Sweet Surrender... Surprised by Grace!

I heard him whisper "If there's really a God, then show me you exist, make me believe" 

A personal prayer, not intended for an outsider (such as myself) to hear.  So my lips were sealed shut.  Sorrow began to fill my mind, and I actually started feeling physically *weak.  A nearby bench, seemed irresistible so I sat a few minutes and prayed.  Instantly a verse from 2Corithians 12:9 came to my mind,  "...My strength is made perfect in *weakness..." hmmmm... Well, I was definitely feeling weak!  My mind could not escape the person's prayer and after i prayed for him, my soul knew the exact things it wanted to say to him. My question now is this, what if God placed this so strongly on my heart for more than just Him, what if this concept is one you need to hear too?  Maybe God wants it to come out of my prayers and out of my heart, out of my soul so that He will be revealed by me articulating what He placed on my heart.  If so, then He will be glorified! What a blessing:)

My words to that man would have been something very much like this :

...Remember the beautiful sunset that evening when you were alone?  You wished someone else was there to experienced it's magnificence too, it was that unreal!  How about the double-rainbow that took your breath away on your drive to work?  What about the way that 'Animal Planet' captures your attention when showing videos of the magnificent creatures on the earth, they capture your heart and leave you speechless?  

I wonder, did you find true peace with calling it merely "luck" when your loved one survived that horrific situation even after everyone (doctors & specialists) said survival was impossible!?  

Have you considered that maybe these blessings are all part of God's handiwork?

Are you certain that your God wasn't showing you His existence when He revealed things to you that only His hands can do?  Perhaps the overwhelmed joy that these unexplainable experiences brought to your soul distracted you from considering the source from which they came...

Oh Beloved, If you have ever whisper a prayer like the one above, please know this (and when the day comes, you may quote ME on it) : "When you see Him it will be too late to say you believe. On that day every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord"  that's what the bible says & I believe the bible.

Please listen carefully, as I tell you this truth with a humbled and honest heart...

God sent Jesus to be your defender so you can spend eternity with Him.  When we accept (believe) Jesus Christ suffered the penalty (on the cross @ Calvary) for our sins, then we call Him our savior!  

 One day we will stand before the judge and be held accountable for the decisions we made and for our actions.  A perfect judge has no reason to look at our good deeds. Why would He? His job is to deal with those who have broken the law.  His job as a judge is strictly to judge (according to the law).  The good news is this, YES HE OFFERS HIS MERCY TO EACH OF US, But only right NOW is when He has made it available.  

That's right, ONCE YOU ENTER THE COURT ROOM IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO START looking for an attorney/defender/*SAVIOR.

When we trust in Jesus as our savior, He pays our debt, sets the captives free!. Then we won't even be going to court.  Our attorney (JESUS) has closed our case!  We are made free, sinless in the eyes of the judge:) 

God knew we could never save ourselves, perfection is required to be with a perfect God and abide in His kingdom.  That's why He sent one who could save us, (Jesus was 100% sinless and sacrificed Himself to bear our sins)  He truly loves us that much!  What's required of us is to trust Him <3 div="div" doesn="doesn" it="it" nbsp="nbsp" ounds="ounds" simple="simple" t="t">

Yet it's the hardest thing some people will ever do...

We ask God to teach us so we can understand Him more:)

It requires us to humble ourself & admit that we need  Him. 

Once that's accomplished, REAL life begins!  Praise God almighty for ever and ever:)

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." Ephesians 3:16 

Is it starting to make more sense now?

"Now we cannot...discover our failure to keep God's law except by trying our very hardest (and then failing). 
Unless we really try, whatever we say, there will always be (at the back of our minds) the idea that if we try harder, next time we shall succeed in being completely good.  Thus, in one sense, the road back to God is a road of *moral effort* of trying harder and harder. 
But in another sense it is not trying that is ever going to bring us home. 
All this trying leads up to the *vital moment at which we turn to God and say, You must do this, I can't."  C. S  Lewis 
So many people live an entire lifetime without understanding this truth...
I LIVE by this truth, I stand on His promises and He does the rest.  When I get wrapped up in my thoughts, wants & ideas I notice things begin to go wrong.  When I focus on His word and His will and surrender to His plan, He shows me more than I could have ever imagined. Truly magnificent and glorious is the Lord our God!

Will you take a moment today to say something, anything to glorify God today? Even if it's a simple "God bless you" after you hear someone sneeze. I've noticed more and more people saying "bless you" after someone sneezes. From where do all blessings come? Then if you believe in Him proclaim it with small gestures such as this today:) We are His army, let's be sure to stay awake and be prepared for that moment when He calls to play our part in the big picture of Gods work here on earth!!! If we do well here, perhaps we'll be promoted quickly once we get to heaven:) that's a beautiful thought isn't it?
Love
Love
Love
From my home to yours friends!

Nonsense or New Life?

Is the Christian faith intellectual nonsense? Does God really transform us?

Steadfast Joy: Snapshots of the past weeks

Steadfast Joy: Snapshots of the past weeks:  Lilli hosted a tea party and even invited her two dolls  A father at the Nyahuka Health Center feeds his premie with a syringe; a m...

That girl is who I used to be...

The college student that stayed out late, going from club to club with my girls, drinking til we were silly.  Many nights we would drink before going to parties (to escape reality before we arrived).  The entire purpose was to escape reality for a little while.  Full-time work and school was hard, toss in the new responsibility of paying bills for the first time.  Then there was that freedom part!  For the first time in life, there were no parents barking rules and curfews.  It was the beginning of this road called "adult life".  It began with searching.  Searching for EVERYTHING!  It was fun at the time.  Wow, so many valuable lessons learned.  

After many months of the same routine (different friends sometimes but same lifestyle)  I found myself burned out.  The long nights of parties and escaping reality left me empty.  I needed more. I needed solid foundation and truth.  My heart's desire was changing. rather than escaping reality, I needed reality to be fulfilling and reliable.  A suntan and good hair cut with some highlights made me feel great, but just for a small time.  Then I was back there again, longing for fulfillment.  The emptiness was a nagging feeling, but never overwhelming, just enough to to keep me searching for more.  I remember thinking "surely this can't be it, their just has to be more that life has to offer".  I always knew their was a God and He sent Jesus to pay for my sins but that was it.  I didn't pray or anything.  Until this one night, I was confused, and lying in my bed unable to rest.  I prayed for God to direct my life.  I had tried all I knew, found nothing good enough to satisfy my yearning for solid happiness/contentment.  I needed truth, and I needed it to LAST!  

The following week I was studying at Barnes & Noble when I saw a box of books marked 50% off, the first book i saw was a bible so I opened it up and began to read.  The content was beautiful.  I only had $15 and the bible was most of that, so I thought  "alright God, I'm giving all I've got in an attempt to know You more."  That was the beginning of my walk with Jesus. The bible changed my life.  Jesus changed my life!  He gave me a lasting love and a solid certainty that nothing this world  has to  offer.  And not only is it enough, its MORE than enough!  The way He has changed me can be comparable to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.  I couldn't go back if I tried.  His faithfulness never fails and His word is a solid foundation we can depend on.  He reveals Himself to us when we put our faith in Him.  It's been a journey, I haven't changed over night, it's a growing process.  It is an awesome life when Jesus leads.  I'm in awe at His love, and it is absolutely amazing each time I watch it happening in another persons life.  It's nothing short of Godly!

Scrolling through all the "status updates" that my facebook friends post is always entertaining!  I'm blessed to have the opportunity to keep up with everyone's lives with such simplicity.  It's also true though that the materialistic things that people spend so much of their time and money on, remind me of that time in my life, when I was searching for fulfillment and satisfaction.  It breaks my heart in such a personal way because that was me! I remember trying to have the perfect clothes, hair, tan and sunglasses.  Today I feel foolish spending a lot of money on fancy brand names and tanning bed visits.  It is a temporary solution to a very real need.  God put that need in each of our hearts so that we will keep searching until we find Him!  His truth is free, and you can use your money to donate to organizations that help people in need (real needs) instead of spending it on making yourself feel good for a small time.  Do you know how good it feels to give your last couple of dollars to a begger on the street?  It feels wonderful!  And they are grateful too:)  Theat start gratification is easier though, tan, get a pedicure and some highlights, they are good enough to satisfy and don't take much time to do (unlike learninthan out Jesus) but when your roots start growing in and your tan fades before pay day, you'll find yourself empty again.  It reminds me of what Mathew said:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

What are you so afraid of?

Last night I cried out to God  "All I need is You Lord, please just give me more of You!"
As though i were speaking to someone sitting right there with me, I felt His presence.  No, I didn't hear a voice, just a very clear certainty that the Spirit of God just placed His answer on my heart.  His response was instant:
"Then give Me more of you"
Of course, I thought!  After all, it is a relationship right?  
Reciprocity is essential in order for a truly healthy relationship to be established and thrive.  How can I love without giving?  
The two are directly linked...  Have you ever loved someone without the desire to give?! 
I couldn't imagine calling such a thing "love"! 

This brought my mind back to a conversation Justin and I had only days before, concerning someone in our life that is an unbeliever.  We were talking about how God completely changes believers, and the affects it has had on us.  Personally, I didn't know what I was getting myself in to when God changed me.  I just wanted to be close to Him and so I asked Him to draw near to me, and forgive me for what I've done that is not pleasing to Him. Thats when He started to slowly strip away the worldly (sinful) desires of my heart.  I look back now and I'm amazed!  So you can imagine my reaction when Justin said to me "she doesn't want God because she doesn't want to change her lifestyle, she doesn't understand that when we trust in Jesus, He takes our old desires away and turns those old selfish desires into *selfless desires. These desires are significantly more fulfilling to our soul and to our purpose in life than anything we thought made us happy before:)  
So in all actuality, it feels natural to do good and it is very fulfilling! People struggle with understanding this until it happens to them personally. My prayer is that you will give Jesus a chance, you won't be sorry, you'll be saved! And finally find true happiness that can never be taken away.  

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!". 
2 Corinthians 5:7

Be watchful, God is prepairing you for greater things... PRAY for guidance (in Jesus name): Confessions of a believer...

Be watchful, God is prepairing you for greater things... PRAY for guidance (in Jesus name): Confessions of a believer...

God won't leave us comfortless in any situation

As I read about Helen Keller I was moved at how she knew God before she even knew a language.
One of Helen's friends was Philips Books who was a famous of his generation in america at one time.
Helen was blind and deaf from the age of two, she had lived a life of isolation, unable to speak words she could not hear, unable to know what a word was. So, how did she know God?

In one of her letters, Helen told Bishop Brooks that she had always known about God, even before she had any words. Even before she could call God anything, she knew God was there. She didn't know what it was. God had no name for her -- nothing had a name for her. She had no concept of a name. But in her darkness and isolation, she knew she was not alone. Someone was with her. She felt God's love. And when she received the gift of language and heard about God, she said she already knew.

Phillips Brooks was thrilled by this. This was the God he knew!

There are some who don't even believe in God, but then there was Helen who always knew Him.

Now this is what is interesting to me. Because people say that others impose and push there believe on people to make them believe. Yet when we consider Helen Keller, we see that she didn't have any Christians, or anyone there to "impose" their belief on her and she just innately knew there was a God! Imagine That:)

So, my question is how can someone explain that?
I would say that it was the Holy Spirit who was with her and speaking and talking with her, how else would she know God in such a way? Totally awesome thread! And yes, I do believe it was the Holy Spirit that witness to her heart the things and will of God.

The bible teaches us in Romans 1:20-21
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

As Paul explains in this scripture that even the Gentiles were without a knowledge of Christ had been shown enough about God through creation to have honored and been thankful to Him.

And she could not see.....but God's grace through His Holy Spirit witness His presence in her life and gave her heart faith to believe in Him, even though she didn't have a language, to recognize, till later.

It really makes one think about those countries that the gospel has not yet reached and I question will they (those people) know? This has really opened my heart to some profound thoughts concerning God's endless control... Regardless of what man thinks..."
Posted by Miss Shawn

His strength is made perfect in our weakness

Fulfillment found...

*Read John 4:7-30

Take an honest look at your life. Do you feel whole and complete, or is there the sense that something's missing? If you're aware of an emptiness, what are you using to try and fill that void? Is it relationships with family and friends? Or have you opted for achievements, hoping they will bring a sense of significance? Maybe you use a substance or activity of some kind to deaden the need or to bring temporary comfort.

Jesus met a woman with just such an empty place in her soul. She was longing for love but had been repeatedly rejected. In those days, a man could divorce his wife simply because she displeased him in some way. The Samaritan woman had gone through this rejection five times and was now seeking to fill up her soul with a man who wasn't her husband.

She probably tried to cover up her emptiness so those around her wouldn't see her hurt, but when Jesus met her at the well and told her all that she had done, her days of hiding were over. She had finally found the only One who could bring wholeness to her life. Before you can fill the emptiness in your soul, you, too, must let Christ's piercing gaze penetrate into the depths of your heart and reveal the root cause of your incompleteness.

We were created for God. All other pursuits are inadequate substitutes and will never bring the lasting satisfaction we are seeking. Life has a way of beating us down, leaving us empty and disillusioned. But when we allow Christ unrestricted access to our hearts, He fills us up with His unfailing love."

Copyright 2012 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

Broken... & full of Hope

I see you lying their whispering prayers
I hear you breathing out "hollowed be thy name"
Holding out my hand catching every tear
Oh my child I'll never leave your side

I will give you peace when the walls come crashing down
I will give you peace through the night
When you've had all you can take can't face another day
I'll give you peace, I'll give you peace

For such a time as this I have you here
Chosen for the lost to show I'm near
Through your brokenness my glory shines
And through your frailty my strength will rise

Your beautiful, your beautiful
Perfect in my sight
Righteousness adorns you my bride
you're beautiful, so beautiful.

Echoing Angels "I will give you peace"

Break my Heart for what Breaks Yours

I'm Amazed @ The Way You Love Me All The Time!

Did you ever experience something so wonderful that you could hardly wait to share it with someone else?   Perhaps you knew just the person that would appreciate it as much as you do, so the anticipation of sharing it with that person would practically kill you until you had the opportunity to share it!  This is very much how I feel about finding a pair of jeans that fit great.  Especially a very expensive name brand pair that are on sale in my size.  I love a $200.00 pair of jeans but I would never spend that much money on jeans SO, finding them @ 90% off is like winning the lotto!!  What's even better is my sister and I wear about the same size and we both appreciate a good deal on an expensive pair of jeans:)  SO... Until I can drive to myrtle beach and let her have those jeans, I haven't quite gained the fullness of the excitement:)...  She gets just as excited as I do about this stuff, and when we share these type of deals, I actually end up experiencing double the joy:).  
I have a friend that would share with her sister like I do, but she says her sister would never accept the jeans as a gift.  Instead, she might insist on buying her own pair.  What a bummer!  First of all, these are the type of jeans she's been wanting for the past year, and their is no way she could afford a pair of jeans like this!  Most importantly though, is the fact that her act of rejecting the gift would take from the joy sharing them would have provided her sister!  Just seeing how good they look on her and seeing the excitement she brought to her sister's face is priceless!  Me personally,  If I need to borrow them I know where they are,  I'm not missing out on anything.  Kinda silly for someone to deny a free $200.00 gift huh?!  The best part of her accepting the jeans is this...  The bonding that two sisters experience laughing and all excited.   It brings me twice the joy to share with my sister than it would to keep them all for myself.  Why would I want them in my closet when I could bring that kind of joy to someone else?!  This seems so simple right?  Actually it's not.  Pride is always lurking.  It gets in the way and destroys what could be a joyful bonding experience.  
Here's another example of rejection that destroys a perfect thing... 
God has offered to us His son *Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins (just like when your children brake a toy in the store or even steel a toy, we pay for that toy! Imagine if we paid for it and our child refused to believe it was paid for so stayed in the store dealing with the consequences for ever) We dont have to do that, we can trust our father already provided a way for us to be free & forgiven!  It's a FREE gift from our heavenly father.  Let's accept it with joy and excitement and by doing so, establish a personal bond with God our father!  He knows we are not perfect, all He is asking is for us to look to Him for comfort and truth:)  But so many times people get an idea in their mind that they can pay their own way and refuse to accept God's awesome, perfect, free gift!  It's impossible for our sins to be wiped away without a perfect (sinless) sacrifice we can offer to God.  That's what Jesus is!  Unless we are perfect, we can not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  By trusting in Jesus, we are cleansed of all our sins and can then enter into God's kingdom because our failures were paid for with a price.  The price was the blood of Jesus on Calvary.   That sounds too easy right?  WRONG!  Just ask a nonbeliever to accept it,  if it's easy, they will right?!  Break the walls of your pride down and cry out to God for faith and He will teach you to trust in Jesus:)  Can you imagine the way God feels when we reject the gift He offers us?  The best way I can imagine it is if I got to myrtle beach, (all excited to give my sister something so valuable and important to me) only to hear her say "you keep those Tina, I'll figure out a way to buy my own". . . 

HOW DOES THE GOOD NEWS BEGIN?

Do you wanna know about me?

Since you're reading my blog, I thought you may want to know a little bit about me. If so, then here you go ...

- I am a follower... Only a follower of Jesus!  He's my leader, savior & Lord.
- I love my family.  My two children and husband are blessings I cherish dearly.
- I'm a people lover!  Love meeting people and enjoy helping & listening to them.
- I work all kinds of crazy hours at a local hospital and I like my job very much.

My crazy OBSESSIONS are . . .

a.)  JESUS & biblical history!
b.)  coffee (I'm called the "coffee snob" because I grind my beans and prefer only certain kinds) 
c.)   I brush my teeth for a long time... Weird? Maybe. But once I start, 10 minutes goes by and Justin's saying I'm being ridiculous again:)
d.). Leftovers always taste better to me when they're cold.  I don't warm them up unless rice is involved.  I've choked on cold rive before, scared me half to death!

My WEAKNESSES are...

a.)  I'm a procrastinator :( it's my biggest weakness!  Finding an unfolded load of clean laundry on my chair in the living room is not uncommon.  
b.)   I would rather mow the lawn than clean the dishes or vacuum (husband won't let me though). I won't let it get dirty and gross though because ...
c.)   I'm absolutely terrified  of roaches!!!  I do a crazy run and can not keep quiet if one is spotted in my home.  Husband has been drug out of bed in the middle of the night once but that's because I've only spotted one ONCE in the night:) can't let it get away duh... It could multiply!! 
d.)  I avoid people and situations when I get overwhelmed.  It can hurt people's feelings and I regret it afterwards and have to explain and apologize:(  I seldom get overwhelmed like this but a few times I have and I haven't figured out a better way to deal with it! 

I LOVE...

a.)  Jesus
b.)  the beach
c.)  kissing on babies
d.)  seeing person put their faith in Jesus
e.)  playing tennis with my 10 year old
f.)  Cheesecake
g.) JESUS!

Not all good but very real... I hope I don't lose any readers over it! God bless you all, thanks for stopping by:)

Believing OR Seeing?

Read: Psalm 27:7-14

Have you ever fainted? The psalmist discovered a way to keep from fainting. "I would have lost heart [fainted], unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (v. 13). David felt somewhat forsaken. His enemies were attacking him, and the circumstances were unbearable.

We have to walk by faith just as David did. "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed." Jesus taught in Luke 18 that men ought always to pray and not to faint. When you pray, it's an evidence of faith. The world says that seeing is believing. If the world had written verse 13 of this passage, it would read: "I would have fainted unless I had seen, and then I believed." That was Martha's problem. Lazarus, her brother, had been dead and in the grave for four days. But Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if you would believe, you would see?" (John 11:40). Thomas said, "Seeing is believing," but Jesus says, "Believing is seeing" (see John 20:24-29).

The evidences of faith are rather obvious. First, we seek the Lord. "When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek"' (v. 8). Do you want to build your faith and be able to walk by faith and war by faith? Then seek the Lord. Second, call on the Lord. "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies" (v. 11). That's prayer. Third, do the hardest thing of all--wait on the Lord. "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart" (v. 14). Believing is seeing. Trust the Lord today.

One of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life is waiting on God. It is especially difficult in the midst of trials. But that is when He builds your faith. Don't faint under your circumstances. Wait on the Lord, and He will strengthen you.

Author: Warren Wiersbe
Daily devotions courtesy of Devotions.org, a ministry of Back to the Bible.

I'M LEARNING TO BE THE LIGHT

When the stars came crashing down 
In tiny pieces to the ground 
I was all alone down here 
Trapped beneath the atmosphere 
Then I thought somebody called my name 
I spun around and caught a flame 
I gave into a God I didn't know 
And now everything is falling into place 
A brand new life is calling and I owe it all to grace 

It's so much brighter living in your world 
Savior, what you did for me 
You gave me something I want everyone to see 
When we struggle and it all goes wrong 
Only you can make it right 
I'm learning to be the light

When a heart is cold as ice 
You can't melt it with advice 
No one wants to listen to 
A list of things they shouldn't do 
So I build a city on a hill 
And I lit a candle on the sill 
Knowing you'll be always knocking at the door 
Oh God I just want to love on everyone 
All I have is yours to give so let the people come 

It's so much brighter living in your world 
Savor what you did for me 
You gave me something I want everyone to see 
When we struggle and it all goes wrong 
Only you can make it right 
that makes the shadows hide 
the light that breaks the curse of pride 
the light that takes the weary in it's arms 

When it all came crashing down 
There was only darkness all around 
But in the distance I could see 
A Flame 

It's So much brighter living in your world 
Savior what you did for me 
You gave me something I want everyone, I mean EVERYONE to see. 
When we struggle and it all goes wrong 
Only you can make it right:)

Newworldson I'm learning to be the light

Don't panic... Let the spirit lead you

I CRAVE COMMENTS...

Confessions of a believer...

It really began last night.  Out of nowhere, I just felt a surge of memories pouring in.  Memories I had inadvertently forgotten (or so it seemed) until that very moment.  I was caught off guard, and it broke my heart.   Only a few minutes into the surge of memories,  Justin approached me in the kitchen, and I began to shared my thoughts with him.  I wonder did he know it was coming?   Because I truly didn't have a clue.  I reminded him about what we were doing exactly one year ago while standing in the same spot (the kitchen) so he could really feel where my heart was.  That's when I stopped.  I felt a nudging in my heart to be quiet.  Filled with feelings that no words are big enough to describe is a perfect reason to cease the conversation.  Looking at the clock, I realized it was bedtime for Bay, whew!  I offered to read her bedtime stories tonight, no problem!  They kindly drove my mind away from the darkness...

After everyone was settled into their own beds, I was reminded of a lovely friend who was forced to say her final "goodbye" to her grandmother just the day before.  I couldn't get on my knees fast enough to pray for God to comfort her and their family and give them a certain peace that passes understanding.  As I was praying, another friend popped into my mind, she had lost her little sister to a motor vehicle accident only days before that.  I began to ask (beg) God to comfort and bless her family too.  Then a beloved sister in Christ dealing with strongholds came to mind, and more prayer requests kept coming to my mind and coming, I could go on and on, you get the point though.  My pain is real, and it hurts, but God reminded me of all the things going on right around me today and this week, He opened my heart to see that these are life's issues that every single human being will deal with.  I chose to take control over my thoughts and to remember the positive things rather than the heartaches.  God provided ME with a certain peace that passes all understanding during that very long prayer session.   When I was all out of words to pray, my sore knees crawled up into my sleeping spot and I slept.  Totally forgetting that the next day would mark one whole year living without Pappy and the 33rd year of my so called life...

Proverbs 3:5-6  
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

Negative thoughts can steal our joy but ONLY if we allow them to.

A piece of your purpose awaits...

"They tell me Lord, that when I pray,
Only one voice is heard;
That I’m dreaming,
You’re not there,
This whole thing is absurd.
Maybe they’re right, Lord,
Maybe they’re right.
Maybe there’s only one voice that’s heard.
But if there’s only one voice that’s heard,
Lord, it’s not mine, it’s your voice.
I’m not dreaming; you are the dreamer.
And I am your dream"


"PASS IT ON.
By Bob Heerspink on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:00          

The God of all comfort … comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble …
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

While visiting a church in Brazil, I had an opportunity to meet a woman who was worshiping there for the first time. She had come to Sao Paulo for cancer surgery—scared and afraid of what the future held. She didn’t know anyone in the city, but she reached out to others through a phone ministry run by our media staff. She came to faith in Christ, and now was attending worship for the first time. Later I heard that her cancer was in remission and she was involved in staffing the same phone ministry that helped in leading her to Christ.

Her experience mirrors our text from 2 Corinthians 1. Paul speaks honestly about suffering. The Christian faith does not give us an escape from the tough stuff of life. In fact, we are so connected with Jesus that the “sufferings of Christ” will become part of our own stories. But Paul explains that where suffering flows, there also the comfort of Christ overflows! This encouraging consolation comes from the Father—and once we’ve received it, we’re empowered to share it with others!

The amazing thing about the Christian life is that the more you share the comfort of God with others, the more it will bubble forth from your own heart.
With whom can you share God’s comfort today?
Prayer:
Lord, make us channels of your peace and comfort. Because we have received much, may we give freely, and so be prepared to receive even more. Amen."

The truth about Jesus...

Good Call!

A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means.
This is an obvious lie.
Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is...
A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness.
They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.
C. S. Lewis

From darkness to light

Once we had no delight in God, and Christ was just a vague historical figure. What we enjoyed was food and friendships and productivity and investments and vacations and hobbies and games and reading and shopping and sex and sports and art and TV and travel...but not God. He was an idea--even a good one--and a topic for discussion; but He was not a treasure of delight.

Then something miraculous happened. It was like the opening of eyes of the blind during the golden dawn. First, the stunned silence before the unspeakable beauty of holiness. Then the shock and terror that we had actually loved the darkness. Then the settling stillness of joy that this is the soul's end. The quest is over. We would give anything if we might be granted to live in the presence of this glory forever and ever. 

And then, faith--the confidence that Christ has made a way for me, a sinner to live in His glorious fellowship forever, the confidence that if I come to God through Christ, He will give me the desire of my heart to share His holiness and behold His glory. 

But before the confidence comes the craving. Before the decision comes the delight. Before trust comes the discovery of Treasure. 

John Piper, Desiring God

Let my love look like You and what You're made of!

This subject is so heavy on my heart right now. My prayer is that you'll seek what I have found, knowing that you can partake in true love (brought to you directly from it's original designer!)

A lesson I've learned the hard way is one about love.  See, typically we love those who are worthy of our love (meaning... Those who love us, treat us kindly, do good things, are honest etc.).  That makes sense, right?   Who could love a mean person who lies and does bad things?   Would you believe me if I told you God loves them?  Even more shocking perhaps, is that He calls us (His children who trust in Him) to love them too.  My first reaction was "That's not even possible, I've tried!".   Because I know God is faithful and true, I searched His word to learn more...  This is one of the verses that opened my eyes to understand: Luke 18:27 Jesus says "What is impossible with men is possible *with God."   Notice here how Jesus says "with God" rather than "for God"?   From my personal experience, I can honestly tell you that God can change your heart, but you're job is to be willing.  So, your willingness *with God's power to change you = a done deal! We are not capable of doing it ourselves, but He can do it for us!  I know it because He's done it for me.   

I love God and all of God's creation, which includes every person.  No, I don't always love their actions or deeds necessarily.   In fact, I hate evil.   And I hate when evil rules over people's lives.  But I love every  life God created and I pray that they choose to acknowledge their creator and turn from their sin (trusting Jesus as personal Lord & savior) so they can see the unconditional love He has for them!  

We were designed to love!  We search for love to fulfill the emptiness that exists without it.  Their will always be a counterfeit to sustain us temporarily (money, jewlery, companionship, new car, new home, promotion @ work).  We've all been fooled by love-counterfeit's, thinking these things will bring ultimate joy and happiness into our hearts.  At some point, reality sets in, and the truth is exposed.  Without true love, happiness and joy are not sincere.  God is love. He is where our love comes from!  And most importantly,  the only way we'll be able to comprehend true love, is  through Him:)   

God bless and protect each of you reading this...  I'm sending love from my home to yours!

At our family's lake house, the water whispers... "Serenity"

*SERINITY- The state of being calm, peaceful and untroubled.
*Biblically speaking concerning WATER- "But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. And Jesus heals a man that was blind from birth. He uses two forms of water. First he spit on the ground to make mud and then tells the man to go and take a bath. As he did this his sight returned." Isaiah 44: 1-3