Good morning all-
The temperature has dropped severely. I think we went from 59 degrees to 19 overnight. Wow now that's a drastic change. It's often a joke about the weather here in Kansas because if you think you know what its going to be, it will change in a matter of minutes. Crazy! Anyway, that's just part of life, like looking for miracles, wishing our lives were different or wondering why bad things happen.
Life is ever changing. The seasons change, time changes and we get older. Our bodies are a ticking time piece. I often wonder what it would be like to be 90 and to have seen so many different changes. Can you imagine what that feels like? They didn't have computers or blogs. They didn't even have half the things we have now like air conditioning, great farm equipment, television, the Internet. None of that existed when they were kids and yet, it all exists now.
We are in an Information Age. The great thing is the gospel can be spread much easier, the bad thing is people use the Internet to corrupt, steal and stalk. Although it has propelled us into a wonderful time of information at your finger tips, there is much evil surrounding this new and exciting age. Many think that the old fashioned ways were good and I'm sure they were. I only know of my own history and all the things I have had to learn over the years. When I was in High School a computer was in one room and used for programming. Now computers are a standard in all schools. Primary school uses the iPad and we have computers or smart phones about everywhere we look. It's crazy.
So like everything good, there are always challenges. For the most part the Internet and computer usage has simplified life. It has brought people together that don't speak the same language or live in the same countries. It has wonderful resources and gives people hope. Every sermon from my church is on the Internet for me to download at a touch of a button. Books are bought on the Internet and Evangelism is done through the web. It's crazy the many different uses that have come to us over the last 30 years. I wonder what's next?
The one thing that hasn't changed is Jesus. He may have lived over 2000 years ago but He has remained the same. There is no diffence between His commitment to us then or now. He knows us and we know Him by faith not by sight. It won't matter how far our technology goes or how many weapons we create because in the end Jesus stays the same. The covenant that God gave to Abraham still exists today. He is the father of all nations and we are here because of His love for God.
So if change has been overwhelming you just realize that things will always change. Our Rock, Our Deliverer, Our Savior never changes. Therefore, place all your fears and all your anxiety about change into the hands of our mighty God. We are His and we will always be His. Remember that God so loved the world that He gave His Son. In the end, that is all that matters. For us to know Him and for Him to be the center of our world and in Him there will be victory!
I hope this season has brought you many blessings. My life will once again change. My sons will be leaving me soon. The time is near but as I watched them come up the stairs at Christmas, my only thought was how much I loved them and how dearly I will miss seeing them come up with sleepy eyes. They have been my light but soon it will be time for Christ to take them on a different journey. My prayer is that I will embrace the change as it comes and that they will be the men that Christ wants them to be. Embrace change my sisters because it's coming anyway,
Numbers 23:19 NIV
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
1 Samuel 10:6 NIV
The Spirit of The Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
December 25, 2013
Good morning all-
I am awake with the anticipation of a little child. As I write today, I'm staring at a birthday gift from my brother of wise men and the light inside looks like the North Star. I'm amazed by it's beauty and majesty! It says wise men seek God. It reminds me that once upon a time wise men followed and we are now to follow. Wise men walked the night to see the baby Jesus. Why? Because they were told too and to their wonder, there He was in the manger. I doubt anyone understood the power of His birth or the meaning of it over 2,000 years later.
Christ came upon this earth, probably in the summer but we celebrate His birth when the ground is wet with snow. Purified from the heavens, snow reigns down and it reminds us of a time long ago where a baby slept in a manger. What a night that must have been but only a few knew the impact it would have on their day. Today, we can watch the impact. It's everywhere and while men and women are sleeping; I'm awake thinking about the wonder of that night.
O, Holy Night came from this wonderful event. You can hear the Christmas carols throughout the land on Christmas Eve. No one goes caroling anymore for fear they would be shot. But in a simpler time, people left their homes and sang to God the Most High and thanked Him for His Son's birth. Today, it's done in church or behind closed doors, kind of like the way we live our lives. Jesus should be shouted from the rooftops but instead like mice we sit and only speak of Him when we feel comfortable. The wise men knew to speak of Him and proclaim His birth for they saw first hand the wonder of the Son! We need to do the same thing. Beyond the presents under the tree, we must put Jesus at the forefront of our lives, not just on Christmas but every single day.
Our lives are a reflection of Him. We are being watched from a far. No one really knows whose watching but they are. They wait to watch us make a mistake, say a wrong thing, or just have bad behavior. As I've told my best friend, Christians aren't perfect, we really are just sinners. So don't depend on them for your moral compass, depend on Jesus. Because if you're looking for all of us to be perfect, forget it. We were saved the same way others will be, by confession of our sins. The only difference between us and the world is that we are confessing our sins to our Savior. We still have them and with His help we will overcome them.
Please take time today to reflect on the power of the birth of Jesus. It has more power than you realize. Christ was given to the world to save us from ourselves. God sacrificed His own Son so that we would know eternal life. I often think about Paul, who murdered and tortured the men that followed Jesus. On a road to Damascus he was struck by a light, blinded and could not see. Jesus sent men to Him and as they came near and prayed, the blindness was lifted and Saul realized he was a sinner that needed a Savior. Our prayer this season should be for men, women and children all over the world to know Him. He is not just a story or an ordinary man. He didn't just walk as a prophet that knew a lot about God. He was the Son of the Almighty, born to save YOU and ME!
He deserves our time and our proclamation! He isn't just our Savior at Christmas but every day we live on this earth. Be warriors with hearts for Him, proclaim the cross and see what Jesus does. I'm watching, are you?
Be well my sisters and love one another!
I am awake with the anticipation of a little child. As I write today, I'm staring at a birthday gift from my brother of wise men and the light inside looks like the North Star. I'm amazed by it's beauty and majesty! It says wise men seek God. It reminds me that once upon a time wise men followed and we are now to follow. Wise men walked the night to see the baby Jesus. Why? Because they were told too and to their wonder, there He was in the manger. I doubt anyone understood the power of His birth or the meaning of it over 2,000 years later.
Christ came upon this earth, probably in the summer but we celebrate His birth when the ground is wet with snow. Purified from the heavens, snow reigns down and it reminds us of a time long ago where a baby slept in a manger. What a night that must have been but only a few knew the impact it would have on their day. Today, we can watch the impact. It's everywhere and while men and women are sleeping; I'm awake thinking about the wonder of that night.
O, Holy Night came from this wonderful event. You can hear the Christmas carols throughout the land on Christmas Eve. No one goes caroling anymore for fear they would be shot. But in a simpler time, people left their homes and sang to God the Most High and thanked Him for His Son's birth. Today, it's done in church or behind closed doors, kind of like the way we live our lives. Jesus should be shouted from the rooftops but instead like mice we sit and only speak of Him when we feel comfortable. The wise men knew to speak of Him and proclaim His birth for they saw first hand the wonder of the Son! We need to do the same thing. Beyond the presents under the tree, we must put Jesus at the forefront of our lives, not just on Christmas but every single day.
Our lives are a reflection of Him. We are being watched from a far. No one really knows whose watching but they are. They wait to watch us make a mistake, say a wrong thing, or just have bad behavior. As I've told my best friend, Christians aren't perfect, we really are just sinners. So don't depend on them for your moral compass, depend on Jesus. Because if you're looking for all of us to be perfect, forget it. We were saved the same way others will be, by confession of our sins. The only difference between us and the world is that we are confessing our sins to our Savior. We still have them and with His help we will overcome them.
Please take time today to reflect on the power of the birth of Jesus. It has more power than you realize. Christ was given to the world to save us from ourselves. God sacrificed His own Son so that we would know eternal life. I often think about Paul, who murdered and tortured the men that followed Jesus. On a road to Damascus he was struck by a light, blinded and could not see. Jesus sent men to Him and as they came near and prayed, the blindness was lifted and Saul realized he was a sinner that needed a Savior. Our prayer this season should be for men, women and children all over the world to know Him. He is not just a story or an ordinary man. He didn't just walk as a prophet that knew a lot about God. He was the Son of the Almighty, born to save YOU and ME!
He deserves our time and our proclamation! He isn't just our Savior at Christmas but every day we live on this earth. Be warriors with hearts for Him, proclaim the cross and see what Jesus does. I'm watching, are you?
Be well my sisters and love one another!
Monday, December 23, 2013
December 23, 2013
Good morning all-
Well today is the day I celebrate another year older. Yes ladies, we do get older. I can remember having my first son at twenty-four and thinking time goes by so slow but today I can tell you time goes by quickly. As I woke today, I thought of those that have gone before me and the words that were often spoken. My mom always said, "Be grateful for the time you have because it speeds up quickly." No joke.
Time has gone quickly this year. Soon my sons' will be leaving me and I am not quite sure what I'm going to do. But for now, they are here getting ready to celebrate another Christmas and for one more year I can watch them wake up, come up the stairs with smiles and anticipation. I am so blessed. This will probably be my last year to enjoy them like this so I'm going to do all I can to get ready.
Tomorrow, my brothers will arrive early for Christmas. Normally, we don't do anything until around 5 but since my mom and dad have passed every Christmas gets different and the traditions go away. I'm not worried though because as long as we see each other, then I know I'm keeping my family together and that's all that really matters.
Often, I wonder how Jesus feels as He sees us grow up, change and get farther away from the children we once were. You know, the anticipation of a song about Him or hearing the wonders of the cross. The times before true hurt, pain and scepticism comes in. You know before you don't see the good in people anymore, you hate the government or a Christian person has hurt you. Those times. Christ said we must come to Him as children and I guess when we are broken enough we do. A child never wants a parent to be angry, they look to please and they believe their parents are protectors, that's at least until they become teenagers. Ha! Ha! I believe that anyone can change with Christ. Why? Because I did. Through His saving grace I became a woman that loves unconditionally and feels the pain of others. I don't just watch the news and say, "That's not me." I end up praying for people, countries and strangers. I can't even go by a car wreck without praying for whoever is inside. My nature is one that wants to love. I was wired that way and it only became enhanced when I found Jesus.
I've been walking with Jesus for many years. However, it's only in the last couple that I have become bold about what I believe. I had hoped that people would see me and think, "What's different about her?" And for the most part, I left it to that. I prayed for people just like I do now but to put myself out there and really stretch with my faith, that just didn't happen until I began to write this blog and now look at me. I've changed once again from someone scared of themselves to a person filled with a passion for Jesus and sharing it with the world.
I'm far from perfect and believe me I know it. I think that's how we are supposed to be. We can't be righteous, we have to be humble. God didn't walk around boasting about how great He was. He walked with His people speaking on love. Love is what makes everything better. It always has and it always will. Not only do we need to have Jesus' eyes. We need to have His heart. He touched the Samaritan women, healed the blind, talked to the leper and walked along man not as God but as a man. God always knew what it would take for sinners to have faith and today we are all part of that philosophy. We are to be humble and to remember that it's not our education or our financial status that make us great, it's the fact that Jesus took the time to love us and to speak to us. We need to pay that forward, don't you think?
Luke 1:35 NIV
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
My prayer today is that one sinner, one very hurt woman would find this blog before Christmas. I pray she will read these words and know how much she is loved. I pray that time would be of the essense and when she finds Jesus she will have all the joy of a child before opening a present or seeing a Christmas tree. We are one family, although I can't see any of your faces, you are the women God has chosen to be part of His glorious army. He wants us to bow our heads and pray for those that can't see Him. When I was a child I believed Jesus could do anything. As I got older, I wasn't so sure. But I can tell you that Jesus can do miracles if it's in His will. That miracle could be so slight you don't even know what it is until He reveals it. So, Lord do Your will on women all over the world. Give them a part of You this season and renew all our hearts so that when we come to You, we are like little children. I believe in You and in the Spirit. Pour out Your mercy and grace on all of us that need You so. I pray that I would always seek You as if I was a child and that those that are reading this blog seek You too. You are my King and the King of the world. We must remember Your words and remember the sacrifice You gave. We will celebrate Your birth in two short days and I pray that Your name is on our tongues and that the world would see You for who You are. Be with us today as we remember why this season is so special. Beyond the lights and the presents, may the God of all time come down and spread peace on this earth. In Jesus Name, I pray these words. AMEN
Well today is the day I celebrate another year older. Yes ladies, we do get older. I can remember having my first son at twenty-four and thinking time goes by so slow but today I can tell you time goes by quickly. As I woke today, I thought of those that have gone before me and the words that were often spoken. My mom always said, "Be grateful for the time you have because it speeds up quickly." No joke.
Time has gone quickly this year. Soon my sons' will be leaving me and I am not quite sure what I'm going to do. But for now, they are here getting ready to celebrate another Christmas and for one more year I can watch them wake up, come up the stairs with smiles and anticipation. I am so blessed. This will probably be my last year to enjoy them like this so I'm going to do all I can to get ready.
Tomorrow, my brothers will arrive early for Christmas. Normally, we don't do anything until around 5 but since my mom and dad have passed every Christmas gets different and the traditions go away. I'm not worried though because as long as we see each other, then I know I'm keeping my family together and that's all that really matters.
Often, I wonder how Jesus feels as He sees us grow up, change and get farther away from the children we once were. You know, the anticipation of a song about Him or hearing the wonders of the cross. The times before true hurt, pain and scepticism comes in. You know before you don't see the good in people anymore, you hate the government or a Christian person has hurt you. Those times. Christ said we must come to Him as children and I guess when we are broken enough we do. A child never wants a parent to be angry, they look to please and they believe their parents are protectors, that's at least until they become teenagers. Ha! Ha! I believe that anyone can change with Christ. Why? Because I did. Through His saving grace I became a woman that loves unconditionally and feels the pain of others. I don't just watch the news and say, "That's not me." I end up praying for people, countries and strangers. I can't even go by a car wreck without praying for whoever is inside. My nature is one that wants to love. I was wired that way and it only became enhanced when I found Jesus.
I've been walking with Jesus for many years. However, it's only in the last couple that I have become bold about what I believe. I had hoped that people would see me and think, "What's different about her?" And for the most part, I left it to that. I prayed for people just like I do now but to put myself out there and really stretch with my faith, that just didn't happen until I began to write this blog and now look at me. I've changed once again from someone scared of themselves to a person filled with a passion for Jesus and sharing it with the world.
I'm far from perfect and believe me I know it. I think that's how we are supposed to be. We can't be righteous, we have to be humble. God didn't walk around boasting about how great He was. He walked with His people speaking on love. Love is what makes everything better. It always has and it always will. Not only do we need to have Jesus' eyes. We need to have His heart. He touched the Samaritan women, healed the blind, talked to the leper and walked along man not as God but as a man. God always knew what it would take for sinners to have faith and today we are all part of that philosophy. We are to be humble and to remember that it's not our education or our financial status that make us great, it's the fact that Jesus took the time to love us and to speak to us. We need to pay that forward, don't you think?
Luke 1:35 NIV
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
My prayer today is that one sinner, one very hurt woman would find this blog before Christmas. I pray she will read these words and know how much she is loved. I pray that time would be of the essense and when she finds Jesus she will have all the joy of a child before opening a present or seeing a Christmas tree. We are one family, although I can't see any of your faces, you are the women God has chosen to be part of His glorious army. He wants us to bow our heads and pray for those that can't see Him. When I was a child I believed Jesus could do anything. As I got older, I wasn't so sure. But I can tell you that Jesus can do miracles if it's in His will. That miracle could be so slight you don't even know what it is until He reveals it. So, Lord do Your will on women all over the world. Give them a part of You this season and renew all our hearts so that when we come to You, we are like little children. I believe in You and in the Spirit. Pour out Your mercy and grace on all of us that need You so. I pray that I would always seek You as if I was a child and that those that are reading this blog seek You too. You are my King and the King of the world. We must remember Your words and remember the sacrifice You gave. We will celebrate Your birth in two short days and I pray that Your name is on our tongues and that the world would see You for who You are. Be with us today as we remember why this season is so special. Beyond the lights and the presents, may the God of all time come down and spread peace on this earth. In Jesus Name, I pray these words. AMEN
Sunday, December 22, 2013
December 22, 2013
Good morning all-
Today is the day that the Lord hath made! I am blessed, are you? I often look at my life and although not everything has been rainbows; I know God is good. He has walked with me and talked with me and every once in awhile He gives me a miracle to hold onto. People define miracles in different ways. My miracles this week came through my children, my staff and the snowfall that blanketed the earth last night.
People are truly how you see God. The smile that lights up a room, the closeness of family and friends and the hugs of little children, these are all miracles. As I finished up my year at work, I was searching the web and saw a letter to Santa that was written in 1914. This little person wanted a paint set, a reader and a bag of books. Today, it's Batman, Barbies, and electronics but back then, life was so simple.
It got me thinking of what brought smiles to my face as a child . Most of the time, it was a piece of candy, a hug or a big cookie my mom had baked. I waited patiently for my birthday every year only to have my brother's get to open their presents the next day. I still can remember the anticipation of Christmas and the beauty that it held. People often ask me, "Your birthday is so close to Christmas did you ever feel cheated?" I never did because I never really wanted anything big. Like that little one that wished for essentials all I ever wish for is snow. So as I was preparing for two families to come together in a Christmas celebration everyone asked me what I wanted and again I said, "Snow!" So my miracle this season is that Christ heard me and coated the earth with the most beautiful snow I have ever seen. It's like a blanket on the earth, coating it with white and making everything sparkle. I'm anticipating the sun to come out so I can watch as the different flakes sparkle. It is a miracle. Rarely, in all my years, have I gotten my wish but this year God saw fit to give it to me. It really is a standing joke at my house but my husband and kids know so when the flakes started coming around 4 pm yesterday, my husband walked in and said, "I guess you got your miracle, it's snowing."
Can you imagine a world that just wished for snow on Christmas and the love of family? Take away all the materialistic pleasures and concentrate on Jesus. I can. To this day, many don't believe in Christ and many don't believe that old dogs can change. I do. Why? Because a simple prayer of snow was granted. So if He does that, don't you think He hears our cries. I do. And although horrible things are happening in this world there still is a God that cares. He is changing things behind the scenes, renewing hearts and granting miracles. Just like in Paul's time, healings are happening, children are being born, and the worst of sinners are proclaiming Him! When I am at my lowest, I always remember the miracles that have happened to change me.
Sometimes I think we forget about the miracles of God. We forget about the technology that has come and spread the gospel. We don't see that God is helping people, watching over them or that He does hear our cries. We forget to focus on Him and only focus on our problems and when we do that the miracle of who He was and is gets lost. I never want to forget the promise He gave to Abraham or the wisdom He placed on Solomon. I don't want to be the Israelite in the desert that couldn't believe in the miracle of Him and I don't want to be Timothy that doubted. So today, I once again proclaim in a God that does miracles. A man who came to earth who was the Son of God. He is our God. I'm not the only one that gets to know Him, we all do. His birth is the greatest miracle of all time. So as we come to the day we celebrate Christmas my prayer is that we will sing a new song and proclaim Him throughout the earth. His birth was real, He is real and someday we will see Him.
As I continue my day today, I will be watching for Him to do miracles. He loves us and He wants us to know He is hear. He will not always answer our prayers the way we want Him too but He does answer one, "He loves us even though we are not worthy!" I am off to start my morning but it had been so long since I was able to write. Please pray for me that I would have time to sit and write to you. This blog is just another miracle in my life, when I was down it gave me courage to get back up. Celebrate Jesus this season and witness the greatest miracle of all time.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
My prayer today:
O, Lord the world is waiting for a miracle. This Christmas as we celebrate with family and friends please help us remember the reason for the season. Take hold of us and guide us and help all of us remember your promises. Your birth was proclaimed in the Old Testament and fulfilled . Throughout the many years after Your birth, the world has changed, its become complicated and full of danger. But today, as I look upon the snow, I realize that the only thing that matters was and is the miracle of You. By Your hand we have been saved and all creatures great and small are Yours! Help us find You through our pain, our hearts and our minds. Many have lost a loved one this year and I hope and pray that the love of Christ will cover them in their time of need. We should come together and pray for Your people and ask once again for You to do great miracles. If someone were to ask me what has been my biggest blessing of all time, I would have to say the day I met You face to face. Thank You for saving a wretch like me and for loving me through my rebellion. Thank You for taking a scared little girl and making her a courageous woman. Thank You for blessing me with the gift of loving others and Thank You for giving me parents that sacrificed and loved their children. Most importantly, Thank You for the beautiful snow that reminded me of all You are. The ground is covered in white and its new. May I become a new creature as I strive to follow the One True God! Rain down on us Jesus, fill our minds and hearts with You and help us to put You back in Christmas! One last thing, please help the Syrians Lord know You. Many are fighting for their lives and I know You are with them. Bring women togerher to pray for the lost, the broken and the poor. Forever, I will be in Your debt for loving me. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Today is the day that the Lord hath made! I am blessed, are you? I often look at my life and although not everything has been rainbows; I know God is good. He has walked with me and talked with me and every once in awhile He gives me a miracle to hold onto. People define miracles in different ways. My miracles this week came through my children, my staff and the snowfall that blanketed the earth last night.
People are truly how you see God. The smile that lights up a room, the closeness of family and friends and the hugs of little children, these are all miracles. As I finished up my year at work, I was searching the web and saw a letter to Santa that was written in 1914. This little person wanted a paint set, a reader and a bag of books. Today, it's Batman, Barbies, and electronics but back then, life was so simple.
It got me thinking of what brought smiles to my face as a child . Most of the time, it was a piece of candy, a hug or a big cookie my mom had baked. I waited patiently for my birthday every year only to have my brother's get to open their presents the next day. I still can remember the anticipation of Christmas and the beauty that it held. People often ask me, "Your birthday is so close to Christmas did you ever feel cheated?" I never did because I never really wanted anything big. Like that little one that wished for essentials all I ever wish for is snow. So as I was preparing for two families to come together in a Christmas celebration everyone asked me what I wanted and again I said, "Snow!" So my miracle this season is that Christ heard me and coated the earth with the most beautiful snow I have ever seen. It's like a blanket on the earth, coating it with white and making everything sparkle. I'm anticipating the sun to come out so I can watch as the different flakes sparkle. It is a miracle. Rarely, in all my years, have I gotten my wish but this year God saw fit to give it to me. It really is a standing joke at my house but my husband and kids know so when the flakes started coming around 4 pm yesterday, my husband walked in and said, "I guess you got your miracle, it's snowing."
Can you imagine a world that just wished for snow on Christmas and the love of family? Take away all the materialistic pleasures and concentrate on Jesus. I can. To this day, many don't believe in Christ and many don't believe that old dogs can change. I do. Why? Because a simple prayer of snow was granted. So if He does that, don't you think He hears our cries. I do. And although horrible things are happening in this world there still is a God that cares. He is changing things behind the scenes, renewing hearts and granting miracles. Just like in Paul's time, healings are happening, children are being born, and the worst of sinners are proclaiming Him! When I am at my lowest, I always remember the miracles that have happened to change me.
Sometimes I think we forget about the miracles of God. We forget about the technology that has come and spread the gospel. We don't see that God is helping people, watching over them or that He does hear our cries. We forget to focus on Him and only focus on our problems and when we do that the miracle of who He was and is gets lost. I never want to forget the promise He gave to Abraham or the wisdom He placed on Solomon. I don't want to be the Israelite in the desert that couldn't believe in the miracle of Him and I don't want to be Timothy that doubted. So today, I once again proclaim in a God that does miracles. A man who came to earth who was the Son of God. He is our God. I'm not the only one that gets to know Him, we all do. His birth is the greatest miracle of all time. So as we come to the day we celebrate Christmas my prayer is that we will sing a new song and proclaim Him throughout the earth. His birth was real, He is real and someday we will see Him.
As I continue my day today, I will be watching for Him to do miracles. He loves us and He wants us to know He is hear. He will not always answer our prayers the way we want Him too but He does answer one, "He loves us even though we are not worthy!" I am off to start my morning but it had been so long since I was able to write. Please pray for me that I would have time to sit and write to you. This blog is just another miracle in my life, when I was down it gave me courage to get back up. Celebrate Jesus this season and witness the greatest miracle of all time.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
My prayer today:
O, Lord the world is waiting for a miracle. This Christmas as we celebrate with family and friends please help us remember the reason for the season. Take hold of us and guide us and help all of us remember your promises. Your birth was proclaimed in the Old Testament and fulfilled . Throughout the many years after Your birth, the world has changed, its become complicated and full of danger. But today, as I look upon the snow, I realize that the only thing that matters was and is the miracle of You. By Your hand we have been saved and all creatures great and small are Yours! Help us find You through our pain, our hearts and our minds. Many have lost a loved one this year and I hope and pray that the love of Christ will cover them in their time of need. We should come together and pray for Your people and ask once again for You to do great miracles. If someone were to ask me what has been my biggest blessing of all time, I would have to say the day I met You face to face. Thank You for saving a wretch like me and for loving me through my rebellion. Thank You for taking a scared little girl and making her a courageous woman. Thank You for blessing me with the gift of loving others and Thank You for giving me parents that sacrificed and loved their children. Most importantly, Thank You for the beautiful snow that reminded me of all You are. The ground is covered in white and its new. May I become a new creature as I strive to follow the One True God! Rain down on us Jesus, fill our minds and hearts with You and help us to put You back in Christmas! One last thing, please help the Syrians Lord know You. Many are fighting for their lives and I know You are with them. Bring women togerher to pray for the lost, the broken and the poor. Forever, I will be in Your debt for loving me. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
December 10, 2013
Good morning-
This week is a very hard but special week for me. It's the celebration of my wonderful father who passed away two years ago. It's full of good and bad memories. He passed away seven days before his 70th birthday and he is so missed. Thank goodness the memories remain. I can remember baking with my mom, putting the tree up with my dad and him patiently teaching me how to trim a tree. He spent hours coaching me on how to put lights all the way around and then he had to teach me how to connect them so they would all light up. If you've ever put lights on a tree then you know the patience he had.
I loved my father with all my heart. I think that's why it was so easy for me to love Jesus. My dad was a good man. He was patient and he was kind. He was everything that Corinthians 13 spells out and he not only taught me those principles but my sons as well. There isn't anywhere I can go this time of year without thinking about him or my mom. They made Christmas magical. Even when they didn't have a lot they would scrape by just to see their kids or grandkids light up. We call Christmas the Nana Christmas because she brought wonder, joy and happiness. She spent way to much money but if you ask our kids what they remember, they would say, "When Nana was here Christmas was so meaningful." It wasn't just the presents, it was the thought, the build up and the love my mom and dad had for all of us. Their sacrifice was our reward.
I'm sure you've heard me use that phrase before. I use it all the time to describe what Christ did by coming to earthas a man and giving His life for ours. My memories are so precious that when I'm putting up lights, baking cookies or listening to children laughing I think of them. As Christmas approaches, we really need to take the memories out of the Bible and share them with others. My memories are precious to me. You might not want to share in them but the intent of sharing is to let people know there is love in this world. Sharing Christ is vital to our society. Christ is not a religion but a relationship. Just like mine with my parents, Christ has given something to each one of us. We need to slow down and remember what the prophets of old spoke about and how they came to fruition in the womb of Mary.
Mary carried the Savior and with her sacrifice He came to life. Joseph watched God's Son grow and taught Him all he knew but in the end, Christ was the Son of God. He is One God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. His story is the most precious story and should be told from your family to the world. The world is no longer that wide or that far. We can reach each other through the Internet. Many are coming to my blog from other nations far away and yet, we have a relationship with the same God. I am always astounded to see who has touched this blog. God is calling His disciples from every land to join together and hear the good news. There are so many channels to find Him. This season amongst the commercialization of Christmas let's spread the word of the greatest gift ever to be given to mankind, Jesus.
He is the true reason for the season. I love the lights, the Christmas tree and all the things that come with Christmas. But the most important thing gets shoved behind presents and all the trimmings. Let's make Him a priority this season and read the story that made this Holiday what it was meant to be. We know that Jesus would want us to give a gift that keeps on giving. If you haven't thought about it lately, then do now. We must present the Gospel and all that it means.
I love being a child of God and am so grateful for the opportunity to proclaim Him. I hope you are too. With all that I am, I pray that God will bless you and keep you as you find Him. Spread the word, write a story or simply pray for a friend. All of us are in need of a Savior, be the one to share Him today.
Thank you for reading this blog and for encouraging me to get on. It's been a journey this year and I'm trying to stay faithful. My heart is full and my days are long but with you in them they are so much easier. Tell someone today that Jesus loves them and then tell them why.
Psalm 89:27 NIV
And I will appoint Him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given adn teh government will be on His shoulders.
Mark 7:26 NIV
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
My prayer today:
O, Lord, thank You for granting all of us the opportunity to know you. As the days come may we spread the gospel and show your love. We are sinners in need of a Savior and even when we don't think we do, we really do. I pray for a miracle this year for my sisters. I pray that they would pray like they never have before and I pray that women would come to see the beauty in you. There is so much to turn us away and yet, you stand there waiting for us to surrender. Help us all surrender our feelings and our desires to you. We want to be grounded, not fleeting with hope, love and obedience raging through our blood. We proclaim that Jesus is the reason for this season and that He holds the key to our reward. Again, Lord, we are humbled to be your servants, give us courage, fortitude and a heart for only YOU! In Jesus Name. AMEN
Until tomorrow...
This week is a very hard but special week for me. It's the celebration of my wonderful father who passed away two years ago. It's full of good and bad memories. He passed away seven days before his 70th birthday and he is so missed. Thank goodness the memories remain. I can remember baking with my mom, putting the tree up with my dad and him patiently teaching me how to trim a tree. He spent hours coaching me on how to put lights all the way around and then he had to teach me how to connect them so they would all light up. If you've ever put lights on a tree then you know the patience he had.
I loved my father with all my heart. I think that's why it was so easy for me to love Jesus. My dad was a good man. He was patient and he was kind. He was everything that Corinthians 13 spells out and he not only taught me those principles but my sons as well. There isn't anywhere I can go this time of year without thinking about him or my mom. They made Christmas magical. Even when they didn't have a lot they would scrape by just to see their kids or grandkids light up. We call Christmas the Nana Christmas because she brought wonder, joy and happiness. She spent way to much money but if you ask our kids what they remember, they would say, "When Nana was here Christmas was so meaningful." It wasn't just the presents, it was the thought, the build up and the love my mom and dad had for all of us. Their sacrifice was our reward.
I'm sure you've heard me use that phrase before. I use it all the time to describe what Christ did by coming to earthas a man and giving His life for ours. My memories are so precious that when I'm putting up lights, baking cookies or listening to children laughing I think of them. As Christmas approaches, we really need to take the memories out of the Bible and share them with others. My memories are precious to me. You might not want to share in them but the intent of sharing is to let people know there is love in this world. Sharing Christ is vital to our society. Christ is not a religion but a relationship. Just like mine with my parents, Christ has given something to each one of us. We need to slow down and remember what the prophets of old spoke about and how they came to fruition in the womb of Mary.
Mary carried the Savior and with her sacrifice He came to life. Joseph watched God's Son grow and taught Him all he knew but in the end, Christ was the Son of God. He is One God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. His story is the most precious story and should be told from your family to the world. The world is no longer that wide or that far. We can reach each other through the Internet. Many are coming to my blog from other nations far away and yet, we have a relationship with the same God. I am always astounded to see who has touched this blog. God is calling His disciples from every land to join together and hear the good news. There are so many channels to find Him. This season amongst the commercialization of Christmas let's spread the word of the greatest gift ever to be given to mankind, Jesus.
He is the true reason for the season. I love the lights, the Christmas tree and all the things that come with Christmas. But the most important thing gets shoved behind presents and all the trimmings. Let's make Him a priority this season and read the story that made this Holiday what it was meant to be. We know that Jesus would want us to give a gift that keeps on giving. If you haven't thought about it lately, then do now. We must present the Gospel and all that it means.
I love being a child of God and am so grateful for the opportunity to proclaim Him. I hope you are too. With all that I am, I pray that God will bless you and keep you as you find Him. Spread the word, write a story or simply pray for a friend. All of us are in need of a Savior, be the one to share Him today.
Thank you for reading this blog and for encouraging me to get on. It's been a journey this year and I'm trying to stay faithful. My heart is full and my days are long but with you in them they are so much easier. Tell someone today that Jesus loves them and then tell them why.
Psalm 89:27 NIV
And I will appoint Him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given adn teh government will be on His shoulders.
Mark 7:26 NIV
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
My prayer today:
O, Lord, thank You for granting all of us the opportunity to know you. As the days come may we spread the gospel and show your love. We are sinners in need of a Savior and even when we don't think we do, we really do. I pray for a miracle this year for my sisters. I pray that they would pray like they never have before and I pray that women would come to see the beauty in you. There is so much to turn us away and yet, you stand there waiting for us to surrender. Help us all surrender our feelings and our desires to you. We want to be grounded, not fleeting with hope, love and obedience raging through our blood. We proclaim that Jesus is the reason for this season and that He holds the key to our reward. Again, Lord, we are humbled to be your servants, give us courage, fortitude and a heart for only YOU! In Jesus Name. AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, December 7, 2013
December 7, 2013
Good morning all-
Well the first game of the season was a complete and unbelievable failure. After, I thought of the blog I wrote yesterday morning peace overwhelmed me. All the passion in the world can't equal the devastation of loss or can it? I think it can. Loss, denial and fear can crush you but only to a point. God has a plan for your life. Now, what you do with it is up to you.
When my son got home I wasn't sure how it was going to go but it went great! He admitted what he did wrong, where his team screwed up and what they needed to do differently. He didn't make excuses but instead he has decided to think more, do more and help his team succeed. After Peter denied Christ, do you think he decided the same thing? He was chosen and at Jesus's greatest hour Peter failed Him. I guess like Judus he could have taken his life in utter despair. That's not how the story goes though. Peter makes a decision to be the fisher of men and so the story goes for all of us to read. He didn't sit on the sidelines or choose to wallow in his sorrow. He chose to take up the cross, ask forgiveness and help Jesus!
I have always loved that story. I guess it's because I find myself failing Jesus daily but at the end of the day I choose to walk and talk for Jesus. If I live in my failures, I will never know victory. However, if I learn from them I can be a light to a darkened world. A true Christian is one that knows they are a sinner. For everyone that recognizes this, then and only then can we be fishers of men.
I'm sure today will be filled with lots of emotion for the Titans. My prayer is that 14 boys will come together, guide one another and become one unit. Just like them, we must ban together sisters, shake off our failures and become one through Jesus. We are the greatest team! Women all over the world, letting go of their failures to take up the cross and walk with Jesus! Join me today and ask Jesus to take us, our sins and failures and make us one so that we might glorify Him. My hopes don't reside in a basketball game or even in my children's successes or failures; they reside in the hope of Jesus Christ. That's what took Peter out of his sorrow so that we would know the gospel today!
Our lives are in the most capable hands. Don't ever forget it. The power of the cross, the miracle of a Savior is still at hand. Our prince has not yet come. Today is the day to speak about Jesus. I'm not perfect and I do all the time. The hour is upon us and only we can make the decision to shed our pride and shake off our iniquities so that Jesus can be known to the masses.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
My prayer today:
O, Lord, Father, I pray that you would be with us today. The story of Peter moves us and should propel us to follow you. You made a promise and fulfilled it through your sacrifice. Daily you bring women and men to books, television, radio and blogs to spread the good news. Your workers are few but the sheep are many. Help us, O, Lord to be fishermen like Peter. We cast our nets today so that we can see miracles in a broken world. You are our God and we are yours to command. Your light is bright! Forgive us of our sins and help us be women that love you more. In Jesus name,Amen
Until tomorrow...
Well the first game of the season was a complete and unbelievable failure. After, I thought of the blog I wrote yesterday morning peace overwhelmed me. All the passion in the world can't equal the devastation of loss or can it? I think it can. Loss, denial and fear can crush you but only to a point. God has a plan for your life. Now, what you do with it is up to you.
When my son got home I wasn't sure how it was going to go but it went great! He admitted what he did wrong, where his team screwed up and what they needed to do differently. He didn't make excuses but instead he has decided to think more, do more and help his team succeed. After Peter denied Christ, do you think he decided the same thing? He was chosen and at Jesus's greatest hour Peter failed Him. I guess like Judus he could have taken his life in utter despair. That's not how the story goes though. Peter makes a decision to be the fisher of men and so the story goes for all of us to read. He didn't sit on the sidelines or choose to wallow in his sorrow. He chose to take up the cross, ask forgiveness and help Jesus!
I have always loved that story. I guess it's because I find myself failing Jesus daily but at the end of the day I choose to walk and talk for Jesus. If I live in my failures, I will never know victory. However, if I learn from them I can be a light to a darkened world. A true Christian is one that knows they are a sinner. For everyone that recognizes this, then and only then can we be fishers of men.
I'm sure today will be filled with lots of emotion for the Titans. My prayer is that 14 boys will come together, guide one another and become one unit. Just like them, we must ban together sisters, shake off our failures and become one through Jesus. We are the greatest team! Women all over the world, letting go of their failures to take up the cross and walk with Jesus! Join me today and ask Jesus to take us, our sins and failures and make us one so that we might glorify Him. My hopes don't reside in a basketball game or even in my children's successes or failures; they reside in the hope of Jesus Christ. That's what took Peter out of his sorrow so that we would know the gospel today!
Our lives are in the most capable hands. Don't ever forget it. The power of the cross, the miracle of a Savior is still at hand. Our prince has not yet come. Today is the day to speak about Jesus. I'm not perfect and I do all the time. The hour is upon us and only we can make the decision to shed our pride and shake off our iniquities so that Jesus can be known to the masses.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
My prayer today:
O, Lord, Father, I pray that you would be with us today. The story of Peter moves us and should propel us to follow you. You made a promise and fulfilled it through your sacrifice. Daily you bring women and men to books, television, radio and blogs to spread the good news. Your workers are few but the sheep are many. Help us, O, Lord to be fishermen like Peter. We cast our nets today so that we can see miracles in a broken world. You are our God and we are yours to command. Your light is bright! Forgive us of our sins and help us be women that love you more. In Jesus name,Amen
Until tomorrow...
Friday, December 6, 2013
December 6, 2013
Good morning all-
Well it's Friday and the start of High School Basketball season and I'm excited. I am so happy that my son has one more opportnity to prove to himself and others that God gave him a talent. Do I think he will go professional? Probably not. But through this experience I hope he learns that God is in control, He provides us with gifts and He uses them for His glory. And through it all, I just pray that he bonds with his team, becomes a role model and goes to God with every success and every failure.
Sports has always been just a game in my mind. It's more of a hobby than a career. Lately, my opinion has changed. I see the correlations of sports analyogies to real life. I never thought that being an athlete had anything to do with your mental toughness but today I do. I have watched my son take over the court and I have watched him give up. He always had the talent but he lost the belief. I think all of us do that from time to time. We have a success and we can go for miles; we get challenged and automatically we've failed. It took me a long time to look at failure as a positive and to be honest I still fight that mindset.
How I achieve mental toughness is by going to Jesus. I long ago gave up the fact that I was successful in my own right. My success comes from Jesus. It always did it just took me time to die to myself and put him in the driver seat. My failures can be successes. I bet you never heard that before! But honestly every time I've failed I went to Jesus and found a solution or overcame the challenge. Of course it wasn't overnight but out of my failure I found that Jesus became my focus and therefore, my failure brought Him glory.
Every day I am challenged with failure. I am helping run a small company that has a very emotional management team. I often find myself dealing with emotion rather than running a company. Sometimes it feels as if every one is on pins and needles and all at once they fall and so goes the attitude in the office. We are in the advent season when joy and peace should be on our minds and yesterday all I thought is how to I control this damage. I can't. That's the conclusion I came to at 4:15 am this morning. There is absolutely no way I can control a persons emotional health. However, I can go to Jesus so this morning I sat on the internet, looked at news stories and all the time my mind was racing with how can I fix this mess? I could have gotten up and started on this blog but my mind couldn't focus. So when my oldest got out of bed and came upstairs super early, I realized that I had someone I could talk to about the problem. His response, "Mom, I'll pray for you." Wow! I can't tell you how many times I have said those words to my kids. That sentence got me out of my inner turmoil and into writing this blog. I don't need to shoulder all this on me; I need to go to Jesus.
I have often lived by the motto that failure is not an option. I came from a very hard working, lower income family. My father worked and my mother stayed at home. We didn't have a lot but we did have a lot of love. Never did my parents give up. However, they weren't really big on going to Jesus with their problems either. I learned something this morning. Whenever I wake at 4 am again with thoughts of what to do, I'm just going to Jesus because He's the reason I'm here anyway. My success comes from Him and He has given me people to guide and mentor and to the best of my ability I will continue to do that. As far as the other turmoil in my life, I'm giving that to Jesus too, asking Him for the words to speak and praying that He will take my company and make it a great place to work.
I can't make a rainbow every day but I can stick to what I believe. Just like Hunter, I have to set my mind on the goal. He will be thinking about his team and the basketball goal; I have to think about the goal Jesus set for us from the beginning. My mind is a powerful tool. Mental toughness in the world comes when we look upon Jesus for every need, every success and every failure. I don't have all the answers and I don't know how today will go but I do know that I've put Jesus right where He should have been from the beginning, guiding me, loving me and instructing me toward Him.
I hope today finds you well and I pray that if your mind is roaming you will take your thoughts and bow down to the king of eternity. That's all for now, I have to go wake up that teenager and pray over him. By the end of this evening there will be a winner and a loser. Either way, my son needs to know I love him and so does Jesus. May today be full of Jesus!
No time to spell check or read over. Find a Scripture that means something to you today and meditate on God's words!!!!
Well it's Friday and the start of High School Basketball season and I'm excited. I am so happy that my son has one more opportnity to prove to himself and others that God gave him a talent. Do I think he will go professional? Probably not. But through this experience I hope he learns that God is in control, He provides us with gifts and He uses them for His glory. And through it all, I just pray that he bonds with his team, becomes a role model and goes to God with every success and every failure.
Sports has always been just a game in my mind. It's more of a hobby than a career. Lately, my opinion has changed. I see the correlations of sports analyogies to real life. I never thought that being an athlete had anything to do with your mental toughness but today I do. I have watched my son take over the court and I have watched him give up. He always had the talent but he lost the belief. I think all of us do that from time to time. We have a success and we can go for miles; we get challenged and automatically we've failed. It took me a long time to look at failure as a positive and to be honest I still fight that mindset.
How I achieve mental toughness is by going to Jesus. I long ago gave up the fact that I was successful in my own right. My success comes from Jesus. It always did it just took me time to die to myself and put him in the driver seat. My failures can be successes. I bet you never heard that before! But honestly every time I've failed I went to Jesus and found a solution or overcame the challenge. Of course it wasn't overnight but out of my failure I found that Jesus became my focus and therefore, my failure brought Him glory.
Every day I am challenged with failure. I am helping run a small company that has a very emotional management team. I often find myself dealing with emotion rather than running a company. Sometimes it feels as if every one is on pins and needles and all at once they fall and so goes the attitude in the office. We are in the advent season when joy and peace should be on our minds and yesterday all I thought is how to I control this damage. I can't. That's the conclusion I came to at 4:15 am this morning. There is absolutely no way I can control a persons emotional health. However, I can go to Jesus so this morning I sat on the internet, looked at news stories and all the time my mind was racing with how can I fix this mess? I could have gotten up and started on this blog but my mind couldn't focus. So when my oldest got out of bed and came upstairs super early, I realized that I had someone I could talk to about the problem. His response, "Mom, I'll pray for you." Wow! I can't tell you how many times I have said those words to my kids. That sentence got me out of my inner turmoil and into writing this blog. I don't need to shoulder all this on me; I need to go to Jesus.
I have often lived by the motto that failure is not an option. I came from a very hard working, lower income family. My father worked and my mother stayed at home. We didn't have a lot but we did have a lot of love. Never did my parents give up. However, they weren't really big on going to Jesus with their problems either. I learned something this morning. Whenever I wake at 4 am again with thoughts of what to do, I'm just going to Jesus because He's the reason I'm here anyway. My success comes from Him and He has given me people to guide and mentor and to the best of my ability I will continue to do that. As far as the other turmoil in my life, I'm giving that to Jesus too, asking Him for the words to speak and praying that He will take my company and make it a great place to work.
I can't make a rainbow every day but I can stick to what I believe. Just like Hunter, I have to set my mind on the goal. He will be thinking about his team and the basketball goal; I have to think about the goal Jesus set for us from the beginning. My mind is a powerful tool. Mental toughness in the world comes when we look upon Jesus for every need, every success and every failure. I don't have all the answers and I don't know how today will go but I do know that I've put Jesus right where He should have been from the beginning, guiding me, loving me and instructing me toward Him.
I hope today finds you well and I pray that if your mind is roaming you will take your thoughts and bow down to the king of eternity. That's all for now, I have to go wake up that teenager and pray over him. By the end of this evening there will be a winner and a loser. Either way, my son needs to know I love him and so does Jesus. May today be full of Jesus!
No time to spell check or read over. Find a Scripture that means something to you today and meditate on God's words!!!!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
December 1, 2013
Good morning all-
I couldn't sleep so I got up to get some things done before going to church. By the time most people are opening their eyes I will be done with dishes, grocery shopping and hopefully laundry. Isn't a woman's life a whirlwind? Sometimes I feel like I am a storm cloud desending quickly, releasing all my fury and off to the next city. I know that I'm not but I feel that way. We are going to get our Christmas tree today and Hunter has to get his haircut, because this week it's the start of his senior year and he is excited.
I'm excited that Christmas is coming. I will start making cookies and the smell of everything Christmas will be in the air, now if it would just snow! You may think I'm being random today and I guess I am, the countdown is on! This time of year makes me think of Jesus, my parents, laughing with my brothers and my sons' first Christmas. It reminds me of the legacy that Jesus's motherly left us and of God's promise to make Abraham the father of nations. Whether we know it or not, we are linked back to that promise and to the promise of Jesus.
My prayer this season is simple. I pray that the world would know Jesus. I pray that God would open the eyes of men and that we all would see His glory. He is our comfort and our deliverer and even though we don't deserve it; He remains providing mercy and grace.
I'm one of the people that need Him the most because I have recognized that everything I do or say is meaningless without Jesus in my life. I must continue to pray for His love to be revealed to every city, every people group, throughout the world. I'm praying that women like me will rise up and pray for God to have mercy on a sinful world. I may be cooking, cleaning or gearing up for basketball season but I'm always thinking about the lives Christ will touch today.
I hope you are well and that you will find Christ. Many know Him but how many seek Him? Continuously pray for our children and ask God to protect them in a fallen world. Please continue to pray for the Middle East, they need our prayers. As we countdown to Christmas let us reflect on the goodness of our King. His life was sacrificed to right a wrong. Be aware of those around you and ask Christ to show you who needs hope. Our greatest gain is His love. Be devoted and pray without ceasing. Our God is calling, hear Him well!
Be well my sisters and reach out to me if you feel comfortable. I love to hear from you.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25 NIV)
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5 NIV)
The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:14-20 NIV)
My prayer today:
O, Lord my life is a reflection of Your mighty hand. Wash over me in spirit and help me to see Your people. Raise up women that would rather worship at Your feet than live a life of emptiness. Your love is our reward and I thank You for it. Give us spiritual eyes, a heart that seeks You with repentence. No one can fill the void like You. We are part of a knowing generation. We see things and do nothing. Give us a heart of sacrifice, bowing down to our needs so that we can lift up those that need You. Often I realize that my immediate family takes much of my time, I pray someday that my time would be all Yours. Give us wisdom to love the way You loved us and provide a heart that desires You above all. I pray these words and ask that You bless us as we seek You. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow....
I couldn't sleep so I got up to get some things done before going to church. By the time most people are opening their eyes I will be done with dishes, grocery shopping and hopefully laundry. Isn't a woman's life a whirlwind? Sometimes I feel like I am a storm cloud desending quickly, releasing all my fury and off to the next city. I know that I'm not but I feel that way. We are going to get our Christmas tree today and Hunter has to get his haircut, because this week it's the start of his senior year and he is excited.
I'm excited that Christmas is coming. I will start making cookies and the smell of everything Christmas will be in the air, now if it would just snow! You may think I'm being random today and I guess I am, the countdown is on! This time of year makes me think of Jesus, my parents, laughing with my brothers and my sons' first Christmas. It reminds me of the legacy that Jesus's motherly left us and of God's promise to make Abraham the father of nations. Whether we know it or not, we are linked back to that promise and to the promise of Jesus.
My prayer this season is simple. I pray that the world would know Jesus. I pray that God would open the eyes of men and that we all would see His glory. He is our comfort and our deliverer and even though we don't deserve it; He remains providing mercy and grace.
I'm one of the people that need Him the most because I have recognized that everything I do or say is meaningless without Jesus in my life. I must continue to pray for His love to be revealed to every city, every people group, throughout the world. I'm praying that women like me will rise up and pray for God to have mercy on a sinful world. I may be cooking, cleaning or gearing up for basketball season but I'm always thinking about the lives Christ will touch today.
I hope you are well and that you will find Christ. Many know Him but how many seek Him? Continuously pray for our children and ask God to protect them in a fallen world. Please continue to pray for the Middle East, they need our prayers. As we countdown to Christmas let us reflect on the goodness of our King. His life was sacrificed to right a wrong. Be aware of those around you and ask Christ to show you who needs hope. Our greatest gain is His love. Be devoted and pray without ceasing. Our God is calling, hear Him well!
Be well my sisters and reach out to me if you feel comfortable. I love to hear from you.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25 NIV)
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5 NIV)
The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:14-20 NIV)
My prayer today:
O, Lord my life is a reflection of Your mighty hand. Wash over me in spirit and help me to see Your people. Raise up women that would rather worship at Your feet than live a life of emptiness. Your love is our reward and I thank You for it. Give us spiritual eyes, a heart that seeks You with repentence. No one can fill the void like You. We are part of a knowing generation. We see things and do nothing. Give us a heart of sacrifice, bowing down to our needs so that we can lift up those that need You. Often I realize that my immediate family takes much of my time, I pray someday that my time would be all Yours. Give us wisdom to love the way You loved us and provide a heart that desires You above all. I pray these words and ask that You bless us as we seek You. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow....
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