The Adventurous Flute Player

Christmas Rose

2011-12-27T14:25:00.000-05:00

My Aunt Rose and my mother...

  After our guest left Christmas evening, I sat down to check my email. I discovered that this Christmas a bitter sweet event happened. A lady, that influenced me greatly, died Christmas evening. This lady was my Aunt Rose.
  The earliest memories I have of my Aunt were times that my mom and I would go visit at my Aunt Rose's house. I enjoyed going over there. She made me feel special. I remembered one time, she fixed a delicious meal. She had me go downstairs to the den and sit on the couch. She brought a TV tray and let me eat my meal in front of the television. This was a treat for me!
  Besides being hospitable, Aunt Rose loved God. She loved singing and she sang in the choir. She also taught the Bible class on Sunday nights for children in elementary school. She had us memorized verses and would give us treats when we reached our goal.
   Sadly, my uncle and aunt got a divorce. My mom would go to her new house and visit. Her new house happened to be right across the high school I attended. I would sometimes go over there during the lunch hour. My Aunt Rose or her little sweet aunt usually had fresh corn tortillas cooking and I enjoyed the food and the company.
   When I got married, I moved far away from my home town. I would keep up what was happening with Aunt Rose when I would call my parents.  My parents eventually moved far away from our home town and I did not get an opportunity to visit with Aunt Rose face to face.
    Several summers ago, I went back to my home town with my mother. We had planned to go visit Aunt Rose. One day before that visit, my mom and I went to Wal Mart. When we parked our car we looked at the car that just parked in front of us. A person looked familiar... It was my Aunt Rose and my cousin Debbie. I think that was a divine appointment!
   Aunt Rose is now looking at Jesus face to face... These are things she deposited in my life and I thank God for them! She influenced me in the love of memorizing and reading the word. Also her love of singing influenced me in my love of singing and playing the flute. Like Aunt Rose, I also love to make guest feel special when they come to my home.

Do you have someone who influenced you as a child?

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

IPhone Updates and Updates from God

2011-12-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

   Earlier this month, after early morning tweeting on twitter, I noticed that I had an update notice on my IPhone. Several of my apps needed updating so I decided to update them all at once. One of the apps happened to be Twitter. I thought this would be good since Twitter seemed to be running pretty slow and I was hoping that this update would speed it up.
   After all the apps were updated, I decided to check my Twitter account. Whoa!!! A complete metamorphosis! After a few minutes of exploring and trial and error, I happily began tweeting away. Happiness quickly faded when I found out I could not add people to my list from my IPhone like I used to. My twitter flow was disrupted!
    I tweeted @support to find out if there was any way I could add people to my list from my IPhone. I did not receive any response. I discovered that I would have to use our computer to add people to my lists. I was irritated at the inconvenience. I wished I had not updated twitter! I liked the old twitter....
   Recently, after spending time praying and reading the Bible, I started to reflect how my experience with twitter updates was similar to what God was doing in my life. When spending time with God, He will request some updates from you. He will give you directions and you have the choice to obey or stay with the status quo.
   In the recent months I obeyed His directions. I accepted the updates. As a result there were changes in friendships, church relationship, jobs, and finances. Change is not easy and sometimes it is disconcerting. Here is a scripture that has helped me during this time of change:

Psalm 56:3 Living Bible
But when I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you. Yes, I will trust the promises of God.

Have you had any updates from God recently?

You Are Not Alone!

2011-11-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

When I was expecting my son, James, I had to go the ER because my blood pressure was too high. That same day I had received the news that my father, who lived several hundred miles away, was going to have by-pass surgery. There wasn't any way I could go be with my father. I was saddened. I wanted to be there for my mother and father, but it was impossible!
As I was resting on the bed, these thoughts popped up in my mind:” What am I going to do if something happens to my father?" "Who will I talk to about the Bible and God?" Then suddenly a scripture that I had read many times came to mind.

Hebrews 13:5b
...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Then I remembered what the Amplified Bible said:

for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

I knew in my head that God was my Father and He takes care of me, but the Holy Spirit used that scripture to help me know in my knower that God is my Father and no matter what happens I will never be alone! After that, a peace that passes all understanding came over me and I knew that everything was going to be all right! I want you to know that I have gone through many challenges after that day, but really knowing that God would never leave me helpless or alone has given me peace when violent storms of life surrounded me.

Have you ever felt helpless or alone?

The Door Has Opened

2011-10-05T14:25:00.000-04:00

My last post was written on June 7, 2011. I shared how as a young woman during prayer and reading the Bible, God showed me that He wanted me to declare His goodness through music and through speaking to people around the world.

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. Psalm 57:9
I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. Psalm 119:46

Years went by and many trials and tribulations came and my dream became locked away in the back of my mind. Recently, God showed me that the dream was coming to pass. Shortly after, I was invited to play my flute at a Women's Conference. But at that point there was not any door open for me to go to the nations...

During praying and reading the Bible on August 3 2010, God showed me that He has opened a door for me to speak to nations, kings, queens, and leaders. He told me that the time was not in the distant future, but imminent. I was to get ready to go. On August 10, 2011, Pastor Isaac Kihoro from Nairobi, Kenya invited my family and me to minister in their church, Bethany Ministry Sanctuary. When I received the invitation, I was surprised and then the seriousness of what God commissioned me to do begin to sink in.

Please pray for me and my family as God makes a way for us to go minister and fellowship with Pastor Isaac, his wife Lindah, his family, and the Believers at Bethany Ministry Sanctuary in Nairobi, Kenya.

Have you had a God given dream that has been fulfilled or is in the process of being fulfilled?

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Isaiah 55:11 NLT

The Adventure Continues

2011-06-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

Many years ago, during prayer and reading the Bible, God showed me that He wanted me to declare His goodness through music and through speaking to people around the world. When God spoke this to me I was very excited. But I had many questions. I was a young mother of six children. Who would watch the children ect, ? I knew that God could open doors for me to do what He wanted me to do.

Doors did not immediately open. I thought I must have misunderstood God. The only opportunities I had to share through music were to play my flute on the praise team at the churches we attended. On very rare occasions I would be asked to speak about God to other women.

Years went by and I had not forgotten what God wanted me to do, but still the doors had not opened. Besides not seeing doors opening, I went through many trials and tribulations and a cloud of condemnation hung over me like a blanket. I could not see God using me now... I quit going to church. There is no way God could use me now, I thought. So the dream was locked away in the back of my mind.

I want you to know that God healed me of the wounds and hurts that I received during that time of condemnation. He began to show me that the dream He gave me was coming to pass in my life. Through the internet I have shared my testimony and encouraged many people around the world. I have also shared music via the internet. Recently, I was asked to play my flute at a women's conference. I felt His presence while I played and so did many other women. I was so blessed!

I still believe in my heart of hearts that I will travel to many nations to share God's goodness through music and His word. I also believe that I will speak to kings about the things of God and not be ashamed!

Do you have a dream given by God?

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. Psalm 57:9
I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. Psalm 119:46

Hinge Moment

2011-01-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

I have been participating in an online Bible study lead by Leah Adams. The focus is on how we with God's help can create a Godly legacy. Every week Leah gives us several questions to ponder and then we can share our answers. This week the question has to do with a time our faith was tested.

Leah shared about the time her father had gone in to the hospital to have a test run on him. She didn't expect to hear what she heard from her mother. The prognosis did not look good. Leah was caught off guard. She prayed and approached God about this. In the end she realized through what God showed her that she needed to trust God during this time.

After reading this account, this brought back a memory. I had a time where I heard a prognosis about my father and it did not look good. I was pregnant with my 5th child when I received news that my father was going in for bypass surgery. I wanted to be there, but I was not able to go. I went to the doctor for my monthly visit. He said my blood pressure was too high. I needed to go to the hospital to be watched.

As I was laying there in the hospital. I was asking God what would I do without my father? He was the one I would call and ask him questions about the Bible. Then a scripture came to mind where God says He will never leave you or forsake you.... I remembered hearing my preacher preach on this scripture and he used the Amplified version...

Hebrews 13:5 (Amplified Bible)
... for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!

This is where I had what author, Leah Adams, calls a "hinge moment" ... a point in time in your life that you know you need to do something different than what you have been doing in order to have a better outcome. I realized that I needed to approach God as my Father... He cared for me and that He would talk to me and show me things that I needed to understand. This was a turning point in my walk with God. When I started to approach God as my Father and to trust Him, deep hurts were healed. He has been faithful to help me understand His Word....
My father came out of the surgery and recovered quickly... In fact the doctors had taken an x-ray of his lungs. They knew he had smoked in his earlier years and they were amazed how his lungs were clear!

Have you had a "hinge moment"?

Impossible Answer

2011-01-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Genesis 26: 1-3,12 (New Living Translation)1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.
3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him.

I love to read and hear about how God worked in people's lives in the past, especially when things looked impossible! I like the story of Isaac. He was living in a place that was experiencing a famine. God told him not to go to Egypt, but to stay put and to do exactly what He told him to do. Can you believe that Isaac planted crops in the middle of a famine? And he had a bumper crop!
During the early part of our marriage, I was a stay at home mom. I still had a student loan. Our finances were tight. The loan had to be put at the bottom of the list. I was upset at first, but I heard stories of how people sowed money in time of need. (Just like Isaac...) I presented the problem to God. I told Him that this debt was incurred before I was married. Also, the Bible said to owe no man anything, but to love one another. I took some money that I saved out of the grocery money and sowed it in the church offering.
A couple of days later a friend of mine came to my house. She and I had both worked together at a state agency as temporary employees. She said that some law students from UT happened to also work as temporary employees for the state agency in Austin. They figured out that the temporary employees had not been legally compensated like they should have been. She told me that I would receive back pay. It was a large sum of money! Let me tell you, it virtually paid off my loan! I was amazed how quick God worked...

Like Isaac, God provided for me when it looked impossible. He does not play favorites. What He has done for others, He wants to do for you!

Have you ever had a time when God provided when it looked impossible?

Brand and Death

2011-01-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

Just as the holidays were beginning a sad event happened... the death of a former colleague. She had worked for the school district as a PE teacher for many years and was loved and admired by many. It was quite a shock because it happened so suddenly... One day she was seemingly in good health leading the children in exercises and games then after several weeks with an illness she died.
Death has a way of making one reflect about life. A word that is used on twitter came to mind during this time of reflection: brand. Ronald Skelton said "Your brand is the "story that's told" it's what others say about you're products & your company when you're not around." I begin to think about my personal brand. What story will be told about my life when I am not around?
I want people to say that I have my Father's eyes. I pray that I would see people through His eyes and not mine. My desire is to yield my life daily to Jesus so that whenever people see or hear me; they don't see me or hear me, but they feel the presence of God.

What story do you want to be told about your life when you are not around?

The Stolen Bench

2010-12-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

   Several years ago we moved from Texas all the way to Indiana. My husband went to work for a coffee and vending company that needed a sales representative in Indianapolis. This was a difficult decision, but we had a peace in our hearts about this job.

We found a beautiful home to rent in Indianapolis. Tim went ahead of me to start working. During his time off, he went and looked for furniture to put in the house. We had been living in an apartment in Texas for several years and we didn't have a lot of furniture.   I will have to admit that Tim did a very good job in choosing furniture to go in our new house.

This house had a deck and I was excited about this. Tim went to an auction and purchased a bench (among other items) to go on the deck. When I finally moved there, I put potted plants on the bench. I really enjoyed the deck a lot. We had a lot of meals out there. During the summer we would sit and watch the fireflies. It was beautiful!

Last Christmas, my husband's boss warned him that the company was going to lay off people and that it would be a good idea to look for another job. Well Tim heeded the advice and made contact with a former employer in Texas. He had a job whenever he needed it. Soon after that contact, Tim was out of a job in Indianapolis and we moved back to Texas.

We tried to find a house to rent , but we couldn't find one. We had to settle with the idea of living in an apartment. It was ideal for my son since it was near the college where he attends and his job is right across the street. Before we moved back, my husband talked about how we wanted the furniture arranged. This was a good idea ! It saved us from arguing and moving furniture back forth on moving day.

I had already decided that I wanted to put the bench outside our front door and I was going to put potted plants on the bench to make our new home look cozy. Well on moving day, I placed the bench outside the door with the plan of purchasing potted plants. I went to bed later that evening and in my sleep I had this thought that the bench had been stolen. I got up and opened the door...sure enough it was missing.

   I was upset, mainly at myself for being foolish to think that no one would take the bench. I decided instead of fretting and being upset that I would bless the person(s) who took the bench and then I asked God to send some angels to bring it back. I had heard of someone who had done something similar and they recovered what was lost.

I got up the next morning looked outside the door and around our area...nothing! Several days went by and Tim and I had parked in a different spot making us take a different route to our car. It was at night and Tim spotted the bench hidden in a dark corner of a stairwell!

   You can call it coincidence or a miracle, but the fact is that I got an answer to my prayer. The prayer was not answered in the manner in which I expected it to be. In fact, I was quite surprised when we found the bench. I thought it was long gone.

  This reminds me of the story of Lazareth. His sisters wanted Jesus to come to their house and heal Lazareth like they probably had seen Jesus do many times, but Jesus did not make it in time. Lazareth died... In their minds it was too late. When Jesus came to where Lazareth was buried, he asked that the stone be rolled back, but Martha replied that Lazareth was stinking due to death. Listen to what Jesus said in John 11:40 (The Message)
40 Jesus looked her in the eye. "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Maybe you can relate to these sisters... You have prayed about something and your prayers were not answered.... I believe Jesus is saying to you today, believe and you will see the glory of God.

Have you ever prayed for something that was lost and it was returned?

The Wise Men and the Furnace

2010-12-22T02:13:00.001-05:00

After reading the title, you probably think that I need to reread the Christmas story in the Bible. The wise men brought gifts and worshiped Jesus after searching for Him. A furnace is not mentioned anywhere in any of the New Testament accounts... And you are correct. These are not the wise men I am writing about.

I have been meditating on the lives and actions of three wise men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for several weeks and how their story applies to my life. King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue of his likeness created. He ordered everyone in the kingdom to bow down to the statue and worship it when music began to play. The three men did not bow and the king was furious. Nebuchadnezzar threatens to throw them in a fiery furnace. This is their bold reply from The Message:

Daniel 3:16-18

16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

The king is so furious with their reply that he goes ahead and has them thrown in the fire. With further reading we find they do not burn. There was someone else walking in the fire with them. Nebuchadnezzar was so overwhelmed at the miracle; he released them and made a decree ordering everyone to honor the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The three men were promoted in the kingdom.

   These three men were wise. They feared or reverenced the Lord and not man. They knew that God was able to deliver them. (He had already done it by helping Daniel interpret the dream of the king.) But if God chose not to deliver it didn't matter. They would not compromise and worship an idol. This took courage and faith in God.

   I am facing a very difficult challenge. Meditating on this story has encouraged me. I know that God is able to deliver me like He delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He has done it in the past and I know He can do it again! I am resting in His promises. With the grace of God I will not compromise! I am setting my face like a flint...

.Are you facing a difficult challenge? Has God delivered you in the past?

Broken Pieces, The Cross, and Christmas

2010-12-16T17:39:00.000-05:00

When I was teaching, one year I participated in being a Secret Santa. Everyday the Secret Santa would secretly leave the recipient a small gift with a hint. I especially loved leaving secret gifts. It was fun watching the recipient trying to guess who left the goodies. This went on for several days. The final day we would gather together and bring a final gift.

Now to be honest, I cannot remember all the little gifts left for me. But remembering who my Secret Santa was, I know they were probably very clever and cute. I do recall the final gift. It is a gift that I have hanging on my wall. It is a cross made out of old wood and broken pieces of mugs glued on that cross. The handles of the mugs were placed in the center of the cross to form a heart. When I received the gift I appreciated it because I knew she spent time creating it and because of my faith in what Jesus did on the cross!

The other day I heard someone make a statement and it was an "aha" moment. This statement helped me view that cross in a whole new light. The broken pieces of your life is the mosaic of your future. Let God create that mosaic! The broken pieces of mugs symbolize your broken life before Jesus came into your life. Because of the finished work that Jesus did on the cross He is able to create something beautiful out of what was once broken.

14-16For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!

Galatians 6:14-16 (The Message)

What mosaic is God creating in your life? How has He taken the broken pieces of your life and made it beautiful?

The Body of Christ Can Learn From the San Antonio Spurs

2010-12-11T13:06:00.001-05:00

Basketball is my favorite sport. I think the love of basketball was instilled in me when I watched the Texas Western (UTEP) basketball team as a young child. The movie, "The Glory Road" tells the story of the Texas Western team and how they ended up competing in the 1966 NCCA Men's Division Basketball Championship against the University of Kentucky. My parents and I watched that game! I remember my parents and me yelling and screaming during the whole game.

The San Antonio Spurs are an exciting team to watch, in my opinion. My daughter, Rachel, is an avid Spurs fan. Her enthusiasm was contagious. I began to watch the games with her and now I am a Spurs fan.

What got me thinking about how the Body of Christ could learn from the San Antonio Spurs was triggered by a statement made by my twitter friend, James Kang. He said, "As long as the #Spurs have Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, San Antonio will always be 1 of the #nba's elite teams." I replied that I agreed, but now I have to change my answer to: "No, I disagree..."

Here is my reasoning for changing my answer. When I have listened to Manu Ginobili being interviewed or sharing thoughts about a game on Facebook or Twitter he doesn't spend alot of time focusing on one player. He emphasizes that it is a team effort. DeJuan Blair in a recent interview gave accolades to the good players, but he quickly switched the focus to the idea that it was a team effort.

You may be wondering, "What does this have to do with the body of Christ?" The Spurs listen to their coach's game plan and follow it. Can you imagine if they all decided to do their own thing? The most important thing we need to do is to seek God daily and ask him to direct us. Another thing we can learn is even though there are "Super Star" leaders in the body of Christ; they could not do what they are doing without the other "team members". We need each other and we need to remember that each member is valuable! Another thing we can learn from the Spurs is that practice is valuable. Reading the Bible, praying, and sharing as the Holy Spirit leads helps build us up and prepare us for what we need to do.

Finally, there is one thing that I noticed about that the Spurs that people need to sit up and take notice: When one of their own is facing a personal challenge, they do not spread their opinions all over the place. They are keeping their focus on what they are called to do. I am sure that someone on the team has discussed this challenge with this person, but what I wanted to point out is that they are not gossiping....

The body of Christ has challenges. I would like to encourage you to pray everyday for the body of Christ. Here are some scriptures that you can pray:

Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

What is your view about the body of Christ? How can we walk in unity even though we have different opinions?

#Things I Miss

2010-12-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Boone

The other day I noticed that there was a certain term trending on twitter. It was #thingsimiss.... People were tweeting things that they missed. One gentleman said he missed his father's cooking because it was always delicious. Another person said they missed nap time in school. A young lady said she missed having one big happy family.

I had just been thinking about my Grandpa Boone. He died about 40 years ago on December 7th. I began to reflect on how he impacted my life and the lives of our family.

My grandpa was born and raised in the Hill Country of Texas. He married my grandmother in the early part of the 1900's. He made a decision as a young man to preach the gospel and be a pastor. This was no easy task... During this time, the Depression was going on and he had a young family to support. He continued to pastor until he was in his 60's. After that he would fill in for pastors when they were unable to preach.

My grandpa never met a stranger. He loved talking to people and sharing about the Lord. He was a soul winner. In fact, he led my mom's parents and all her family to the Lord.

One thing that I treasure dearly is the letter he wrote to me after I was born. In the letter he spoke a blessing over my life. I am for ever grateful for my grandpa's wisdom in speaking a blessing over me.

My grandfather used to take me with him to run errands. (I suspect I was driving my mother crazy with all my questions and talking.) I remember the smell of Doublemint Chewing Gum permeating in his car. He would talk to me and tell me his opinion of what was going on in the world. I can recall the time when soft drink companies started selling soft drinks in a can. My grandfather was upset that it would tempt people to drink beer. I also fondly remember him signaling when he would see a curve approaching. He also taught me how to fish. I caught my first fish with him watching on...

The thing I miss is spending time with Grandpa Boone. It didn't matter what we did. I just loved being in his presence. I appreciate all that he did for me and imparted to me. Today, I asked Jesus to give my grandpa a hug for me and to tell him I am grateful for the heritage he gave me. My grandpa died doing what he loved best, sharing Jesus with people.

What are you depositing in the lives of those close to you? What has been deposited in your life?

Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged;parents are the pride of their children.
Proverbs 17:6 (New Living Translation)

The Girl With Chicken Pox

2010-12-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

When I was 5 years old I would play outside all day. Sometimes I would play by myself or sometimes I would play with friends at their home. If my mom needed me to come home, she would call my name and I would run home.

I remember one day a group of us were walking up and down the sidewalk in front of my house. Suddenly, out of no where, Lavi, was standing in front of our group. We quickly stopped in our tracks... Not out of fear of her, but because we heard she had the chicken pox. We all backed up slowly in unison leaving her alone with a look of puzzlement. Unknown to us, she was not contagious anymore.

What happened to Lavi, happens to many believers in the church. They go through a difficult challenge or they fall to sin. Other believers, like our neighborhood group, slowly back up in unison throwing out quaint Christian sayings, but leaving the hurting believer standing alone floundering and hurting.

I like what a friend on twitter said:"The church is not a cruise ship, it's a rescue ship." (@RascalTweets) Why do we let hurting people fall through the cracks? Just like our neighborhood group, we walk in fear not love. We fear we might catch what they have or we do not know what to say. There can be many excuses, but the root cause of neglecting hurting believers, in my opinion, is fear.

There was a time when my husband, children and I were going through difficult challenges. We were hurting and felt hopeless. There were two families that graciously invited us into their homes for meals and treated us with kindness. They poured love into our lives. They didn't preach at us. There was a time when one of them had to speak a word of correction to us and it was easy to receive because we knew we were loved.

Why do you think hurting people fall through the cracks in the church? What can we do?

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1John 4:18

The Unexpected Encounter

2010-09-14T19:31:00.000-04:00

Have you ever met someone famous? I have.... It had been a long day at school. It was time to go home and I was too tired to walk home. So I decided to go to the attendance office and get a ride home with my aunt. The hallway was virtually empty. As I was about to pass the cafeteria, I saw a man with crutches coming down the hallway. As he came closer I could not believe my eyes.... It was Roger Staubach! What was he doing walking down the hall of my high school in El Paso, Texas? In high school, I was real shy, but somehow I was able to get an autograph picture of Mr. Staubach. I later found out that he has there to speak to the sports club.
The Dallas Cowboys were my favorite team. I thoroughly enjoyed watching how Mr. Staubach and the rest of the team would make a come back at the very last minute. Mr. Staubach's famous long passes usually saved the day. They used to call it a "Hail Mary" pass. I respected Mr. Staubach's leadership skills on and off the field. It would have been an honor to really get to know a person like him.
Perhaps you have or have not met a famous person. Just meeting them or reading or hearing about them does not means that you know them. Knowing a person takes time. It requires sharing and listening to each other. It would have been an honor to get to know Mr. Staubach, but it was not possible.
The same goes for the One who spoke the world into existence...God our Father. We can read, listen, or even meet Him by accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but that does not mean you know Him. It takes time... It takes sharing and listening to each other. God created us and He wants to spend time with us! He is interested in every part of your life. Do not be afraid... You can hear His voice. Get to know Him. He is waiting for you!

4When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call.
John 10:4-5 (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever met a famous person?

The Panic Attacks

2010-09-13T19:59:00.000-04:00

When I was a young mother I began to have episodes where my heart would begin to race and pound. I became very concerned because my father had heart challenges so I began to think I was having a heart attack. I went to our family doctor, but he insisted that there was nothing physically wrong with me... It was all in my head.
   These attacks continued and other symptoms began to occur. I was desperate. The doctor could not help me. At the time I had been studying the Bible. God showed me that this was a spirit of fear. The spirit of fear wanted me to not believe God would help me. This revelation made me determined and focused because my desire was and is to totally trust God no matter what.
   I began to stand or in other words remind myself and the enemy of God's faithfulness by quoting the following scripture regularly. It was like taking medicine...

   "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

The panic attacks and all the other symptoms left! It was such a relief. I was grateful to God for delivering me from these attacks. Did this mean I never had an encounter with the spirit of fear? No... What I learned from the challenge of the panic attacks helped me understand how to stand against it in other circumstances. When I have faced many life challenges, fear tries to creep in again to make me doubt God. When this happens it is my cue to praise God that He does not lie! I thank Him that I have the Spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind.

What do you do when you become fearful?

The Catwalk

2010-09-10T03:59:00.002-04:00

When I was growing up my father would take us to New Mexico to go camping and explore. One place that comes to my mind is the Catwalk. The Catwalk was a result of the mining days in New Mexico. Without the Catwalk, it would have been impossible to travel through the canyon. The Catwalk was built to support a water line that carried water to a mine. I imagine that constructing the Catwalk was a difficult process.

Lately, I have felt like my life is like the Catwalk. Walking this new path has taken many unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes it is steep and I get weary. My focus should be on Jesus and not the challenges at hand.

I am beginning to understand that perhaps this new path was designed so that I may share the Living Water with those who are thirsty. I realize that the people who are coming across my path are not there by accident but by divine appointment. I am excited about this new adventure that God and I are taking together!

Are you experiencing many unexpected twists and turns in your life?

He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. John 7:38 (Amplified Bible)

Dog and Prayer

2010-08-23T22:15:00.002-04:00

My favorite scripture to use for praying over my family is Psalm 91. I have been using that scripture for many years. I was made aware of the importantance of praying for your family as my future daughter-in-law, Stacy, shared the following story.
My grandson loves to play outside and look for bugs. So Stacy did not think it unusual when he was looking under some bushes. All of a sudden, her dog began to growl looking straight at Christian. At first she scolded her dog for barking at Christian. She was puzzled because her dog really loves Christian. The dog then leaped and pushed Christian down. The dog then went in the bushes and came out with a snake in its mouth.
I believe that day God used that dog to protect my grandson. Prayers prayed ahead of time, in my opinion, played a vital role in protecting Christian. So next time you are praying for someone remember that your prayer may save that someone from danger. Keep on praying!

Have you or someone you know experienced protection from harm as the result of prayer?

There Is Power In The Prayer Of Agreement!

2010-06-28T22:48:00.000-04:00

The other day my son, his girlfriend, and my son's son came to visit us. We began to share things we have learned from the Lord. As we were sharing, I remembered how God used the students I taught in a Christian school.
One day after school had dismissed and I was preparing for the next day, the lady who cleaned our room shared some sad news. She told me the head custodian was very ill and that many people had gone to visit him because they didn't expect him to live. I told her that my students and I would pray for him every morning during our prayer time. That is exactly what we did. Each child was given the opportunity every morning to pray if they so desired.
The man did not die! He lived! In fact he came to our room and thanked our class for praying for him. There is power in the prayer of agreement! After that we prayed in agreement about other situations and we saw God move ... That was a very precious time and I am glad that God brought it to my remembrance!

James 5:16 (King James Version)
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2010-05-12T23:29:00.000-04:00

During the communist regime in Russia, believers had to meet in secret. A group of believers had been visited by the authorities on several occasions.   The group knew that there was someone tipping off the authorities. They decided not to plan the next meeting. Instead they decided that they would all pray at home and ask God to direct them where and when they should meet the next time. The next time they met everyone came except for one individual. Also they were not visited by the authorities.
   When I first heard this story, I asked myself would I be able to hear God like the believers in Russia. In my own power, I would not be able to. But God has an answer...

Jeremiah 33:3 (Amplified Bible)
Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

Do not wait until things get desperate... You can hear God for yourself.  Spend time reading the Bible, praying, and listening to God. God has a lot to tell you.

Leaving Your Comfort Zone

2010-04-21T01:02:00.000-04:00

For a very long time the Lord has been talking to me about me doing a new thing.... I know deep within me that God wants me to do something very different than what I have been doing. I know that I need to obey Him and it is going to take courage, faith, and discipline to walk in a new direction.
Abraham was in a similar position. God told Abraham to leave his familiar surroundings and follow Him into a land that God would show him. God proceeded to tell Abraham all the blessings that he would receive when he obeyed God. The very next thing that happened really stood out to me... The Bible says that Abraham left as the Lord had told him.
Abraham left what was comfortable and familiar and obeyed God. He did not question God. He did exactly what the Lord asked him to do... Abraham left and followed Him.

Genesis 12:1-3
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him;...

True Thanks

2010-04-08T22:30:00.000-04:00

Last year my husband and I moved to Indiana. I had a peace in my spirit and knew that it was God's will for us to move. It was an adventure of faith... In January, the company Tim worked for decided that they would downsize the operation in Indianapolis. I thank God ,Tim beforehand had warning about the possibility of the downsizing. God opened a job opportunity back in the San Antonio-Austin area.
I was real happy for Tim. I thought if God provided Tim a job quickly, surely I would have one waiting for me in Texas. Tim left in February to go to work in Texas. I was going to stay in Indianapolis until our lease was up. I applied for a transfer with the company I worked for. During that time I also applied for jobs online and I did not get any responses.There wasn't a transfer either. Also I found out during my exit interview that I could not work for that company for 90 days?!
During this time I asked God why I wasn't getting the answer to my prayers. I also reminded Him of the promises in Malachi 3. One day during my prayer time, the Lord spoke to me through the following passage:

Psalm 50: 8, 13-15 Living Bible
8 I have no complaint about the sacrifices you bring to my altar, for you bring them regularly.
13 No, I don't need your sacrifices of flesh and blood.
14 What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled.
15 I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory.

I do not think that God said for me to quit giving, but I needed to focus on having a thankful attitude. I begin to meditate on this. I begin to think of all the things God has done for me in the past and I make sure to let Him know that I am thankful for all He has done for me in the past and what He is doing for me in the future regularly.
I am now trusting Him in my time of trouble. I know He has rescued me... Through my eyes of faith I see this. I feel like the children of Israel at the Red Sea. It looks like there is no way out and I am going to drown... But I know that God has made a way where there is no way!

It Is Not Hopeless!

2010-04-08T01:30:00.000-04:00

This past week during the Passover, I was thinking about Jesus and what He went through on the cross. Then I begin to think about the resurrection. The disciples were sad and possibly felt hopeless because they thought Jesus was dead. But everything changed when they realized that Jesus was alive! Then this phrase started going through my mind: The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. I have heard this phrase mentioned by many preachers and teachers.
Perhaps you are like the disciples, you feel hopeless... Remember, if you are a believer, the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. Pause and think about that! God can bring life to things that seem dead. He can make a way where there is no way! Nothing is impossible with God!

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Romans 8:11 (King James Version)

You Are Loved!

2010-01-06T00:28:00.003-05:00

It has almost been a year since Tim came to Indiana to begin his new job. I had to stay back in Texas to finish up the school year. I missed him alot. He would call in the evenings and we would talk. Every three weeks he would fly in to Austin. We could not experience the comfort of being together everyday because of the great distance between Indianapolis and San Marcos.
Sometimes I think we feel that way about our Father God... He is way out there in heaven and I am here on earth. We do not feel the comfort of God... But I have good news! Nothing can separate us from the love of God! He will never leave you or desert you! I like what Romans 8 in the New Living Translation has to say about this.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The enemy wants us to wallow in inferiority and insecurity... Once we realize that NOTHING separate us from God, we will realize who we are in Christ and be mighty warriors in the kingdom of God. Repent from believing the enemy's lie and realize that you are loved and valued by the Most High God! Declare that nothing can separate me from God's love!

Believers, Let's Have a Tea Party!

2009-12-01T22:46:00.000-05:00

In the recent months, we have seen the citizens of the United States organize in order to share their concerns about what is going on in our government. In honor of the Boston Tea Party during the American Revolution war, these meetings are labeled "tea parties". The people are uniting and demanding, on the authority of the constitution, that the politicians adhere to the principals set in the constitution.
I read Nehemiah today and saw how Nehemiah was grieved and concerned about what was happening to the people back in Jerusalem. He prayed and fasted for that city and the people. If you read the prayer you see it contains repentance of sin...
In my spirit, I think it is time that the body of Christ to have a spiritual "tea party". First, we need to repent to God for our sins as Nehemiah did. Then we need to unite and demand, with the authority of the name of Jesus, His precious blood, and His Word that the enemy, the devil, get his hands off our nation, finances, and families!

Nehemiah 1:5-11

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,
6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!
7 We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8 “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations.
9 But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
10 “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.
11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

It's a New Season of Change!

2009-11-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

The leaves have changed colors here in Indianapolis. There are leaves everywhere. These leaves are signs of a change... a change of seasons. We will have to do things differently than we did during the summer.
I believe God uses the things in the natural to reflect what is going on in the spiritual. I have friends that are going through changes in their lives. Some are moving to different states while others have had to change jobs or they are still looking for a job.
I am going through a season of change. I am living in a new state. I am working in a totally different type of job with less pay. I feel like a tree with all it leaves falling off! All that was once there is gone... The question I have had to ask myself is do I believe that God is my source or am I looking at things in the natural as my source?
I know God has been there in the past and He will lead me and guide me during this adventure of faith! I am determined to seek God and spend time with Him. If you are going through a season of change, here is a word for you... Trust God! He loves you with an everlasting love and He will never leave you or forsake you!
Hebrews 13:6 (New Living Translation)
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”

The List

2009-10-30T00:53:00.001-04:00

Today, Twitter came out with a new gimmick to keep members engaged. They invited us to create lists of followers and you could place them in any category. I came up with several categories of lists: friends who inspire, artists, muscians, writers, politics, pets, and business. It was interesting to see what categories other people created. Some were very complimentary and some were not very cooth.
God has 2 lists. One contains names of those who will live with Him forever. The other contains the names of those who will be seperated from Him forever and will be thrown into a lake of fire. Now I have heard accounts of people who have visited heaven and came back to give an account. Heaven is a wonderful place... It is where God lives... Imagine living in His presence forever!
If your name is not on the list to go to Heaven, there is good news! Jesus has already paid the price for you to be able to go to heaven. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and your name will be put on the list to go to heaven!
Romans 10:9-10 (New Living Translation)
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

Listen and Obey

2009-10-20T22:07:00.000-04:00

Recently, I sowed some money into a ministry that helps the homeless. I told my husband that I felt led by God to do it and what if it was one of our family members that became homeless? Little did I know, shortly after that one of our children became homeless and he failed to call us. He panicked and needed help desperately. A ministry in a central Texas town took care of our son and encouraged him to call us. He is home now! I believed God took care of my son because I obeyed and sowed into this ministry.

I believe that you should follow the unction of the Holy Spirit. When I was a young mother, my highlight was to be able to go to the grocery store alone. I had my regular stores that I would go to, but one day I felt an unction or prompting to go to another store. (Earlier in my walk with the Lord, I would have probably not recognized it as an unction. But as I read the word and listened to godly men and women's testimonies, I learned the Holy Spirit speaks to you.) I went to this store and I "ran" into a young lady that God had put on my heart. I was able to speak words of encouragement.
I have learned from experience that if you do not follow the prompting, no matter if it does not make sense to you; you will miss a divine appointment or face great disappointment. That is why I obeyed in giving to the ministry above. As you spend time fellowshipping with God, you will learn to recognize His promptings. Talk and listen to God... He is waiting for you!
John 16:13 (Amplified Bible)
But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

Prayer Works!

2009-10-16T00:25:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I shared how God provided money during a time when my husband was ill and could not work. A couple of months before that, we faced another trial. This involved our oldest child.
Our oldest child,who was about 13 months old,had a high fever and it kept climbing. The doctor's office was closed so we took our daughter to the emergency room. The emergency room doctor thought I was panicking due to my pregnancy. At first, I agreed with him. The doctor and the nurse got the fever down with a water bath. I got the baby dressed and took her to the car while my husband paid the bill.
On the way to the car our baby began convulsing in my arms. I ran all the way back to the emergency room crying for help. It so happened that our family doctor was in the vicinity and he took a look at our daughter. His initial diagnosis was meningitis. They ran test and she did have spinal meningitis.
She was admitted to the hospital. We called our family and friends to pray. Many people in our state were praying for our young daughter.
Tim's mom and dad came to help us. We all took a shift to make sure that the IV's would not come out. At this point in time the hospital did not have a pediatric ward. The nurses were not used to applying IV's to young children. During my father-in-law's shift, he would pray and read the Bible aloud to our daughter. (She still remembers this.)
We were warned that our daughter would have a slow recovery and would be very weak. Well...ten days later (earlier than expected) she was released and on the day of her release she went to McDonalds and was running around like a normal toddler. I attribute her quick recovery to the concerted prayers of believers. Prayer does work! I know!
During this desperate time,we needed prayer support. If you are in a desperate situation get prayer support! If you would like me to pray with you about a certain situation you can leave your prayer request in the comment section or email me at jburlei_99@yahoo.com

James 5:16 (Amplified Bible)
...The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

The Secret Gift

2009-10-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

During the early 1980's there was a recession. Many people were without jobs. This recession gave me the opportunity to work for the employment commission with the state. I interviewed people who made their initial unemployment claim.
   During the summer of my first year of employment, I was to give birth to our 2nd child. Three weeks before the due date, my husband was diagnosed with hepatitis. My mother-in-law, who was a registered nurse, came to help take care of my husband.
   As you can imagine, things were pretty tense around our house. I was tired and not feeling very well and after work I had to take care of my daughter, who was about 17 months old. Tim was unable to work. The finances were tight. (Note: I had an awesome mother-in-law. She was good to me!)
    Sometime later while I was at work, I looked inside my wallet to get some change for a drink from the vending machine. Much to my surprise, there was a hundred dollar bill inside my purse. I asked around to see who gave me the money so I could thank them. No one ever did... (I did make a public thank you.)
I never found out who gave the money, but I know that God must have inspired them to give us that secret gift. Maybe you are at a point where you do not know how you are going to pay your bills. I just want to encourage you that God can make a way where there's no way. I know... He has done it for me and He wants to do it for you. Trust Him... Talk to Him... He loves you with an everlasting love!

Psalm 23 (King James Version)
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Recluse Spider

2009-10-13T22:34:00.000-04:00

About 21 years ago this month, our family began a new adventure...homeschooling. It was very exciting! I spent a lot of time researching and praying about how to educate our children. I ordered books and literature for the children. The day came when the books arrived and it was time to begin educating our children.
After a few days, I began to feel a little peculiar... I attributed it to the stress of starting something new and my possibility of being pregnant with our 6th child. Time passed by and I still did not feel well. I am one who does not like to run to the doctor for every little ache and pain, but I decided to go.
When I called my doctor, I found out that he was out of town and that another doctor was covering for him. Now, I was not comfortable with this particular doctor, but I decided to go anyway. His diagnosis was that I had constipation. He gave me some samples to help alleviate the symptoms, but after several days, I still did not feel quite right.
I called my doctor and thank goodness he was back! I explained my symptoms and what the other doctor had diagnosed. I happened to be wearing shorts that day...( There are not regular seasons in Texas.) He looked at my left leg and noticed a spider bite... a recluse spider bite. He immediately gave me medication and instructions on how to care for my leg.
Shortly after, as I was resting in bed, I decided to get up to get some water. As I got up, my leg turned blue. I called my doctor and he told me to come in the next day. Well I did not bear witness with his request, so my husband took me to the hospital. The nurse told me that it was a good thing I did . The emergency room doctor said I had a blood clot. He admitted me to the hospital.
I was there for 13 days. After the first few days, I got enough courage up to ask my doctor what exactly caused this clot. Well... he was out again and guess who was covering for him? Yes, the doctor who diagnosed constipation... I decided to ask him to explain it to me... He said, "Remember, the movie star who played Hoss on Bonanza? He died of a blood clot like you have. " Then he walked out.
I was stunned and then I cried. But scriptures that I had been meditating on for a long time came to my mind...
Psalm 116:9 (King James Version)
I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
Psalm 118:17 (King James Version)
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
A strength came over me as I begin to speak them out. I was not going to let the spirit of fear bulldoze me! They sustained and comforted me many months after that.
Today, if you are facing a crisis, I encourage you to stand against the spirit of fear. Speak the Word of God aloud over your circumstance. Meditate on the Word of God day and night! God will never leave you nor forsake you! I know this for a fact!

2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified Bible)
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

Never Changes!

2009-10-12T16:11:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, a friend from college posted this picture. The picture to the right is a picture taken over 30 years ago during spring break. Every spring break, the college band would go on tour and perform at churches and schools. We would even stop and explore historical sites. There were many good memories made during these times.
As time past we all went different ways. Thanks to Facebook, many of us were able to reconnect. There is one fact that is common to all friends involved... we have changed. We are not the same as we were during our college days. Experiences and many other factors contributed to this change.
I am thankful that God never changes... He is always the same...We do not have to be afraid to approach Him! Remember God loves you with an everlasting love!

Hebrews 13:8 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Spread the Aroma!

2009-10-03T23:58:00.003-04:00

Autumn is here...The leaves are turning yellow, orange, and red. The weather is cooler outside. This is a time where I really enjoy candles... especially scented candles. The candles spread a beautiful aroma throughout the house.
During this time of difficulty, it is especially important that you let the light of God shine through your life. Like scented candles we need to spread the aroma of Jesus whever we go... the grocery store, library, restaurant,airport, school... I encourage you to light those "candles" today!

2 Cor 2:14-16 (Message Bible)
14-16In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life...

My Journey...

2009-10-02T15:02:00.001-04:00

I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Here is my testimony... It is nothing earth shattering... It is very simple..
When I was seven, I heard my pastor preach on the plan of salvation on a Sunday morning. That afternoon during nap time I thought about that message. I knew in my heart of hearts that Jesus was knocking on my heart's door. So I went to my parents and told them I wanted to be saved. Before church that night, my father and I met with the pastor. I shared my desire with our pastor. He talked to me and I asked Jesus in my heart that afternoon.
Now, my journey after that has not been all smooth sailing. I made a lot of poor choices and suffered the consequences of those poor choices. I struggled with inferiority and this clouded a lot of my thinking. But as I have pressed to know my Father by spending time with Him and in His Word, God has healed me and forgiven me.

God has been good and merciful to me! He has promised me never to leave me nor forsake me. I am on an adventure of faith...

God loves you with an everlasting love! Trust Him!

Romans 10:12-13 (Amplified Bible)
12[No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith].
13For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.

The Mystery

2009-09-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

    When my oldest daughter was about 8 years old , one morning she woke up and she could not straighten up one of her legs. At first we thought she may have hurt her leg and she was afraid to put pressure on it. As the day went on she still could not straighten her leg out. So we took her to the doctor and he was baffled. He sent us to the specialist . The specialist and his colleague were baffled... They tried to trick her into moving her leg, but she could not move it.   The specialist was concerned that perhaps she had some illness (I have since forgotten the name of it.) and told us to look out for certain symptoms.
People were praying for our daughter. There was not any change for several days. She did not have any of the symptoms that the specialist asked us to look out for. This was a mystery.
  One day her friends from school came over to play with her. They went from one bedroom to the other. Back and forth... Our daughter was hopping on one leg. This went on for quite a while. Then I noticed that our daughter was walking and not hopping. It was amazing!
During this time, I remember having a peace about my daughter. I knew it was going to be all right. We never found out what caused this, but I believe that the prayers raised up on behalf of my daughter were effective. God is faithful!
   Perhaps you are facing a crisis and you need someone to agree with you in prayer. I would be glad to pray for you. Just write your request in the comment section of this blog.

Isaiah 53:4-5 (Amplified Bible)
4Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].
5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

Close Encounter With Death

2009-09-27T23:55:00.000-04:00

   When I was in college I worked as a waitress at the local pizza restaurant. One night it became very busy with customers coming in and phone- in orders. That night we received a phone call that I will never forget.
    I remember that our manager and assistant manager were not working. The cook answered the phone and handed it to me. The person on the phone demanded that I take the money from the register and put it in the dumpster or he would kill everyone in the building. I quickly hung up and I told the other employees to lock the front and back doors. We instructed the customers to go to the party room (It did not have any windows.) until the police arrived.
   The police station was located across the street. They showed up about 5-10 minutes later.   Nothing happened... we were safe.
   I would like to say that scriptures immediately came to my mind when this happened. But it didn't... When I was younger I was one that panicked during crisis, but I had a peace and a clear mind that night.
  I know that my parents prayed for me daily and I believe that my parents' prayers covered us that day. (I worked with other believers so perhaps their families were praying also.) Pray for your friends and family daily. Their lives may depend on it. I pray Psalm 91 over my family regularly.

Psalm 91:9-11 (New Living Translation)
9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.

A Place to Hide

2009-09-26T23:55:00.001-04:00

Oh Father, In a place of refuge I long to be.
A retreat where peace rules the heart;
Where people love each other freely
And never never grow far apart;
A sanctuary where people care if one lives or dies;
A palace where truth is king and is highly prized;
Where there's a continual feasting on hope and joy;
I long to rest in a haven that hate cannot destroy.
by J.B. 1992

Maybe you can identify with the author of the poem. You feel like there isn't anyone you can trust...you feel like hope is lost. I have good news! People will let you down, but you can trust our Abba Father. He is always there and in His presence you will feel that hope rise up within you. Trust Him... Talk to Him... He is waiting..

Psalm 91:1-2 (New Living Translation)
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.

Push and Breathe!

2009-09-24T18:40:00.001-04:00

When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I was excited. I couldn't wait until I could wear maternity clothes. It was fun planning the baby's room and setting it all up. I enjoyed feeling the baby move and kick. It was all new and exciting! Then the day came when I went into labor. All those feelings of excitement were not present... All I felt was pain... intense pain. I begin to wonder why I ever got pregnant and if I was going to make it through the birth process. Finally with a lot of breathing techniques, pushing, and contractions our baby girl was born and all that pain was behind me. What faced me was the joy of meeting the child I had been carrying for over 9 months.
When I was praying today, the comparison between pregnancy and praying for a specific situation came to mind. When you first bring your need to the Lord, you remind Him of the promises from the Bible that pertains to your request. You are quick to praise Him.You can't see the answer, but you know that God is faithful and He is working on your behalf. Time passes by and you are still standing on the promises God gives you. You are excited about what God is going to do. Then more time passes and it looks like everything is about to go under... you are feeling intense pressure and you begin to wonder if you are going to make it... God says to push and breathe! Do not focus on the pressure... focus on Him! The answer is soon to be "birthed" and the memory of the pressure will be behind you. Trust Him! He is faithful!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (Amplified Bible)
Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];

My Friend

2009-09-23T21:47:00.000-04:00

Are you in the middle of a challenge and it seems like there is no hope... I went through a difficult time during my younger years. I felt like I was all alone. During this time, I was inspired to write this poem. I hope it will encourage you and give you hope!

My Friend

The battle was all around me.
It looked like hope was all lost.
My heart was no longer happy and free.
I thought, "Is this what bitterness cost?"
The friends that once were all around
Seem to all but disappear.
No one friend could be found.
I am all alone I fear!
All alone in my room with silence as my friend
Faintly, I heard a familiar voice speaking tenderly.
How can this be with no one in sight?
Then my room began to fill with a warmth that close friends bring.
My heart that was so heavy began to feel so light!
And within my heart I began to sing!
All at once that tender voice began to say,
"My little friend don't you remember...I'm always here to stay?"
My eyes welled up with a flood of tears.
My heart no longer desired to fear.
For my dearest and best friend had kept his word to me...
Oh, my sweet friend from Galilee!

Proverbs 17:17 (New Living Translation)
A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need.

Need Direction?

2009-09-16T22:48:00.001-04:00

I am in awe at the various types of technology we have today. My husband has a GPS device. It helps him locate business contacts in his line of work. He has also used the GPS device to help us navigate our way to and from Texas.
The GPS device has one special feature that is particularly helpful. When a driver does not make an exit or turn as directed, the GPS immediately reroutes the driver in order to get the driver back on the right road. Now it is the driver's responsibility to follow the new directions or be faced with going in the wrong direction.
The Holy Spirit has been sent here to lead us and guides us in our daily walk. He is with us to tell us what we need to do with our lives. It is our responsibility to listen to and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit.
    When we make a wrong turn, the Holy Spirit is there to inform us of how to get back on the right road. But if you do not listen and keep on going the wrong direction you will possibly find yourself in a lonely and unfamiliar place. You will not reach the destination God had prepared for you.
   If you have disobeyed God and gone your own way, go to Him and ask for forgiveness. Be willing to take correction and obey. Trust Him... God loves you with an everlasting love!

Proverbs 29:1 (The Message)
For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn,
There'll come a day when life tumbles in and they break,
but by then it'll be too late to help them.

Truth Wins Over Lies

2009-09-14T23:59:00.004-04:00

    Have you ever had someone or a group of people who wanted to get you in trouble?  Well, my oldest child had another child (the neighborhood bully) who was constantly trying to get my oldest child in trouble. I never quite understood why...
    One day the neighborhood bully decided to spread a rumor about my oldest child. This rumor caused some parents to not allow their children to play with my child. I was very upset. I knew that if I tried to do anything it would have been futile. I just left in God's hands.
    One of the parents in the neighborhood had experience in interviewing people to get to the truth of situations. This parent, without my knowledge, decided to interview the neighborhood bully to find out the truth... Well my child was exonerated by this parent interviewing the neighborhood bully. The other children were again allowed to play with my child again.
    Perhaps you have an individual or a group of people who want to make trouble for you. Do not worry or fear leave it up to God. There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. I pray the scripture below over my family regularly. I would encourage you to pray these scriptures over yourself and your family. I want to note that people are not our enemy, but the devil is our enemy... But Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

Psalm 64:2-8 (Amplified Bible)
2Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly, from the scheming of evildoers,
3Who whet their tongues like a sword, who aim venomous words like arrows,
4Who shoot from ambush at the blameless man; suddenly do they shoot at him, without self-reproach or fear.
5They encourage themselves in an evil purpose, they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who will discover us ?
6They think out acts of injustice and say, We have accomplished a well-devised thing! For the inward thought of each one [is unsearchable] and his heart is deep.
7But God will shoot an unexpected arrow at them; and suddenly shall they be wounded.
8And they will be made to stumble, their own tongues turning against them; all who gaze upon them will shake their heads and flee away.

The Move

2009-09-13T01:17:00.000-04:00

    When the decision to move from Texas to Indiana was made, I was apprehensive.  There would be a distance over 1,000 miles between my parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, friends and me. I would not be able to see them as often .  I was not looking forward to that, but I knew that they would still love me.
    During my walk with the Lord, I have learned that God's love for me and you is constant. His love never changes. He loves us with an everlasting love. That's what motivated Him to send Jesus to Earth. Does this mean I have the license to make poor choices? No! Knowing He loves me motivates me to want to make the right choice.
    Perhaps you are facing difficult challenges. You wonder if God still loves you. I like to pray for you...

Dear Father,
Thank you for being there all during my life, even before I was born. Thank for loving me even when I made poor choices. I want to thank you for the times you let me feel your presence and love. I ask you in the name of Jesus, that you would let those who read this post feel your presence and love... Even this very moment. I ask you that they would never be the same.

In Jesus' Name... Amen!

Romans 8:38-39 (New Living Translation)

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do Not Give Up!

2009-09-10T20:25:00.000-04:00

    Many people are facing different levels of challenges. I am facing a challenge. Challenges bring about pressure. You might feel that things are closing in and there is no way out. Or maybe you think God has forgotten you... NO! God has not forgotten you.
I want to encourage you ( and myself) to hold on... do not give up! What you have asked God to do in your life is sooo... very close.  The manifestation of the answer is racing towards you at the speed of light. He is going to bless you abundantly above all that you could ask or think!
   By the way... I want to hear your praise report! Please share.... Trust Him and hold on!!!

Isaiah 46:4 (New International Version)
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Daddy, Daddy!

2009-09-10T01:15:00.000-04:00

   I have been spending a lot of time with my youngest grandchild. My son works the graveyard shift and sleeps during the day. This is when I get to spend time with my grandson. We have a routine going and part of the routine is nap time. Soon as my grandson gets up from his nap, he likes to go into his father's room and say "Daddy, Daddy! " No other child can run in my son's room and yell out daddy except for my grandson .
    Jesus made it possible for us to be able to run into the throne room of God and cry out Abba (Daddy) when he died on the cross and arose from the dead. We can have a personal relationship with God.   We do not have to fear that God is going to yell at us when we approach Him. He delights in us and enjoys spending time with us... I challenge you to run into the throne room with your arms outstretched ready to give your Father a hug. Spend time with Him. You will not be the same!     He is waiting for you today...

Galatians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation)
  6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

The Spider Fiasco!

2009-09-08T22:02:00.001-04:00

When my children were very young , we lived in a small town near the geographic center of Texas. Our home was on the outskirts of town. We would see a lot of critters such as armadillos, skunks, scorpions, snakes, spiders... Being a city girl this was very disconcerting to me.
One day I was looking for something in my bedroom closet, I saw something furry about the size of my hand move in the closet. Well, I screamed, closed the closet door, and called my husband at work. I told my husband that there was a large spider in our closet. I pleaded with him to come home and kill the spider. Tim worked a few blocks away from our house so he was able to quickly come to my rescue.
Tim slowly opened the door and looked in and picked up..... a large feather! I was so embarrassed! My husband took the feather to work to show his co-workers. Have you ever panicked about an unexpected and unpleasant challenge? I have... What I learned to do is do what my husband did... I shine the light on the challenge. Yes, I run to God's word to find the answer to the challenge. Then I pray and obey...
Trust God! He loves you with an everlasting love!

Psalm 119:105 (New Living Translation)
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

Raining Kittens??

2009-09-06T22:26:00.001-04:00

   I usually like to share personal experiences, but I heard a true story that blessed and encouraged me! I hope it does the same for you...
There was a little girl that wanted a kitten so she asked her mother if she could have a kitten. The mother was not too receptive to the request because they had too many pets so she told the girl no. The girl was persistent. She kept on asking her mother for a kitten. Finally, the mother said the only way she could have a kitten if God gave it to her.
    The little girl went to the backyard and knelt down and prayed that God would send her a kitten . Her mother stood there observing the little girl and as soon as the prayer was finished a kitten fell from the sky! The little girl was excited and the mother was surprised...
   Later on they found out how the kitten fell from the sky. This kitten used to live several houses behind the little girl's house. The kitten had gotten stuck in a tree and the owner couldn't get it down. So the man thought if he could tie a rope to the tree and attach the rope to his car , the tree would bend and he could reach the kitten and rescue it. Unfortunately, (for him) the rope snapped and the kitten flew through the air. The man searched everywhere and could not find the kitten. He presumed the kitten was dead.
This story encouraged me to have a child-like faith... Believing that God will answer my prayer because He is faithful! God has the answer coming. It is on the way. Trust Him...

Psalm 8:2 (King James Version)
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

The Neighborhood Bully

2009-09-06T00:31:00.001-04:00

When our children were very young we lived in a newly developed neighborhood. There were lots of children in our neighborhood. There was one child that kept things stirred up. This child would either pit one child against another or blatantly lie in order to manipulate a situation to their advantage. For some reason the bully did not like my children. Almost on a daily basis the mother of the bully and the bully would come to our house with accusations and insults. I informed my oldest daughter if this bully insulted her again she was to smile and say thank you... Well my daughter had the opportunity to smile and say thank you not long after I had given the instructions. The child and the mother stood there flabbergasted... They could not hurl anymore insults.
As Christians we have to deal with "the neighborhood bully", the devil, almost on a daily basis. Like my daughter using my words when facing the bully, we have to use God's word to face the attacks of the enemy. Jesus did this when the enemy tried to tempt him in the wilderness.
If you are having challenges with fear look up the scriptures having to do with fear. Meditate on them and use them when fear starts taunting you. You can do this with any challenge you are facing. God's word is powerful! Trust Him!

James 4:7 (Amplified Bible)
So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

Time for Unity!

2009-09-04T22:17:00.005-04:00

   Several years ago my husband and I were given tickets to a Texas Longhorn game. We were so excited that we brought some Longhorn shirts to wear. The seats were fantastic. We were sitting near the mascot and the T.V. screen. We had an excellent view!
The stadium was filled with orange and white shirts.    The atmosphere was filled with infectious excitement. The fans were in total unity. I am sure this atmosphere influenced the mindset of the home team and their opponents.
Right now it is vitally important that the body of Christ work together in unity like the UT fans. We need to have a spiritual "Tea Party". We need to come together and boldly ask the following questions:  Why has the enemy gained a foothold in our country? Where are the watch dogs (watchmen) in the body of Christ?
   Believers need to stand up in the name of Jesus and tell our enemy, the devil, that he cannot destroy our country!   Before we can do this we must obey the following scripture!

2 Chronicles 7:14 (Amplified Bible)
If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

I am willing to pray and obey in order to heal our land. Will you join me?

Discouraged? Sing A Song!

2009-09-04T00:07:00.003-04:00

When my oldest son was about 4 years old he went and spent a week with his cousin. His cousin was the same age as my son. Well for some reason my son had to be put in time out. As he was sitting there he began to sing the hymn, "Love Lifted Me". He was singing to encourage himself.

This reminds me of the time King David had to encourage himself. David and his men had just fought a battle and when they came back their homes were burned and their families were taken captive by the Amalekites. David's men were not very happy with him...

1 Samuel 30:6 (Amplified Bible)
David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

After encouraging himself, he asked God what to do... God instructed him to pursue the Amalekites and that they would recover all.
Maybe you are like David and you are facing an insurmountable challenge. It looks like it is hopeless... Encourage yourself! I want to think that David sang a song. Sing alone or with a praise CD. Like David, God can turn it around for you!!

Get Your Thoughts Recorded!

2009-09-02T19:02:00.001-04:00

I have discovered that there are many types of blogs on the internet. There are political blogs, blogs on chocolate, blogs for mothers who work at home, blogs about finances, blogs about twitter... The main focus of these blogs is for writers to share what they have learned in order to help others. Most writers welcome comments... Positive comments energize and negative comments should have writers reflect in order to reaffirm their position or to change it. These recorded comments are there for writers to look at time and time again.
The blog that I write is about my adventures of faith. Today, I received an email telling me that God used a certain post ,that I wrote,to give them direction. I was excited that God used the post and yes... I felt energized. It is recorded for me to look at time and time again.
God has written a "blog" for us... His Word- the Bible. The Bible was written to help us live a fruitful and successful life. Did you know that your positive comments about God are recorded just like the comments in a blog?

Malachi 3:16 (The Message)
Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God's presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God's name.

In my opinion, while smiling, God likes to look at your positive comments time and time again. Let's make God smile... Speak often of the goodness and faithfulness of God with one another!

You May Have The Answer!

2009-09-01T19:12:00.000-04:00

You know something God loves to give us good things... If you are His child you should be a giver. It is fun to give! It is especially exciting (to me at least) to give gifts anonymously. One time God directed me to leave an envelope of money secretly on the seat of a lady that went to my church. I had no idea why He had me give the money until she picked the envelope looked inside and said aloud that she now would be able to buy some school supplies for her kids... She never knew it was from me.
Another time the Lord had been dealing with me about how older children should honor their parents. Well I felt impressed to send my mother some money. Later I found out that she was needing an item of clothing and that the money was enough to cover it.
My children learned how to be givers also. There was a lady and her 2 daughters that did not have a place to live... They were homeless. My 2 daughters, when they were young, gave up their room so that this family could have a place to rest and sleep. I can attest that even to this day God is still blessing my daughters for sharing their room.

Job went through a tremendous trial, but at the end God turned it around for him as he prayed for his friends. Then God blessed his latter years more than his beginning years. Today you may be facing a tremendous challenge and you have been praying for help. Maybe God is directing you to take a step like Job and sow into someone else's life with money, food, time, or whatever God directs so that your prayers can be answered.. Trust Him... I am!

Job 42:10 (King James Version)
And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

The Bag of Peanuts

2009-08-31T23:39:00.000-04:00

My mom and I used to make weekly visits to my Nana. My sixth birthday was soon approaching. My mother warned me that my Nana was going to ask me what I wanted for my birthday and not to ask for anything too big. You see my Nana lived with my uncle and she was not in good health. So I agreed not to ask for anything too big... My mom had long nails and I did not want to get pinched for disobeying.
During the visit my grandmother asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I looked at my mom and then my Nana. I had to think very carefully. I finally said I would like a bag of peanuts. I was sure that my Nana was going to give me a bag of peanuts.
The day of my sixth birthday arrived and it was filled with uncles, aunts, cousins, food, and presents. Much to my surprise, my Nana gave me a practically life sized beautiful doll. It was more than I imagined. Years later, I found out that my Nana was touched by my answer and told my mom that she was going to purchase a doll for me.
I have learned that God does not want us to be timid when we respectfully bring our needs and wants before Him. (Yes, wants...) He is not going to pinch you for asking. He wants to do abundantly more than you can ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20 (King James Version)
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Your Life Is An Open Book!

2009-08-30T22:47:00.002-04:00

Several years ago, my mom invited me to go with her to go visit my uncle. My uncle lives in El Paso, Texas. This is the city I was born and raised in. I had not been back in El Paso for almost 25 years. So I was anxious to go with my mom.

My mom and I visited relatives and friends. When Sunday rolled around, mom and I went to the church where we used to attend. It was nice to see familar faces. But there was one familar face ,that in the past, I would never have anticipated to see there...

We saw a neighbor that used to live across the street from us. Mom used to go visit and help this neighbor . I am sure, knowing my mom, she would witness to her about Jesus. But our neighbor was not receptive at that point. In fact, at one time the neighbor's child got sick and the neighbor accused my mom of giving the evil eye.

Eventually we moved to another neighborhood and finally out of El Paso. We lost touch with that neighbor. The neighbor told my mom that one of the things that drew her to the Lord is remembering how we were faithful in going to church and how we lived. Her whole family became believers.

This made me be more aware of how people are truly watching you. Especially, if you confess that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. I also learned that sometimes you may be the person that plants a seed of God's love in a person's life.... and someone else water's that seed by the power of the Holy Spirit. So be encouraged! Perhaps you have witnessed to a friend, neighbor, or family member and you do not see anything happening. You may be the seed planter and God will send a person to water the seed.

Acts 1:8b (King James Version)
... and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

"You’re the only Jesus some will ever see.
And you’re the only words of life some will ever read.
So let them see in you the One who is all they’ll ever need!
Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.”

Keeping Your Chin Up!

2009-08-29T13:51:00.000-04:00

As I have shared in another post, I have a faith project that I am working on. What I am learning as you walk by faith it is a step by step process. The process in this faith walk is not what I envisioned . Of course I have an enemy, the accuser of the brethern, who likes to taunt me and try to convince me God is not going to answer my prayers. He wants me to give up so I cannot receive the answer to my prayers.

I admit I have been discouraged for the past few days... But I continually encourage myself by remembering God has and is answering my prayers. I am resisting the thoughts of defeat by remembering and reading the promises in the Bible.

As I read over the following scriptures, it reminds me of what a parent does when their child has been hurt ... They put their arms around the child and with one hand they lift the child's chin so they can look into their eyes to reassure them that it is going to be all right. I feel that's what God is doing with me... He has His arms around me and with one hand He is lifting my chin up so I can look into His eyes. He is reassuring me that it is going to be all right!

Psalm 3:2-4 (Amplified Bible)
2Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
3But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

The Door

2009-08-27T23:38:00.001-04:00

We have had the privilege spending time with our son and his young 19 month old son for the past few weeks. One morning I heard knocking on my door and a little voice saying, "Come in... Come in..." I opened the door and there was my grandson smiling and running in my room wanting to spend time with me. It was a precious sight!

I thought about what Jesus said to the Christians at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:20 (New Living Translation)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Jesus is a gentleman. He will not force you to spend time with Him. He is knocking ... Share a meal with Him together as friends! He is the bread of life... You are precious to Him. Come on! Open the door!

Do What????

2009-08-26T18:18:00.000-04:00

Have you prayed for something and God asked you to take a step that did not make sense? Right now I am working on a faith project. (Which I will share in depth in the near future) I have been reading the word, praying and standing on Bible promises. God has opened a door for me to step into and walk through. It doesn't make sense, but I had to ask myself this question: Do I really trust and believe what God has taught me?
So I began to think of people in the Bible who had to take an unusual step in order to receive an answer to prayer. I thought about Naman,a captain of the army of Syria, who was a leper. His wife's slave girl told him Elisha, a prophet of God, would be able to help. Naman came to Elisha's home to ask for help. But Elisha sent his servant and this is what he said:

2 Kings 5:10 (New International Version)

Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

Do What ??? Well Naman was outraged! First of all, Elisha sent a servant out and then he asked him to wash in the dirty Jordan. His servants convinced him to go ahead and do as Elisha asked.

2 Kings 5:14 (New International Version)
So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Maybe you are like me and a door has opened that does not make sense. Join me in this adventure of faith and take time to seek God and take time to listen to Him. Trust Him...

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Be Safe!

2009-08-25T13:09:00.000-04:00

I have taught kindergarten, first grade and third grade. No matter what grade I taught, they all liked to play tag. Sometimes I was designated base. They would come next to me and say, "Mrs. B. is base and you can't touch me."
As believers we have the privilege of having Jesus as our "base". At one paticular time I was facing a great challenge. This challenge was partially my fault. But I remembered the following scripture:
Hebrews 4:15-16 (New Living Translation)
15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
I repented of my wrong doing. I had confidence that Jesus was on my side and I would be safe. The challenge was a long process, but I had a peace that everything would be all right.
Maybe you made some wrong choices or your facing a tremendous challenge and you do not know what to do. Run to Jesus! Touch Him! You will be safe...

Proverbs 18:10 (King James Version)
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Stand Up! You Won't Drown!

2009-08-24T20:49:00.001-04:00

When my husband was growing up his family had a tradition of going to Garner State Park during the summer. One year when our family was very young, we joined several of Tim's family members, their families and Tim's dad and wife at Garner State Park. One day several people from our group, including me, decided to get on inner tubes and float on the river. Now, I cannot swim and I do not have confidence in the water. Just as we are going to begin to float, I started to panic. The younger children and several of the adults were watching us on the bank of the river. My son John, who was about 5 years old, started to cry and was about to jump in to save me and before he could an adult shouted, "Stand up! " I stood up and the water barely reached my knees. I was sure embarassed.

Maybe the circumstances in your life are making you feel like you are going to drown...Stand Up! You Won't Drown! Yes, stand on the promises of God! Trust Him!

Jeremiah 29:11 (Amplified Bible)

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

The Table

2009-08-23T01:19:00.003-04:00

We had a nice oval dinning table, but our little family was getting larger and we needed a larger dinning room table. There was not money in our budget. In my heart I envisioned all of us eating at a long rectangular table that was light in color. I had brought my desire to the Lord and I did not share this with anyone...not even my husband.

One day my parents surprised us and came all the way from Mesquite, Texas to visit us. I was happy to see them. My mom and dad brought in a large rectangular dinning table that was light in color! (Along with 8 chairs) She said that they had been in a furniture store and saw this table and they decided to buy it for us.

Again God showed me that He was my provider and that our needs are important to Him! He has and is so good to me!!!

Philipians 4:19

But my God supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Little Things

2009-08-22T22:41:00.007-04:00

If you have read this blog. You have heard me talk about my family. My husband and I have 6 children. When my children were elementary age, I home schooled them. One morning, I woke up not feeling up to par. I did not feel like teaching or cooking. Breakfast was not a hard meal to prepare, but lunch was another matter. I did not have the energy to get it done... Then there was a knock on the door. My neighbor, Karen, brought over a pot of soup. She was a good neighbor, but she never had shared a meal before. It was a though she knew I was not feeling well... I had not called anyone, not even my husband who left before I got up. It was perfect timing and such a blessing!

I know God moved Karen to make that pot of soup for us. There are two things I learned that day. First, God provides even when you do not ask! Second, if a thought comes across my heart to go and do something for someone, it may be God needing me to be a blessing for someone that day!

Psalm 23:1 Amplified

The Lord is my shepherd (to feed, guide, and shield me), I shall not lack.

My Real Home

2009-08-20T20:49:00.009-04:00

I often wonder what heaven is going to be like... Why shouldn't I? Heaven is my home...Earth is my temporary residence. My sister lent me a book about a man who visited heaven. Some people may be skeptical and I can understand how you can be... Many things that he recounted were awesome... There was one thing that touched my heart and it was the display of love and kindness that people had toward each other. You may say, "Well, of course ! What do you expect? They are in the presence of God. "

Whoa! Let's think about what you just said. Yes, they are in the presence of God, but so are you! If you are a believer, you have the presence of God inside you. God is love! I have been around people who walk in this kind of love... There is a fragrance on them that causes the people around them to experience peace.

Let's walk in this love here on earth... Experience heaven on earth!

Galatians 5:13

...by love serve on another.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask!

2009-08-18T15:50:00.004-04:00

Matthew 7:7a

Ask and it shall be given you...

Today I was thinking that I have been playing the flute for over 40 years. It just seems like yesterday that I signed up for band. I was excited about being in band and playing the flute, but I was afraid to inform my parents about my desire... I was afraid that they would say no because of the money situation. I had asked them for a piano, but they said they could not afford it. I do not know what I was thinking.

About a month before school started my father called me to the table where he was paying the bills. He told me that the music company had called about purchasing a flute for me... I was worried that my father again would say no. But much to my surprise, he said he would purchase the flute, but I must promise not to quit playing the flute. I was so excited that I promised that I would not ever quit... I have not quit...yet there was long times of silence during early child raising years.

As I reflect, I should have asked my father in the first place. I should not been afraid. If my father on earth was willing to buy a flute for me, how much more does God want to do for me?

You Are Valuable!

2009-08-16T22:16:00.011-04:00

Matthew 6:26 (New Living Translation)
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

When I was very young, I was taught a song based on the verse above. I remember as a little child that I truly believed what that song declared. The other day I began to sing that song to encourage myself in the Lord. I began to feel the presence of God as I was singing that song. This is not the first time I have sung that song as an adult. The song has brought comfort and encouragement to me many times.

The heavenly Father made the birds.

I know He loves me too.

If God so loved the little birds, I know He loves me too!

He loves me too!

I know He loves me too!

The heavenly Father made the birds.

I know He loves me too!

Perhaps you are facing circumstances that seem out of control. God loves you and you are valuable to Him! Trust Him... Talk with Him... Listen to Him...

He is waiting for you!

Are you a big mouth?

2009-08-15T15:44:00.003-04:00

Psalm 81:10

I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

The idea for this blog came after listening to a woman named Cathy Duplantis teach on the above scripture. I like to share some of my thoughts on this scripture.

Have you ever seen a video clip of baby birds chirping and their mouths were open wide so that their mother could feed them? What would have happened if they did not open their mouths?... They would have eventually starved and died.

God is our Father and He wants to provide for you, but you must do something first....open your mouth wide! Do you literally open your mouth wide? Yes, you open your mouth wide by speaking out the promises of God daily. You should speak these promises out in thanksgiving to your Father God and as a witness to those around.

The Bible says that God is not a man that He should lie... He watches over His word to perform it... This means He keeps His Word to you. You can depend on Him. He loves you with an everlasting love!... Trust Him and open your mouth wide!

Are you wearing your team's colors?

2009-08-15T00:46:00.007-04:00

John 13:35 (Amplified Bible)
By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].

All our children were members in the marching band. This meant that we would go to the games to watch them perform. Sometimes we would travel to other towns to watch them. On occasion we would travel to stadiums that we were not sure which side we were to sit. But we knew when we arrived that we would be sitting where there were people wearing red and black, the school colors.

As believers we should be motivated by the love of God in us. It is infectious... It should distinguish us from those who are non-believers. Love is our team color.

Jesus is coming back soon! He wants no one to be left off the team. Let others know whose team you are on by letting the love of God shine through you today! Show them how they can become a part of the team...

Mustard Seed Faith

2009-08-13T23:49:00.004-04:00

Matthew 17:20

"...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Over 20 years ago my mother in-law was diagnosed with cancer. There was a point that all of the family was advised to come and visit before she would die. Tim and I loaded up our 5 children and made our journey from Brownwood, Texas to Corpus Christi, Texas. When we were well on our way our car stopped and black smoke appeared. Time was of the essence and we did not have money to fix our car. So I turned around and asked our children who would like to use their faith and pray for the car to work. My son, John, who was a little over 2 years old said he would pray and he did... Tim turned the key in the ignition and it worked. Later on Tim told a mechanic friend what happened to our car. He said by that description the car should have not been able to work and it would have cost a large amount to fix it. Mustard Seed Faith!

Light In The Darkness

2009-08-12T21:52:00.005-04:00

Isaiah 60:1-2

1. Arise,shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

The first verse is not a request, but a command to shine! The word glory means the presence of God heavy with everything good in it.

A man named Jerry Savelle shared this following story.There was a woman who had a desperate need and wanted someone to pray for her. God instructed her to go to the mall and someone would pray for her. Jerry was shopping with his wife in the mall. The lady who had been instructed to go to the mall came up to him and asked him to pray for her need. The lady explained that she knew he was the one who was to pray for her. She explained as she was going through the mall she saw a light moving from place to place. It was coming from him.

We are facing dark times. We do not have to fear, because we have the confidence that God will take care us. There are others that do not have this confidence. Arise! Let your light shine! You have the answer ... His name is Jesus!

Facing Impossible Situations

2009-08-12T00:10:00.013-04:00

Hebrews 11:1 (New Living Translation)

1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

I enjoy listening and reading stories about people who have seen God provide for them when it looked impossible. I found a story of man named George Mueller who had a ministry with orphans. He was a man of great faith...

He stated that at various times, not only at the beginning of the work, but also in later years, God had seen fit to try his faith to the utmost, but only to prove to him the more definitely that He would never be other than his faithful covenant-keeping God. In illustration he referred to a time when, the children having had their last meal for the day, there was nothing left in money or kind for their breakfast the following morning. Mr. Mueller went home, but nothing came in, and he retired for the night, committing the need to God to provide. Early the next morning he went for a walk, and while praying for the needed help he took a turn into a road which he was quite unconscious of, and after walking a short distance a friend met him, and said how glad he was to meet him, and asked him to accept £5 for the orphans. He thanked him, and without saying a word to the donor about the time of need, he went at once to the orphan houses, praising God for this direct answer to prayer.

http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Voice/George.Mueller.of.Bristol/George.Mueller.Bristol.H.html

I hope this story inspires and encourages you that God will provide when it looks impossible. Instead of feeling pressure, put the "pressure"on the word of God . What do I mean by this? As you are reading the Bible a scripture seems to jump out at you! The Holy Spirit is giving you wisdom on how to pray for your need. Every time worry comes at you, you speak out that scripture and thank God that He has already provided for you. Trust God...

Who Is On Your Side?

2009-08-10T22:35:00.006-04:00

Romans 8:31 (New Living Translation)

...If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Sometimes it looks like circumstances are beyond control. How am I going to get out of this? They are more powerful and I am insignificant. I do not have the resources...

A young shepherd boy was sent with food for his brothers that were in the army. As he approached the camp he heard the rantings of the giant Goliath. He could not believe that the giant had the audacity to mock the armies of the living God! That young shepherd, David, killed the giant with a sling shot!

What was the difference between David and the army of Israel? David had confidence that God was for him. This confidence was developed as took he care of his sheep. He testified to King Saul that God delivered him from the paw of the bear and lion. Perhaps the other men in the army had killed a lion or bear. What's the big deal? The big "deal" is that David gave God the credit for helping him therefore his confidence in God was strengthened.

I would encourage you to have a thankful heart towards God. Thank him in the little things as well as the big things. When you face an enormous challenge again, you will have confidence that God is for you!

Divine Stimulus Package

2009-08-09T12:43:00.004-04:00

Today, we are facing many challenges especially in our finances. Many are faced with foreclosures, unpaid bills, and need of groceries. It looks desperate and help is needed!

There was a widow and her son who were also facing serious challenges. There a severe drought and famine throughout their country. They had enough food to make a little bread and then they were going to die. A man of God named Elijah came to her house and asked her for a drink and some food. She explained her situation and he said not to be afraid and go ahead and make the bread first and bring it him. And after that he told her that she would be able to make bread for her and her son. He said that God told him that her flour and oil would not be used up until it rained again. She obeyed. Elijah and the widow and her son were able to eat for a whole year!

When we are going through desperate times, it is tempting to hold on to the little we have. But God wants to provide for you like he provided for the widow and her son. We can receive a divine stimulus package not by receiving but by giving to God first, just like the widow did. She not only was able to feed herself and her son, but she was able to bless Elijah. God wants you to prosper so that you can have your needs meet and be a blessing to others in need!

Knowing Your Future

2009-08-07T15:31:00.009-04:00

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto me and I will show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

In this day of uncertainty and upheaval, wouldn't you want to find out what direction you need to take in order to be protected?

The King of Syria wanted to engage in a surprise attack on Israel. He made a move to attack and the Israelites were prepared and were waiting for him. He tried again and the same thing happened. The King of Syria began to think that there was a traitor in his camp. An advisor told him that it was not a traitor that was tipping off the King of Israel. A man named Elisha, who was a man of God, was the one telling the secrets that were being whispered in the King's bedroom.

God does not play favorites. What God did for Elisha, He wants to do it for you. If you are a believer, you have that privilege of knowing things that you do not know of... The King did not have that privilege because he chose not to believe in God. Because the people of Israel were believers,God warned them and protected them from harm. If you are not a believer, why don't you change that... The Bible says to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved along with your house.

Attitude of Gratitude

2009-08-06T00:43:00.011-04:00

Luke 17:11-19 (King James Version)

11And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

What is leprosy? I found the following definition on Dictionary.Com:

A chronic and infectious disease, characterized by patches of altered skin and nerve tissue (lesions) that gradually spread to cause muscle weakness, deformities, and paralysis.

If we were able to see the men that had leprosy some of them were weak, paralyzed,and possibly had body parts missing. They did the right thing in recognizing and calling on Jesus to heal them. They were now free of the disease. That in itself is a great miracle. But 9 of them forgot something very important... gratitude. One of them had a heart of gratitude and God made him whole. Not only was he healed, but what ever he had lost as a result of the disease was being restored to him. The others got healing, but not restoration of things lost due to the disease.

After reflecting on this story, I am determined that I am going to make sure that I have an attitude of gratitude toward God!

Need a Financial Advisor?

2009-08-04T15:50:00.013-04:00

Luke 5:4-6 (New Living Translation)

4 When he had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.

5 "Master," Simon replied,"we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so I'll let the nets down again."

6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!

Do you know that God wants to give you financial advice? As you see in the above verses the fisherman tried to find fish all night and was unsuccessful. Jesus advised him to fish in the deeper part. You can infer that Simon was not quite sure if it would work, but he took Jesus advice and he became prosperous.

Last week I had been listening to 2 men talk about God's vision for your life. One of the men told a story about an interaction that he had with his bankers. The bankers wanted him to invest in certain places, but the man said I need to go and pray and ask God's advice. He prayed and had a meeting with them sometime later. He told them where he wanted to invest. They thought it was not wise to invest in that manner, but he was determined to follow God's advice.

Several months later, one of the bankers brought a gift basket to this man to let him know that he was a valued customer. The banker wanted the man to know that during the financial downturn a lot of people lost money. He was their only customer that made money.

God is interested in every aspect of your life! Spend time with Him and reading and studying His word. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you into all truth... There will come a knowing inside of you and you will know what to do. I also write down what I have learned. Take time and trust Him...

Time for Something New

2009-08-03T23:30:00.006-04:00

Isaiah 43:18-19

18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Humans are creatures of habit. We get comfortable doing things the same way: Good things and bad things. I want to address good things. Perhaps you have been successful in your career, but inside you have been feeling uneasy... like something is not quite right. Perhaps God is directing you in a new way. He has a plan for you to carry out and it is going to require major changes. In your heart, you want to be obedient , but how will you be able to do what He calls you to do? How about those around you who may not understand why you are going another direction? God wants to assure you that He has made a way (created opportunities) when it looks completely impossible. Trust Him...

Don't Panic!

2009-08-02T20:33:00.007-04:00

Numbers 23:19 (New Living Translation)

God is not a man , so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

When our children were very young, we received a letter from Farmers Home Bureau telling us that they were in the process of taking our home back. The first thing that came to my mind was the first the first part of the verse : God is not a man, so he does not lie. I spoke it out loud. I knew that enemy wanted me to fall into fear, but I was not going to fall into that trap. I had just read in Psalm 121:6 where God said the sun would not smite me by day or the moon by night. I had already seen God work in my life.

I decided to call a friend who had been mentoring me in the things of the Lord and ask her to agree in prayer with me that our home would not be taken. When I told her about the situation, she said she needed to talk with her husband and she would call back. She called back and shared how God had showed them that were to help us. They helped us get caught up with our house payments and helped paid for our insurance.

We were blessed and I was thankful that God came through! He did keep His word to me! Perhaps you are facing a challenge in your life. It looks like you are going to go under do not listen to the lie of the enemy! God does not lie!

I have a word for someone who is going through a desperate situation.It looks dismal, but God says He is making all things new. Do not look back, but look ahead. Just trust Him and He will supernaturally make provision for you. People are telling you it is too late. Time is no object in God's kingdom. He says look to Him for Wisdom and you will get out of the financial situation and people will know that it had to be a miracle of God.

The Money Jar

2009-08-01T20:34:00.005-04:00

Luke 6:38 (Amplified Bible)
Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.

In my younger days, I learned the meaning of the second part of the verse.When I was in college, I worked as a waitress. I had a large jar where I deposited my tips. I used the tips to buy everyday necessities. The pay check had to go towards paying the school bill.

When I was in high school, I had heard a man share how the above verse worked successfully in his life. I knew that God does not have favorites so I decided to put this verse to work in my life. I decided to give 10 percent of my total pay (including tips) to church. This is what I discovered. When I gave my 10 percent to church, I had a good week in tips and the jar was full. When I did not give my 10 percent, I did not have a good week in tips. The jar was not full ...

God has a proven track record. He is trustworthy. Just ask Moses, Abraham, Jehoshaphat, David, Elijah, Daniel, Elisha, Peter, Paul... the list could go on. Search the Bible and see how God wants to provide for us. You may be thinking, it worked back then, but how can it work today? I have shared some of my experiences of God's provision in my life. Perhaps in future blogs, I will share how God has helped people during this day and age.

If you have a testimony about how your needs were met when you trusted and obeyed God's word, please share it in the comment box! I love to read and listen to stories of how God has worked in other peoples' lives.

Encouragement is Oxygen for the Soul

2009-07-31T22:35:00.010-04:00

For the past two days , I have been listening to two men talk about how to fulfill the vision God has for your life. One of the men shared a story about a pastor friend. This friend felt like he had not made a noticeable impact on peoples' lives. His church had not grown past the 250 mark in spite of all of the efforts. He felt like he had failed. This pastor died and over 10,000 people came to pay their respects to this man. A lot of the people were pastors that contributed their success as a pastor to this man. I wonder if the pastor would have felt differently if these people would have called, emailed, twittered, visited ... to tell him what a great impact he made in their life.

Several months ago, I received an email from a lady that went to High School with me. She wrote the following: " I don't know if you remember me. You gave me a couple of lessons when I was a freshman. I never forgot your kindness. Over thirty years later THANK YOU for the private lessons." This email made me realize how much we impact the lives of others around us. This word of encouragement came during a time I was facing challenges that were draining to me. It was like a breath of fresh air to me!

If there is someone who has deposited something positive in your life, perhaps you should express your gratitude. Breathe a breath of fresh air into another person's life...

Be a Visionary in a Skeptical World

2009-07-30T23:01:00.001-04:00

Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)
Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish;

Have you ever had a dream that you shared with a person and they told you that you couldn't do it? How did you feel? Did you want to keep on dreaming or did you let your dream die? Or perhaps you had a dream and something traumatic happened in your life and you lost hope and you let your dream die.

Long ago a young man, named Joseph, told his father and brothers about a dream he had. He dreamed that all his family would bow down to him. They all thought he was being arrogant. Then Joseph was wrongly sold into slavery. He was soon put in charge of his master's household and helped his master become prosperous. Then Joseph was falsely accused and imprisoned. Soon after, he was put in charge of the prison and made the prison run smoothly. Joseph helped some men, but they forgot to put a good word in for him until a long time had passed. Then finally, Joseph helped Pharaoh understand a dream and was put in charge of all of Egypt. He also helped Pharaoh become very prosperous. Not long after that his dream came true.

Has your dream died? Like Joseph, resurrect your dream by helping others fulfill their dream!

You Do Not Have to Participate in the Recession

2009-07-29T21:07:00.001-04:00

There are two economies existing in the world today: God's and Man's. As we have seen people have tried to solve the financial problems of our country and it does not look too good, does it? The government's solution is to take in order to solve the financial issues, but God's solution to getting out of debt is giving.

Luke 6:38 Amplified Bible

Give and (gifts) will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will they pour into (the pouched formed by) the bosom ( of your robe and used as a bag). For with the measure you deal out (with the measure you use when your confer benefits on others), it will be measured back to you.

When you give 10 percent of your monthly or weekly salaries to God , He promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing to you ... (Malachi 3:10) When you lend to the poor, God pays you back. (Proverbs 19:17)

Now, which is better man's stimulus plan or God's plan? Are you willing to join me in an adventure of faith? I cannot wait to see what God is going to do ! How about you???

Filling

2009-07-27T22:38:00.002-04:00

My favorite Psalm has been Psalm 23 ever since I was old enough to read the Bible. I remember having to memorize this Psalm for Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. When I was a teenager , someone wrote a song pertaining to Psalm23. It was modern sounding and it has stayed with me all through the years. When going through dark times and challenges during my adult life, I would encourage myself with that song.

The main idea of the Psalm is that God is our shepherd and we will not lack any good thing. Recently I found out about an interesting Jewish custom that has made Psalm 23 more special. When a guest came to dinner they were served wine. Their cup was kept full. The host would quit filling their cup to give them a hint it was time for them to leave.

Psalm 23 (Amplified Bible)

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

I got excited when I read verse 5. What I learned is that God keeps my cup full because He wants to have a continual relationship with me. He will not quit filling my cup so that I will leave. No...on the contrary He wants me to stay and visit with Him so He keeps on filling my cup. I am His daughter and He loves me!

Feasting

2009-07-26T17:43:00.001-04:00

Matthew 4:4 ( Amplified Bible)

But he replied, "Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Imagine being invited to a large dinner gathering. Time has be spent planning and thinking about the menu that would be just right for the gathering. Many hours and great effort were put into preparing the meal. The table is beautifully set. The guests arrive and are seated. The feast is set before the guests. The guests make positive comments one to another about the food and compliment the one who prepared the feast. But they do not help themselves to the food. They just continue to smile and make positive comments...

You probably think that the above scenario is ridiculous. No one would would refuse to eat a feast set before them... But sadly, many believers do this week after week.

A pastor spends hours seeking God and reading and studying the Bible in order to prepare a "feast" for the people. The people come and are excited about the message. They even compliment the pastor. But they do not"eat" the food presented to them. They listen and quickly forget what was presented. They do not take the word presented and "chew" (study) on it. When trials , tribulations or temptations come they are weak and anemic and fall prey to the enemy's attack.

I have been guilty of not studying the Word given and praying over it . Life is full of distractions and responsibilities. It is important to spend time studying and meditating (chewing) on the word. It is beneficial to write down what you have learned . It is exciting when God shows you something during your study and your pastor shares the same thing in a service. Take the time and chew and savor the Word of God!

Doing

2009-07-25T18:04:00.001-04:00

James 1:22 Amplified Bible

But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

Have you ever wondered why there are challenges in your life popping up all over the place? You have been doing all the right things... going to church...fasting...praying... and still nothing good is happening in your life! This is what the people were saying in Isaiah 58. It is interesting what God's answer was to their questions. (Isaiah 58:6-8 Living Bible)

1. Stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly and give them what they earn.

2. Share your food with the hungry

3. Bring right into your own homes, those who are helpless, poor, and destitute.

4. Clothe those who are cold.

5. Don't hide from relatives who need your help.

There was a promise connected with the commands. He said if they would do these things that God would shed His glorious light on them and He would heal them. Their godliness would lead them forward and His goodness would be a shield before them and the glory of the Lord would protect them from behind. Awesome!!! God would have their back.

What God showed me through these scriptures is that sometimes we go through the motions of Christianity. We do all the right things, but we forget to spend time with Him. Time being still and listening for Him to speak. Remember your parents used to tell you to choose your friends wisely? You'll become like the people you spend time with. Spend time with Father God... He is Love...

Praising

2009-07-24T17:33:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, I think that Christians take for granted the power of praising God. I love the story of Jehoshaphat. The Moabites and Ammonites were coming to attack the citizens of Judah and Jerusalem . Jehoshaphat and the people were afraid. But they did the right thing... They went to God for counsel. No... they did not look at the polls or ask advisers what to do. They asked God for help. The Lord told them they would not have to fight... Awesome!!! They were to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Jehoshaphat appointed singers that went before the army singing praises to God. After that the Lord set ambushes against the Moabites and Ammonites and they ended killing each other until there was no one left alive.

How does that apply to modern day problems??? The Bible tells us that our enemy is not flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

Psalm 149:6

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

When facing a problem that seems insurmountable...sing praises to God and see the salvation of the Lord!

Seeing

2009-07-23T13:36:00.001-04:00

Romans 4:17 (Amplified Bible)

As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.

When standing on the promises God has given me, I have to ask myself do I "see" it done with the eyes of faith like Abraham did? Think about it... Abraham was promised to be the father of many nations and he did not even have a child. His wife was past child bearing age.

Romans 4:18-21 (Amplified Bible)
18[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.
19He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb.
20No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,
21Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

In verse 20, I see that Abraham's faith grew stronger as he gave praise and glory to God. I am determined to follow Abraham's example...Thank you God that you are faithful and you keep your promises! I am going to trust you during my adventure of faith...

Casting

2009-07-22T17:27:00.001-04:00

1 Peter 5:6-7 (Amplified Bible)
6Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
7Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

I love the above passage. I have memorized and meditated on it . I like to focus on the word "casting". When I see that word I picture a fisherman casting his out his fishing line. He/she flings it way out there so that the bait can do its work. During the past few days, I have had the opportunity to be filled with anxiety and worries. I have had to cast these anxieties and worries on Him so He can take care of me. He is faithful!

Trusting

2009-07-21T21:07:00.001-04:00

School starts on August 11th here in Indianapolis. I have applied to several school districts. I am currently waiting for my Indiana Teacher License to be approved. I have been thinking of my Texas teacher friends and how they are getting their rooms ready for the new year. When I go to Wal-Mart and I see the supplies it seems weird not buying supplies for my classroom. My last pay check will come in August. I cannot look at my circumstances... I must trust God and His promises. I also must remember what He has done for me in the past. He is faithful!

Waiting

2009-07-19T22:58:00.001-04:00

Waiting is part of the adventure of Faith. Yes, as I stand on the promises God has given me I realize that what He has promised is done. But there is a waiting on the Lord that follows. It is not a passive mode, but a mode that is active.

Isaiah 40:31(Amplified Bible)
31But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

During this time of waiting, I will reflect and remember what God has done on my behalf. It is a time of thanksgiving and praising God. I remember that God is not like man who lies, but He keeps His promises. My focus is totally on Him not for the fulfillment of the promise.

Adventure of Faith

2009-07-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

Coming to Indianapolis meant not having a job . I have had to examine myself to see if I truly believe that God is my source. It's not that I do not want to work, but I want to work where God wants me to.

I have been meditating on faith scriptures and reading about people of faith in the Bible in order to build up my faith. I am determined to walk in love so that faith can truly work. I am on an adventure... an adventure of faith. I am going to do what Jesus said in Mark 11:22 "Have faith in God..."

Settled

2009-07-11T13:41:00.001-04:00

It has been a month since I have left Texas and moved to Indiana. Our house is pretty much set up the way we want it. I still need to buy curtains for the house, though. The weather is much cooler during the summer here than in Texas. Also it rains much more than it did in Texas. I drove my daughter and me to band practice in another town nearby. This is the first time, since moving, I have ventured that far by myself. I have not met any neighbors...I guess I need to meet them on my own. Well...there is a summary of my adventures so far.