for my business and was working on them steadily. Then Frank decided it was time for him to move on to what he thinks will be greener pastures. And of course his change directly affects my plans. Time to adjust.
I will need an income as soon as possible and will no longer have the luxury of solely working on my business. As you know with a business it takes time to get established and built up to an income providing enterprise. I don't have that time any more because there are bills to pay. When he came here, we were to help each other, but that did not work out. He paid the bills and I took care of everything else. That left little time for work on the business but there was still some. Now there is none.
I don't plan on giving up on my business dream. But I have to set priorities. By my calculations I will need to work a 60 hour week to meet all the basic living expenses. I have no credit cards or car payments. This is just basic bills. After the 60 hours I have a house to take care of. Yard and garden work, raking leaves, mowing or shoveling snow depending on the time of year. Then of course there is the inside of the house that needs to be taken care of too. And my wonderful dog and cat both need their time with momma.
I believe when one door closes another one is open. God is so good that way. He will provide the way for me to pay for the needs in my life. He will help me get the job that best suits my needs and abilities. I trust in Him completely. Of course, I need to do my part and do the work that is provided,,, and I will.
I believe God is moving me in a new direction for a reason. I just need to pay attention to what he is showing me and take the steps he wants me to take. My dad used to call that, "rolling with the flow". Be patient, listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit he would say, and you will never go wrong. We do go wrong sometimes,,, but that is really when we are not truly listening to the Father.
Listening to Father or the Spirit is not always easy. There are many things in this world that distract us. All of the caused by the evil one. In Ephesians 6:12 it says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places". This tells me that even when someone does something against you, it is not really them doing it but the evil forces in this world. Satan uses people, often without their true knowledge, to hurt us. He can put the seed of doubt in our minds if we are not careful. He can put evil thoughts against another in our minds if we are not careful. But the bible tells us to put on "the whole armor of God" and we can be protected from this.
Putting on the whole armor of God takes work, dedication, determination and trust in God. It is a daily responsibility. It is not something you do once and bam you're done for life. You need to stay in the word of God, to pray and to praise Him every day and every hour. Keeping God in the forefront of your mind will not allow Satan to enter in.
I know, easier said than done. Its hard to focus on God when it seems like your world is crashing in on you, been there, done that. But if you work at it, in time you will feel the Lord's peace even in the toughest of times. Being a Christian is hard work, but it is well worth it.
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!!
I always seem to find myself moving in a new direction. Am I just confused? Or am I adjusting to changes in my life? Sometimes I seem confused. It seems like I just get all my plans laid out and they change again and I keep wondering why. I had my plans laid out for my business and was working on them steadily. Then Frank decided it was time for him to move on to what he thinks will be greener pastures. And of course his change directly affects my plans. Time to adjust.
I will need an income as soon as possible and will no longer have the luxury of solely working on my business. As you know with a business it takes time to get established and built up to an income providing enterprise. I don't have that time any more because there are bills to pay. When he came here, we were to help each other, but that did not work out. He paid the bills and I took care of everything else. That left little time for work on the business but there was still some. Now there is none.
I don't plan on giving up on my business dream. But I have to set priorities. By my calculations I will need to work a 60 hour week to meet all the basic living expenses. I have no credit cards or car payments. This is just basic bills. After the 60 hours I have a house to take care of. Yard and garden work, raking leaves, mowing or shoveling snow depending on the time of year. Then of course there is the inside of the house that needs to be taken care of too. And my wonderful dog and cat both need their time with momma.
I believe when one door closes another one is open. God is so good that way. He will provide the way for me to pay for the needs in my life. He will help me get the job that best suits my needs and abilities. I trust in Him completely. Of course, I need to do my part and do the work that is provided,,, and I will.
I believe God is moving me in a new direction for a reason. I just need to pay attention to what he is showing me and take the steps he wants me to take. My dad used to call that, "rolling with the flow". Be patient, listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit he would say, and you will never go wrong. We do go wrong sometimes,,, but that is really when we are not truly listening to the Father.
Listening to Father or the Spirit is not always easy. There are many things in this world that distract us. All of the caused by the evil one. In Ephesians 6:12 it says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places". This tells me that even when someone does something against you, it is not really them doing it but the evil forces in this world. Satan uses people, often without their true knowledge, to hurt us. He can put the seed of doubt in our minds if we are not careful. He can put evil thoughts against another in our minds if we are not careful. But the bible tells us to put on "the whole armor of God" and we can be protected from this.
Putting on the whole armor of God takes work, dedication, determination and trust in God. It is a daily responsibility. It is not something you do once and bam you're done for life. You need to stay in the word of God, to pray and to praise Him every day and every hour. Keeping God in the forefront of your mind will not allow Satan to enter in.
I know, easier said than done. Its hard to focus on God when it seems like your world is crashing in on you, been there, done that. But if you work at it, in time you will feel the Lord's peace even in the toughest of times. Being a Christian is hard work, but it is well worth it.
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
The power of prayer,,,,,
Greetings!!
God gave us an incredible ability when He gave us the power of prayer. We can move mountains when we pray in faith. Actually, God moves the mountains for us,,, but we have to ask in faith. The bible tells us time and time again to ask in faith, pray in faith, have no doubt what can be done when we pray.
Praying with that kind of faith, with no doubts in our hearts and minds is not always easy. We have been conditioned to have doubts. But God says, we can not doubt Him.
Many people will use the Lord's Prayer as their guide for praying. And you should. But do not use it in the wrong way! There are different types of prayers for different circumstances. When I pray for healing, I already know what God's will is regarding healing. The bible tells me. His will is that we be healthy, so therefore I do not use the phrase, "if it is your will." Why? Because that phrase causes doubt. Think about it! "If", lets the door open for you to think, OK, maybe it is not His will, maybe He won't heal me.
When we pray for healing James 5:15 tells us a prayer in faith will heal. Pray in faith, accept it, believe it and thank the Lord for it, because you WILL be healed.
In the Lord's prayer we say, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We are not asking for healing at this time. We are asking for God's will to be done on earth. There is a huge difference!! To ask for God's will to be done, we must first know what His will is. We can find His will throughout the bible.
Does God ever say no to prayers? Yes! Pray for something frivolous or something that will not be good for you in the long run and God will tell you no. He knows what is best!! If you ask to win the lottery,,,, chances are pretty good, you will not win it. Why? Money can corrupt and cause sin. It is not that God does not want you to prosper or be rich,,, it is a matter of whether you can handle in a proper and Christian manner that kind of money without making it your God.
God will always provide for your basic needs,,, but not your greed's. That is a hard concept for some people to accept. There was a time when I was homeless, living in a tent, at a state park 15 miles from the nearest town, grocery store, post office and phone. I had no car, so I was basically stranded. I relied on a friend to come out once a week and bring me into town so I could get some food, go to the post office, etc. One week I was down to just a sleeve of crackers and a half a jar of peanut butter and waiting for my friend to show up. He did not, and he had no way to call me.
His car had broken down and was in the shop. I prayed in faith and asked God for a vehicle. In poor health I was unable to walk the 15 miles to town to go to the grocery store and I needed food. I did not ask for a brand new fancy car, just for something that would get me to town and back. The first thing that happened was God provided me a ride for that day, so I could take care of my immediate need of food. But three days later a miracle happened!!
There had been an older rather wealthy gentlemen in the state park where I was living. He was staying in his huge million dollar motor home while he was in a golfing tournament in the area. Each day he was there he would come and sit with me in the evening by the campfire and talk. I had told him about my situation, how I was hurt on the job, my employer stopped the weekly TTD and I had lost my home with no income and no ability to work at that point. I told him how I had heard about camp-hosting as a way to have a place to stay that was safe and I would not get arrested for vagrancy and living on the streets. I had no where else to go.
I also told him that I was fine and trusted that God would provide and I would make it through this. Little did I know while talking to this man that he was a Christian. He kept saying to me that he was surprised that I was not bitter and angry. I told him we all have trials and tribulations to go through in this life but we can all get through them if we trust in God.
The last day he was there he stopped by my campsite and gave me a large package of flavored crackers he had won in the golf tournament, wished me well and was on his way. He did not know this but during the time he was there, I was praying for a car to get me around. Also praying for a way to plate it and get the required insurance on it, so I could be legal.
The very next day, the park rangers came to my site and said I had a phone call to return from the guy who had been there golfing and they gave me a toll free number and said I could go to the office and use their phone as it sounded urgent. My first thought was he left something behind and wanted me to find it for him. Never in my wildest imagination did I think what happened next would happen!!
I walked the mile to the office and dialed the number and asked for the man. Not sure what to expect. A couple of minutes later he came on the phone. To make a long story short,,, he felt the need to help me. He said,,, I have a mini van you can have. It is old but in decent shape. If you can get a ride up here, I will have it ready to go. The ride was about 2 1/2 hours north of my location. I called my friend who had been coming out to bring me into town once a week and said can you take me up there, he said yes. So we made plans for his next day off to take me up near Chicago.
At this point I still did not know how I was going to put plates on the van, gas in the tank or insurance but this was a step of faith. Because I knew if God was answering my prayer and providing a vehicle he would also provide a way for me to get it back and take care of the essentials of getting it on the road legally. So off we went.
When we arrived at "Bill's" business, not only did he give me the van, he gave me a check with enough money to buy a new battery as it needed one, put plates on it, fill the tank and pay for the first 3 months of insurance. God is so very good!!! He does answer faithful prayer!!
I have also received total healing of serious health conditions through faithful prayer. I'll tell you about those another time.
Until next time,,,, keep the faith!!
God gave us an incredible ability when He gave us the power of prayer. We can move mountains when we pray in faith. Actually, God moves the mountains for us,,, but we have to ask in faith. The bible tells us time and time again to ask in faith, pray in faith, have no doubt what can be done when we pray.
Praying with that kind of faith, with no doubts in our hearts and minds is not always easy. We have been conditioned to have doubts. But God says, we can not doubt Him.
Many people will use the Lord's Prayer as their guide for praying. And you should. But do not use it in the wrong way! There are different types of prayers for different circumstances. When I pray for healing, I already know what God's will is regarding healing. The bible tells me. His will is that we be healthy, so therefore I do not use the phrase, "if it is your will." Why? Because that phrase causes doubt. Think about it! "If", lets the door open for you to think, OK, maybe it is not His will, maybe He won't heal me.
When we pray for healing James 5:15 tells us a prayer in faith will heal. Pray in faith, accept it, believe it and thank the Lord for it, because you WILL be healed.
In the Lord's prayer we say, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We are not asking for healing at this time. We are asking for God's will to be done on earth. There is a huge difference!! To ask for God's will to be done, we must first know what His will is. We can find His will throughout the bible.
Does God ever say no to prayers? Yes! Pray for something frivolous or something that will not be good for you in the long run and God will tell you no. He knows what is best!! If you ask to win the lottery,,,, chances are pretty good, you will not win it. Why? Money can corrupt and cause sin. It is not that God does not want you to prosper or be rich,,, it is a matter of whether you can handle in a proper and Christian manner that kind of money without making it your God.
God will always provide for your basic needs,,, but not your greed's. That is a hard concept for some people to accept. There was a time when I was homeless, living in a tent, at a state park 15 miles from the nearest town, grocery store, post office and phone. I had no car, so I was basically stranded. I relied on a friend to come out once a week and bring me into town so I could get some food, go to the post office, etc. One week I was down to just a sleeve of crackers and a half a jar of peanut butter and waiting for my friend to show up. He did not, and he had no way to call me.
His car had broken down and was in the shop. I prayed in faith and asked God for a vehicle. In poor health I was unable to walk the 15 miles to town to go to the grocery store and I needed food. I did not ask for a brand new fancy car, just for something that would get me to town and back. The first thing that happened was God provided me a ride for that day, so I could take care of my immediate need of food. But three days later a miracle happened!!
There had been an older rather wealthy gentlemen in the state park where I was living. He was staying in his huge million dollar motor home while he was in a golfing tournament in the area. Each day he was there he would come and sit with me in the evening by the campfire and talk. I had told him about my situation, how I was hurt on the job, my employer stopped the weekly TTD and I had lost my home with no income and no ability to work at that point. I told him how I had heard about camp-hosting as a way to have a place to stay that was safe and I would not get arrested for vagrancy and living on the streets. I had no where else to go.
I also told him that I was fine and trusted that God would provide and I would make it through this. Little did I know while talking to this man that he was a Christian. He kept saying to me that he was surprised that I was not bitter and angry. I told him we all have trials and tribulations to go through in this life but we can all get through them if we trust in God.
The last day he was there he stopped by my campsite and gave me a large package of flavored crackers he had won in the golf tournament, wished me well and was on his way. He did not know this but during the time he was there, I was praying for a car to get me around. Also praying for a way to plate it and get the required insurance on it, so I could be legal.
The very next day, the park rangers came to my site and said I had a phone call to return from the guy who had been there golfing and they gave me a toll free number and said I could go to the office and use their phone as it sounded urgent. My first thought was he left something behind and wanted me to find it for him. Never in my wildest imagination did I think what happened next would happen!!
I walked the mile to the office and dialed the number and asked for the man. Not sure what to expect. A couple of minutes later he came on the phone. To make a long story short,,, he felt the need to help me. He said,,, I have a mini van you can have. It is old but in decent shape. If you can get a ride up here, I will have it ready to go. The ride was about 2 1/2 hours north of my location. I called my friend who had been coming out to bring me into town once a week and said can you take me up there, he said yes. So we made plans for his next day off to take me up near Chicago.
At this point I still did not know how I was going to put plates on the van, gas in the tank or insurance but this was a step of faith. Because I knew if God was answering my prayer and providing a vehicle he would also provide a way for me to get it back and take care of the essentials of getting it on the road legally. So off we went.
When we arrived at "Bill's" business, not only did he give me the van, he gave me a check with enough money to buy a new battery as it needed one, put plates on it, fill the tank and pay for the first 3 months of insurance. God is so very good!!! He does answer faithful prayer!!
I have also received total healing of serious health conditions through faithful prayer. I'll tell you about those another time.
Until next time,,,, keep the faith!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Where has all the snow gone??
Greetings!
Last night when I went to bed, it was raining or drizzling on and off and the temperature was beginning to rise.
When I woke up this morning the temperature is in the mid 40s and still climbing. I went outside to take the dog out and almost all of the 7 inches of snowfall from Christmas day, along with the snow banks that were created from plowing and shoveling were gone!! Left in its place,,, a muddy mess, LOL.
It just goes to show you,,, for all the knowledge we have on this earth we still can not control the weather. It shows me God is still in control!! Here it is December 30th and we are having a heat wave for this time of year. They are predicting temperatures in the 60s tomorrow, New Years Eve. Can you imagine??
I remember praying for a White Christmas this year and God answered my prayers with 7 inches of the white stuff Christmas morning. Guess I should have put a limit on how much of the white stuff I wanted, LOL. But God is good, He does listen and He does answer prayers to those who faithfully expect an answer and wait on Him for it.
On New Years Eve day we are suppose to hit the low 60s. Can you imagine? It will be raining on and off but I should be able to get out and take care of some outdoor work that needs tending too. God is again, answering prayer. I prayed for a warm up to take care of those things and not have to suffer through the bitter cold temperatures to do it. God is good, all the time!!
I have had people ask me, when they have heard me pray, "how can you pray with such confidence?" How can I not pray with confidence? If I don't have confidence God will answer my prayer then why bother praying? How many times does God have to answer prayer before you believe He is really answering it? He does not have to prove himself to us,, we have to prove ourselves to Him!! The best way to do that is to pray with confidence He will answer you. With faith!
Jesus tells us, "whatsoever you ask for in my name in faith, I will give you." Faith and confidence are the key words. You must have total and complete faith. Yes, sometimes that is easier said than done,,, but it can be done. Make friends with your bible. Study God's word,,, learn His promises to His people and your faith will grow. Trust in God and lean on Him.
Until next time,,,, I am pondering what I will be praying for next!!
Be blessed!
Last night when I went to bed, it was raining or drizzling on and off and the temperature was beginning to rise.
When I woke up this morning the temperature is in the mid 40s and still climbing. I went outside to take the dog out and almost all of the 7 inches of snowfall from Christmas day, along with the snow banks that were created from plowing and shoveling were gone!! Left in its place,,, a muddy mess, LOL.
It just goes to show you,,, for all the knowledge we have on this earth we still can not control the weather. It shows me God is still in control!! Here it is December 30th and we are having a heat wave for this time of year. They are predicting temperatures in the 60s tomorrow, New Years Eve. Can you imagine??
I remember praying for a White Christmas this year and God answered my prayers with 7 inches of the white stuff Christmas morning. Guess I should have put a limit on how much of the white stuff I wanted, LOL. But God is good, He does listen and He does answer prayers to those who faithfully expect an answer and wait on Him for it.
On New Years Eve day we are suppose to hit the low 60s. Can you imagine? It will be raining on and off but I should be able to get out and take care of some outdoor work that needs tending too. God is again, answering prayer. I prayed for a warm up to take care of those things and not have to suffer through the bitter cold temperatures to do it. God is good, all the time!!
I have had people ask me, when they have heard me pray, "how can you pray with such confidence?" How can I not pray with confidence? If I don't have confidence God will answer my prayer then why bother praying? How many times does God have to answer prayer before you believe He is really answering it? He does not have to prove himself to us,, we have to prove ourselves to Him!! The best way to do that is to pray with confidence He will answer you. With faith!
Jesus tells us, "whatsoever you ask for in my name in faith, I will give you." Faith and confidence are the key words. You must have total and complete faith. Yes, sometimes that is easier said than done,,, but it can be done. Make friends with your bible. Study God's word,,, learn His promises to His people and your faith will grow. Trust in God and lean on Him.
Until next time,,,, I am pondering what I will be praying for next!!
Be blessed!
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