Psalm 46:10 - "You Raise Me Up"

God is so awesome! When I was awake twice during the short six hours of sleep last night, I asked Him who I was to pray for. His response was the words to a song that blesses me in abundance...

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

What an awesome way to encourage me! Not just once did He give this to me but twice and then again when I got up! Wow, God! His strength is in me so I can be "...more than I can be." What does that mean? It means His supernatural empowerment is part of my DNA. Woo hoo! That is exciting to think about! These words will keep me going when I want to stop. The beginning of this song goes....

When I am down, and, oh, my soul, so weary
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me

Yes! "I am still and wait here in the silence..." Many times the 'silence' doesn't last long before He speaks to me. His words are so encouraging to me. The only thing I disagree with in the song is the last part of this section. He is always with me. I don't have to wait for Him to come to be with me. Although, sometimes He has to wait on me to come to Him.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder You gave me throughout the night and then this morning. Thank You for Your supernatural empowerment that gives me what I need to be...what You desire of me. Thank You for the opportunities You will put before me today to show Your love to others. Father, protect us today as we travel. I also pray for the physical ailments in our bodies to be healed in Your name. I pray for Your love to ooze out of us in such a way someone will desire it. Lord, not only be Rmy words and actions today but be my attitude. Give me more of You for me to give to others, including my husband. May my words be as sweet as honey with him today. Thank You for blessing me with him. Thank You for being My Supernatural Empowerment. Amen.

I Peter 4:12-13 - "The Secret Place"

I woke up this morning with these words going through my mind...

I'm running, I'm running
I'm running to the secret place

When I heard this song at Women's Getaway I was so blessed by it. I was in the middle of everything with my breast cancer. I had been diagnosed but had not started the radiation yet. I was confused, hurting both physically and emotionally. But the one thing I knew was who was going to get me through it. The only answer was God. He was my "secret place" where I could find rest. These last two weeks have been tough with Doc's BP issues, my back and then last night him with a kidney stone. I have to stay in my "secret place" if I am going to survive all of this spiritual warfare.

In the fading light when night is breaking
I know You will always be waiting
You'll always be there

There is no doubt in my mind that God is not going to leave me. He did not bring us to South Carolina to fail but rather to prosper. We have made headway for Him and will continue to do so. Why? Because I can sing to Him and know "You are my only hope, You are the Rock on which I stand, You will not let me go, I know that I am safe inside Your hands..." The inspiration for this song came from a dark time in Phil Wickham's life. He lost his voice and was facing surgery on his vocal chords. He wasn't sure he would ever sing again. God told him no matter what the outcome He would still love him. Phil trusted God and leaned on His strength as he went through surgery. God blessed him with being able to sing again. When I was faced with breast cancer, God told me to do the radiation and I did. He was with me every step of the way. He was with me when I cried with the rawness. He was with me when the schedule did not allow us to go to Ohio for the holidays. Disappointments in life are just that. Disappointments. But God loves us through disappointments. He is with me. Plain and simple. He loves me. I am His child. As I sat in the ER with Doc twice over the last couple of weeks His peace was with me. No matter what the outcome of the tests or the financial strain I knew He was in control. He takes care of us and blesses us. Once again, plain and simple, He loves us. Sometimes I think God wants to see just how deep our faith goes. He saw His son have a deep faith which took His obedience to the deepest level in His death of the cross. I know He desires my obedience to go deep. I also know the enemy wants to see my faith falter. The enemy will not win because God already won in my life! He is My Strength to get me through tough days.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this song this morning that reminded me just how much You love me. Thank You for the trying times that take my faith deeper. Lord, I pray for the day that is ahead. I pray for answers at Doc's appointment. I thank You for the way You continue to use us and bless us here in South Carolina. Fill me to overflowing with more of You throughout this day. I pray for all who see or hear me to know it is You. Thank You for being My Secret Place. Amen.

I Peter 4:11 - "Love Lifted Me"

I was awake several times during the night and each time these words were going through my mind...

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!

Amen! I love the second verse to this hymn where it says, "In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing"! It continues, "Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul's best songs, Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs." That is what life is all about...loving and living for Him. Life is not about how many years one has been in the church. It is not about how many times you've taught Sunday school or sang in the choir. Those are just things one does as a believer. But more importantly a life lived for Him is how many people you have brought to know the love of Jesus. Too many people get caught up in 'doing stuff' in the church when they are missing the boat as to what the Lord wants of us. I am thankful for those who brought my brother back into relationship with His Heavenly Father. It is strange to say but I am thankful for his cancer. If he would have never had cancer, he nor his family may have never came to the end of self and accepted Christ. Sometimes it takes 'bad things' to make us realize just how much we need the Lord. It is through the 'bad' that 'good' can happen. I know myself when I am going through tough times I draw closer to Him. These last few days have been tough ones yet I continue to lean on His strength. I know I won't turn from Him because I know He won't turn from me. He knows the outcome with Doc's health issues. He knows what is causing the pain in my physical body and my emotional body. He knows. Plain and simple. I do not have to fret or worry because He is taking care of things. It may not happen in the time I desire but it will happen in His time.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love! Thank You for accepting Gene into your loving arms! Thank You for knowledge that I do not have to fret or worry but instead can rest in You. Lord, I pray You will not allow my pain to distract from what You desire of me. Fill me to overflowing with more of You so people will see and hear You instead of me. I pray for physical strength as we have the children and teens tonight. I pray for wisdom with my physical body. Lord, I also pray for my family who are grieving over our loss. I pray for mending in relationships. Father, most of all I pray for all of my family to come into relationship with You. Lord, may I be a shining light for You in these dark days. Thank You Jesus for being My Strength. Amen.

James 1:2-4 - "Lean On"

Pain...no matter if it is physical or emotional can be crippling. I was clinging to James 1:2-4 yesterday as I prayed for my family with the loss of my brother, my physical pain in my back/hip and with Doc's physical issues. I was beginning to think I wasn't doing a very good job in being joyful when a friend wrote me these words which blessed me in abundance and enabled me to realize His joy once again.

"It is very hard when you get bombarded with so much. Remember, joyful isn't that you're bubbly on the outside, but that God's peace is inside you. God is carrying you through everything. He said when tough times come, that He will be on our right side to walk us through. It's not how much we can handle but if we'll hold His righteous right hand through it. Thank you Lord, for being with Doc and Sheila. Ease there pain and suffering, Lord and bring them through everything with tryump. AMEN. Love y'all!!!!"

This morning the pain is still in my physical and my emotional body yet I am at peace. I do not know why we are going through these things but the Lord does. I pray the tough times will lessen yet more importantly I pray for our spiritual strength to deepen during them. The words to "Lean On" were in my mind this morning...

You can lean on everlasting arms
When your strength fails and your faith is worn
You'll be safe here from all alarms
You can lean on everlasting arms

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for friends who carry me through the tough days with their prayers and words of encouragement. I am blessed with old friends in Ohio and new friends in South Carolina who strengthen me. Thank You for the day ahead. Father, I pray for wisdom on what to do with my physical pain. I also pray for You to be glorified through it. Lord, fill me to overflowing with You so I can endure this pain in the manor You desire. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace. Amen.

I Peter 2:4-5 - "Come Thou Fount"

I woke up to the words of an old hymn going through my mind...

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

I love this song and all of the meaning behind it! He is the fount or source of every blessing I receive. I pray every day for Him to open my eyes for opportunities He has for me so I can bless Him with my obedience. When He blesses me, I am blessed in return. I pray He will not only teach me what He desires me to learn but that He also will enable me to be led by the Holy Spirit to live out what I learn. I also pray for Him to show through the way I live. "I'll praise the Mount I'm fixed upon it..." Woo hoo! Yes! I will praise His Holy Name as I live a life grounded in Him. For a long time I sang but didn't know what the word 'Ebenezer' referred to and was blessed to find it means 'rock of help'! He has been my Rock of Help in the past and continues to be that each and every day. He protects me each and every day, sometimes even in ways I don't even know about. He protects me from temptation when the enemy comes knocking at my door. We, as human beings, are not God yet we have His supernatural empowerment available to us. When we live for Him in a life of holiness, we no longer have the desire to sin. I love the last part of this song...

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above


Woo hoo! Yes! We go the ways of the world when we are not living a sanctified life. The temptation to live a 'better' life on this earth will only pull us away from a life of eternity with our Lord. We must pray for Him to "take and seal" our heart in order to live in "Thy courts above"! 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminders of this song to praise You and to stay grounded in a holy life! It will be then, and only then, I will live with You for eternity. Oh how I pray for more people to come to the end of themselves and live a life of holiness. I pray for more people to not only come to know You but for them to come into full relationship with You. Father, You are so awesome in the way You bless me over and over again. Lord, not only do You know the things we are going through but You know the outcome. I do not have to fret over anything. I pray for physical strength as my body is so tired from yesterday. Waking up and feeling this way is not the way I would chose to start my day but You are in control. You will give me exactly what I need, when I need it. You know what is ahead in this day and for that I am grateful. I pray You will enable me to not be distracted and miss opportunities You have for me. I praise You Father for all the ways You take care of us. Thank You for being My Ebenezer! Amen.

I Peter 3:13-18; I Thessalonians 5:19;23 - "Testify"

After the third time of waking up with weird dreams and having the words to "Testify" going through my mind I began to wonder what the Lord was trying to tell me. I believe I must not be testifying enough. I do my best to share what the Lord has done for me to whoever will listen. I strive to live a life for Him 24/7, doing His will. But no matter how much I do or say there is always room for improvement. When the Lord called me to go deeper with Him, I was obedient. I didn't do it quite in the manner He desired so He stopped me physically so my complete attention could be on Him. The deeper I went, the more blessed I became. That is how it is in a relationship with Him. He desires us to become more like Him. He desires us to no longer have the desire to sin. I love the words to this song...

Wave after wave
As deep calls to deep
Oh, I'll reveal my mystery
As soon as you start to let go

Yes! We have to let go of self and the ways of the world in order to find what He wants for us. The 'mystery' of His love is embraced in a whole new way as we allow Him full control over every aspect of our life. We don't have control anyway but we sure like to think we do. Oh how I miss the days of being in church and hearing Chester testify of what God had done in his life. I loved hearing the stories of Grace waving her hankie and getting blessed. Sometimes I think I should have lived in a simpler time. A time where...

• it didn't matter how long the service went on Sunday as long as the Spirit led it
• church services were lively and people testified
• the music wasn't an issue because everyone was there to worship

But I must remember God has me in this time for a reason. When I get blessed, it might be a surprise to people but it is genuinely the Holy Spirit oozing out of me. I will not apologize nor will I stifle it because that would only hurt Him. Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:19 not to quench the Spirit. In verse 23 he tells us, "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again." There is a connection to these two verses. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us in order to be 'kept blameless.' That means if the Holy Spirit comes down on us and blesses us we need to allow Him. It means if He chooses to have us be blessed in the middle of a church service, we need to let it out. It doesn't mean we need to interrupt the service but it needs to be a part of the service. If He prompts us to testify, we better do it. It is up to Him to take care of people's attitudes, not us. He is the Only One we need to please. He doesn't care if a church service goes 'too long' or doesn't go the 'way it is suppose to' but instead He desires to see His Spirit have free reign. Oh how I pray for more of these type of services.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the reminders throughout the night of what You desire of me. Thank You for blessing me in abundance. Thank You for having me in this time, in this place even though I long for simpler times.The most important thing I long for is Your Holy Spirit residing in me.I ask for forgiveness for the times I have stifled Your Holy Spirit in a service. Lord, enable me to remember You are the Only One I need to please. I thank You for the opportunities You will give me today to share Your love. I thank You for the way You continue to give peace in the storms of life. Lord, You know the things laying heavy on my heart and You also know the outcome of these situations. Thank You I do not have to fret over them. I pray blessings over those who are hurting deeply today due to deaths. I pray Your peace will come down upon them in a whole new way. Thank You Jesus for being My Deep. Amen.

I Peter 3:8-9 - "Magnify"

I woke up this morning to these words from the song "Magnify" going through my head....

Take it all take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up open up my eyes
To you, To you...

Another part of this song goes...

God be greater than the worries in my life
Be stronger than the weakness in my mind
Be louder let your glory come alive
Be magnified, Be magnified...


Yes! No matter what happens during my day I want the Lord to be glorified. The desire in my heart is for Him to be glorified through my actions and my reactions. In I Peter 3 Peter gives clear direction on what our "job" is while on this earth and that is "to bless" others. When we do this, we will be blessed in return. Woo hoo! The greatest blessing we will receive in living a life of His love is that of eternal life. In order to receive this gift we must get to the end of ourselves and allow His Holy Spirit to work in and through us. The key to living this type of life is found in the words "Until you're all that's left" which are found in this song...

My sight is incomplete and I made you look small
I've been staring at my problems for way too long
Realign where my hope is set
Until you're all that's left

Yes! Nothing else in this world matters as much as He does. No matter if we are on top of the mountain or in the valley He is the key. Our actions and reactions will determine whether He will be magnified or glorified. People are watching to see how we handle the ups and downs of life but most importantly He is watching. His desire is to bless us. I imagine His heart hurts when we don't live out a life of holiness. I sure don't want to hurt Him after all He did and does for me. I want to "magnify" Him! Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for yesterday with the time You gave us to take a walk in the beauty of Your creation. Thank You for the fun times and the memories we made last night with the children and teens. Thank You for giving me strength for yesterday and rest last night. Thank You for the song my friend Sheryl sent to me that encouraged me greatly. Thank You for all of the messages of encouragement sent from many yesterday and the phone call from Crystal that made me feel better. Lord, You are so good at putting people in my life to encourage me and for that I am grateful. Father, I want to be a blessing to You by my actions and my reactions. I pray for more of You to ooze out of my words, actions and attitude so people will desire to have a life with You. I pray for people to go deeper in their walk with You to the point of living out a life of holiness. Father, You are truly the key to eternal life and oh how I pray for more people to accept You. Thank You Father for being My Key. Amen.

I Peter 3:4-7 - "Beloved"

I thought 'I want to be a Sarah' as I read the beginning of the third chapter of I Peter this morning. I don't want to have a child at an old age as she did but I do want to follow her example of how she loved her husband. Peter continues in verse four with direction for husbands to "Honor them, delight in them." As a wife, I need to show respect to my husband. I think of how my friends who have a non-believing husband struggle with the idea of showing respect to them. I pray for God to show them ways they might not have tried in the past. Matthew Henry writes:

There is nothing more powerful, next to the word of God, to win people, than a good conversation, and the careful discharge of relative duties. Irreligion and infidelity do not dissolve the bonds, nor dispense with the duties, of civil relations; the wife must discharge her duty to her own husband, though he obey not the word. He continues...A chaste conversation, attended with due and proper respect to every one, is an excellent means to win them to the faith of the gospel and obedience to the word.

I pray for Jesus to flow from their mouths so their husband can see Him in them. I pray that for myself. I want Doc to be uplifted by my words. I want him to know I support him not only through my actions but also through my words. In the beginning of this chapter there is direction given about beauty. Outward beauty is not what is important but instead it is "holy beauty" or inward beauty. If my soul is not taken care of, my husband will not be blessed. When Doc was ordained, Dr. Diehl prayed over me to have a "gentle and quiet spirit." I was teased afterward about that. But I do think the Lord has tamed my spirit down over the years. I would like to think I have the qualities Matthew Henry writes about...

Take care to adorn and beautify your souls rather than your bodies. The ornament prescribed. It must, in general, be something not corruptible, that beautifies the soul, that is, the graces and virtues of God’s Holy Spirit. The ornaments of the body are destroyed by the moth, and perish in the using; but the grace of God, the longer we wear it, the brighter and better it is. More especially, the finest ornament of Christian women is a meek and quiet spirit, a tractable easy temper of mind, void of passion, pride, and immoderate anger, discovering itself in a quiet obliging behaviour towards their husbands and families.

I like the idea that the longer we wear the grace of God, "the brighter and better it is." Woo hoo! Normally it doesn't get better in one's outward beauty as the gray hair comes on, the wrinkles start showing, etc. But when you think about what a lady who is living a life for Christ you see a glow about her instead of the wrinkles and gray hair. I desire for people to see His glow in me instead of the imperfections of my physical body. I think of how pregnant women have a glow about them. They have new life growing inside of them. When we have new life in us, we will glow too.

Today is a tough day for many with all of the celebration that happens around Valentine's Day. I pray for...

• ones who are lonely due to the death of their spouse
• ones who are hurting due to a separation or divorce
• ones who have been abused by their spouse and feeling unloved
• children who will go to school and hear what other children received from their parents while knowing they will receive nothing, not even love
• singles who have never had the true love of another

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the time we took yesterday to enjoy lunch and a walk at the waterfront park. Thank You for my husband. I continue to trust in You with his physical issues. I pray for a timely response from the cardiologist for the stress test. Thank You for continuing to encourage him. Lord, adorn me with more of Your grace so I will glow with You. I pray for more of You to fill me to overflowing so You will ooze out of me. May Your words, actions and attitude ooze out of me today in a way people will know it is You. Thank You Jesus for being My Beauty Maker. Amen.

James 1:2-4 - "Oceans"

Yesterday as I sat in the ER seeing my honey hooked up to the heart monitor I thought of James 1:2-4. We've been in this situation before with chest pains and the same result has happened each time with no heart attack shown. I had peace the same result would happen again. I also asked God 'Why' we were going through this. Another question I had for Him was 'Would You please reveal something through this?' Then I got to thinking about that question. I was asking Him to reveal something through medical testing/doctors but maybe I needed to ask Him to reveal something in our spiritual lives. It seems like since we came to South Carolina we have been hit from every angle in our physical bodies. Actually, that is not true. My MS has not went crazy since coming here which is a miracle in itself. But the female issues and surgery, then the breast cancer in me, along with Doc passing some kidney stones and now blood pressure and sugar issues. There has been so much in eight months. We have felt under attack. It very well could be spiritual warfare. Satan does not like what God is doing in and through us. He is fighting our efforts over and over. We have seen his effects over and over since coming to Beaufort. We have seen people come so close to God and then get sucked back into the ways of the world. There have been some who have accepted Him into their lives only to begin to doubt they can live a life for Him. It has been hard in not making more progress for the Lord than we thought we would. Obstacles have come in the way over and over to things we have prayed about and felt led to do in the Lord's strength. The fight is real but the thing we continue to rely on is our faith. These trials, whether from the Lord or from the enemy, have and will continue to increase our faith. The enemy cannot stop us and the Lord will continue to be our strength. Our physical bodies have been attacked. Our financial bodies have dwindled. Our emotional bodies have been compromised. But our spiritual bodies are stronger today than a year ago. It was a year ago this month we visited this area and God confirmed we were to move here. During our time sitting by the waterfront I knew this was going to be our new home. I wasn't sure how it would happen or how I would ever leave my family but I did know God would take care of every aspect of our lives and He did. I also started praying then for the people of the Beaufort Church to love on us through the transition. I prayed for wherever God gave us to live. I prayed for new neighbors to be open to Him through us. I prayed for the ability to plant seeds in this area that would grow into beautiful lives for Him. Through these tough days there have been days of discouragement. There have been days of feeling alone. There have been days of wishing I could be with family through tough situations they are going through. But through all of the tough days there has been many days of joy. Seeing people accept the Lord rates up there with being the most joyful of days. Having my last day of radiation brought lots of joy. Making new friends who love on me greatly brings me joy. Realizing the enemy doesn't like what we are doing brings me joy too. I know I am doing God's will and the enemy is mad. Ephesians 6:12 reads, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The enemy is working overtime. He is deceiving people into thinking they can't live a life for Christ. He continues to tempt people in thinking the ways of the world are better than God's ways. He continues to make people feel guilty of their past life. Even though he continues to do all of these things he won't win in our lives. He can't get us in our lives so he is attacking those in our influence. God is our strength. We trust in Him. We know no matter what comes our way He is the One who will get us through. He will use the trials put before us to strengthen us. Woo hoo! I was amazed as I sat yesterday and thought about the other times we went through this with Doc. I was a basket case. The very first time I just about lost it with worry. This time was so different. Yes, I was concerned but I didn't fret. I was at peace. I knew whatever was happening the Lord would see us through. This morning as I call the doctor the Lord is with me. He is my Peace. He already knows the outcome. Woo hoo! Would I like answers from the doctor? Yes! Will we get answers from him? Maybe. Maybe not. But no matter what God is still in control. He will guide us down the path He has chosen for us. He will be our Strength no matter what. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the peace You have given me in this situation with Doc. Thank You for way You continue to give me peace with being away from family. Thank You for loving on me through times of hurt in my emotional body. Lord, You are so wonderful in the ways You show Your love to me. I am so grateful for who You are in my life. Father, would You fill me to overflowing with more of You today so people will see and hear You through me? Would You knock the enemy down in some people's lives today who are near and dear to me? Would You give peace to those who need it so badly? Father, I pray for You to be glorified through my words, actions and attitude today. I pray for those who don't know You to find You through me today. Lord, thank You for being My Joy. Amen.

I Peter 2:23-25 - "My Victory"

The song "My Victory" was going through my head all day yesterday, throughout the night and then again this morning.

Behold the lamb of God
Who takes away our sin
The holy Lamb of God
Makes us alive again

These words say it all. They describe the life God desires of us to live. His desire is for a repented heart in all of us. He desires that we live for Him each and every day of our life. When we do these two things, we will receive victory! Woo hoo! That is the goal of my life! I love the way Peter describes the life we are to live in I Peter 2:21-25. Specifically in verse 23 where it reads, "He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right." Those words speak volumes. When Jesus saw sin, He did not have to make it right Himself because He knew His Heavenly Father would take care of things. If we are to be Christ-like, then we need to have the same attitude. Ouch! We cannot fix everyone's problems nor should we try. We are not going to be able to make everything right nor should we try. Instead we need to allow God to take care of things. We must remember He takes care of every little detail. The verse prior to this says, "They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back." Wow! Jesus, in human form, did this. We, in human form, can do the same when we allow the Holy Spirit to reside in us and work through us. When people say hurtful things or do hurtful things to us, our response needs to be whatever the Holy Spirit tells us to do or say. Sometimes that means being silent while other times it means speaking up. We must ask Him for His direction. If we don't, He will not be glorified through us. In the NIV it tells us He died for us so we can "live for righteousness" (vs. 24). In The Message it reads, "to live the right way." Yes! Living a life of righteousness...a life of holiness...the right way...however you want to say it, it IS the way to live.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this song and Scripture that remind me there are times I need to stay silent. You know the situation I have been hurt over. You know I have been contemplating saying something to the individual. I am so thankful You brought this to me so I will be silent.I thank You for the direction You give me each and every day. I thank You for the example Jesus gave while on this earth on how to live. Lord, fill me to overflowing with more of You so You will be glorified through me. I pray people will see and hear You instead of me today. Bless my efforts throughout this day. Thank You for being My Victory! Amen.

I Peter 2:21-25 - "Live Like You're Loved"

Yesterday was one of those days full of so many emotions. By the end of the day I was so exhausted I climbed into bed at 8:00. I had picked up a take-n-bake pizza and put it in the oven before crashing. Doc brought me some when it was done so I didn't even have to get back up. I received a phone call about my dear friend being in her last hours yesterday morning. Oh the memories I have of spending time with her whether on the phone, through chat or in person. With living on two different sides of Ohio we didn't get together much in person but when we did we had fun times! She was more than my friend but was also my mentor. I knew she was there for me to ask questions, voice concerns and to be encouraged to keep going when things got tough. She was my cheerleader when I would get discouraged about getting a 'B' in a class. She was my prayer warrior during my MS exasperations and my diagnosis with 'C'. She was always there for me just as she was always there for so many others. My heart breaks for her honey today as he wakes up for the very first time with her not on this earth with him. My heart breaks for her children and grandchildren who she dearly loved. My heart breaks for her church family who she loved to pastor. My heart breaks for everyone she touched. The angels are rejoicing yet those left here on earth are in pain. I pray her death will be a wake-up call to those who are not living in relationship with the Lord. I pray those who don't know Him will come to know Him. I pray for those who know Him but continue to not live a life of holiness will come to the end of themselves and realize what they need to do. Peter gives clear direction on how we are to live in 2:21-24. God calls us to follow Christ's example. We do not have to sin but instead can choose a life of holiness. It does not mean we won't sin but does mean we will no longer have the desire to sin. He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. We need to follow Him as He desires so He can be the "Guardian of your souls." Deborah not only accepted Him into her life but she chose to die to self and live a life of holiness. Because of that she is no longer suffering with disease today on this earth but rejoicing with a new body in heaven. Part of me is jealous but I know my work on this earth is not done. There are still people I need to love on with Jesus' love and I pray I will never get distracted to the point of not hearing Him when He gives me opportunities to do so. I will never forget Deborah's words at the end of my assessment. "Lady, I am so proud of you and can hardly wait to see you walk down the aisle for ordination." Even though she won't be here when that time comes I pray I will continue to live a life that she would be proud of. Most importantly I pray I live a life the Lord is proud of.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for yesterday! Thank You for my dear mentor Deborah who I will miss greatly. As I prayed for her throughout the day yesterday I kept praying for 'mercy' and 'a miracle'. I believe she received both and I thank You for that. I pray for Sam and her family today. I pray You will be so real to them. Lord, enable me today to see the opportunities You give me to love with Your love. Bless my efforts in a mighty way. Thank You for my friend Debbie who publicly thanked me yesterday for the way I live in You. Thank You for my neighbors who came over to celebrate Amy's birthday yesterday. Thank You for Tiffany who blessed me in abundance with "you have such a servant's heart" as she was leaving from our gathering. Thank You for our fun time with friends and our dogs last evening. Lord, You encourage me greatly through people and I thank You for that. It is words such as these that keep me going on the road You have set-out for me. Lord, enable me to be You today to those I meet and/or talk with. Open my eyes to those who need to hear words of encouragement themselves. You care for me so greatly just as a shepherd cares for his sheep and I am so grateful for that. Thank You Lord for being My Great Shepherd. Amen.

I Peter 2:11 - "Home"

Last night on my way to Bible study I heard the song "Home" that Chris Tomlin sings. I was so blessed with these words...

Every tear will be wiped away
Every sorrow and sin erased
We'll dance on seas of amazing grace
In heaven

Woo hoo! I can only imagine what heaven will be like but I am so excited that I will be dancing in heaven! I am excited that there won't be anyone with their arms crossed during worship because worship will be 24/7 and I believe everyone will hear the music they can worship to! There will be some who hear hymns, some contemporary, some rap, some hard rock, some country, etc. The part that goes "Where the streets are golden, Every chain is broken" is what I picture. People will love with Jesus' love instead of getting hung up on ways of this world. I love the words of I Peter 2:11...so, so true. For those who believe and live a relationship with the Lord this world is not our final home. We are only here for a 'short' time. Our 'job' while here is to introduce as many people as possible to a relationship with Him. But it doesn't stop there. We need to lead them down the path of living a life for Him. A '24/7' type of life. A life where they can hear His voice. There is no better place to live  than there.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for bringing me this song and Scripture. Thank You, Father, for being with me 24/7. Father, I pray for more of You to fill me to overflowing so Your love oozes out of me. I pray for more opportunities to be You. I pray for You to be so real to me that there is no doubt it is Your voice I hear. Oh my! I am so excited to be dancing in heaven! Woo hoo! Father, be with me during this 'short' time on earth in a mighty way! Thank You Jesus for being My '24/7'! Amen.

I Peter 2:1-3 - "The More I Seek You"

Peter's words at the beginning of I Peter 2 are strong. In fact, if he were living today and said these words he would be ridiculed. People would tell him he didn't understand their circumstances or live in their shoes. But his point is we need to let go of the way we use to live when we begin our journey with the Lord. Not only that but we also must seek to go deeper in our walk. I was watching Baby Everly the other day as she was crying for her Momma to feed her. Once she latched on she was quite content and ate hungrily. Her Momma said she shouldn't be hungry yet but she sure did take it and eat! That is exactly how we need to be with the Lord. It will be then, and only then, we will go deeper and receive a greater faith. As I read these verses I thought about how new believers tend to be like this. They are excited and want to know all there is to know about the Lord. Many times they go to church every time the door is opened. They surround themselves around other believers. But then as time goes on the excitement dwindles and other things become more important than going to church. Instead of reading their Bible, doing devotions, praying, etc. there are things such as shopping, sports events, getting together with friends, etc. that take the place of worship with their church family. It is sad to see so many people taking the road of the world instead of God's way. Many try to justify it by saying things like "it's my only day off" or "my children need to have some fun." If they could see in the future as to how their decisions would effect their family, they would think twice. God never turns us away. He never says, "I don't have time for you." The desire of His heart is that we live in His presence, 24/7. I pray for more people to be open to this type of relationship. I pray for people who have been in the church for years to become excited about church. I sometimes dread going to church because of people's attitudes that the enemy tries to pull me down through. But once I pray for the Lord to put blinders on my eyes to them I realize they are not why I am there. I go to church because I know that is what the Lord desires of me and He will bless me through it. As a worship leader it is hard to see people who choose to not participate in worship. Many times I close my eyes so I will not allow their actions to be a distraction to my worship. Yes I am there to lead people into worship but most of all I am there to worship Him. The desire of my heart is to be like how Baby Everly is at the breast...hungry and desiring more. I want to drink in as much as I possibly can of the Lord and what He has for me. It is then, and only then, He will fill me to overflowing with Himself.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for last night with the new kids who came for activities. Thank You for the strength You provided to me to enjoy the evening. Lord, I pray they saw You in me. I pray they will desire to come back next week to learn more about You. Father, I also pray they will learn what a 24/7 life is all about through me. I pray for those who have been believers for years to learn that too. Father, fill me to overflowing so people will see You in me. Today I am praying for my NCO family. I pray for the pastors and churches, the people who are going through physical ailments, the leadership...most of all I pray they will find a life of holy living. I pray the same for my SC district family. Lord, You have blessed me with opening up my world with new people. I thank You for that. I thank You for each and every person You have introduced me to since this move. Bless my efforts as I live Your will. Thank You Jesus for being My Milk. Amen.

I Peter 2:9-10 - "It's Your Life"

Sometimes dreams seem so real. When you wake up and think them through you wonder if the Lord is telling you something. Last night I dreamt about a young man who I watched grow up in a tough family situation. He was ornery at times but he was a 'good' boy. In recent years as a young man he has started living in the path of his father. My heart breaks for the Momma who is watching one of her sons get in trouble with the law. From this dream I started thinking about if there were something we could have done different to influence this young man. We had chances with him and showed him Jesus through our words and actions yet he still is taking the road of the enemy. Did we fail? What could we have done differently? There were times when his father tried to get away from the addiction but the enemy had a such a hold on him. How could we have made a difference in his life? What could we have done to knock the enemy down in him? It is hard to see such situations and I know there will be more times of feeling like we are failures. But I also know people all have a choice to make. They can either choose God or choose to allow the enemy to play havoc in their life. Sometimes prayer is the only thing we can do for them. It cannot be the last resort but it can be the only thing to do. My heart is heavy this morning as I think back on my dream. This young man was reaching out and wanted to talk. I tried to make it happen but people got in the way. This morning I wondered if that truly happen at some point in time when we were still in Willard. Did he try to reach out to me and it didn't work? Oh how I hope not. I hope I didn't miss an opportunity to be Jesus to him. In my dream as he walked away he had tears. What a heart breaking experience. Was the Lord showing me of something yet to come or was He showing me of a time I failed? No matter what, I know I need to be more aware of people and their situations. The words to "It's Your Life" come to my mind again this morning...

To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way

Yes! This is exactly what I want for my life! I want to seize every opportunity He gives me to be Him to people. I want to be a beacon of light for Him that shines! I think about a lighthouse that enables people to find their way. He is My Lighthouse and I want to follow His example. He has called me to be His servant. He has called me to love with His love. Woo hoo! The past is just that. Today is a new day where I need to be aware of the opportunities He has for me to be Christ-like. I need to be aware of situations people are in and show them how to live in His Spirit. He is the Only Way anyone will live for eternity with Him.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the way You woke me at 3AM with a word for a brother in Christ. Thank You for the way You gave me this dream to show me to be more intentional in seeing people's situations. Father, I do pray for the young man in my dream. I pray his eyes and heart would be opened back up to You. He knows You yet is not living for You. I pray for someone to be put into His path who will wake him up to the road of destruction he is on. Lord, I also pray for You to be more in me....more in my words...more in my actions...more in my attitude. Speak through me so people will have no doubt You are the One speaking. Thank You Jesus for showing me the way and being My Lighthouse. Amen.

I Peter 2:13-17 - "It's Your Life"

I woke up during the night and then again this morning with a song Francesca Battistelli wrote and sings...

It's your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It's an open door
It's your life

As I was singing these words, the Lord reminded me of yesterday's sermon. I find it interesting the subject was also discussed in the adult Sunday School class. I wonder if the ones in that class and then in the service thought about how the Lord was evidently trying to get His point across. That seems to happen so often and when it does it assures the pastor what he is delivering truly is what the Lord desires. We all have a choice every day to live in His will or live in the flesh. Throughout our days we can made decisions based upon the desires of His heart or what we ourselves desire. As one lives in His Spirit those desires become the same but as long as we are living in the flesh they are many times at opposite ends of the spectrum. Especially when it comes to loving others. It is not easy to love others who believe differently than you, especially when you are not living in the Spirit. It is easier to get mad when someone voices an opinion other than yours. How you react to such circumstances shows where you are in your walk with the Lord. As the song goes, "Every day the choices you make say what you and who your heart beats for..." I desire for people to see Jesus living in and through me. I sure do not want people seeing hatred come out of my words, actions or attitude. People who are around you often know which buttons to push to get you upset. That's why it is so important to stay 'prayed up' as my friend Chester use to say. The words of the Apostle Peter in the second chapter of I Peter are ones people today do not want to listen to. They are words people will pick and chose what they want to claim to follow and what they want to discard. They are words believers will argue with. They are as applicable today as they were when they were written. This whole political mess is dividing believers and that is the biggest shame I think I have ever lived through. When Peter said "Respect the authorities" he was not saying to only respect those you like or have the same beliefs as you do. When Peter wrote "Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family" he was not meaning only those you like. When he wrote "Revere God" and "Respect the government" he didn't mean only when things are going your way. These are words that need to be followed each and every day of our lives. It is definitely not easy in the flesh but it is possible when living in His Spirit. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminders from yesterday's sermon and from this song today. Thank You for enabling each and every one of us to live in Your Spirit. It takes dying to self every day to live in this way. Father, I pray for the pastor and his family who resigned yesterday. I pray for them to rely upon You during these days of the unknown. Enable them to hear You in a whole new way. I also pray for that church as they go through some tough days. Lord, You had me praying for two pastor's wives during the night who are dealing with cancer. I pray they will have the support of their church family throughout these difficult days. I pray for their church family to love on them even more than they already do. I know what it is like to be so far away from family and deal with C. Lord, I pray for more of You to show through my words, actions and attitude. I pray for those who know what buttons to push in me to cause me to react in a manner not pleasing to You. I don't want remembered for having a bad attitude toward someone. Thank You for my friend Sharon who texted me these words yesterday, "the pastor said this morning don't pray for faith...pray for opportunities to use your faith...and as soon as he said it I thought of you." Those are the kinds of things I want remembered for! I pray for those in this world who are dealing with pain in their emotional body which is causing them to lash out to people. I pray for those who are under conviction and need to take the final step toward You. Father, You are so awesome in the way You love on us. I praise Your Holy Name for the way You provide us with exactly what we need, when we need it. Lord, today is a new day. The week ahead is full but I do not want any distractions from anything You desire of me to do. Fill me to overflowing with more of You so You show through in every aspect of my life. Fill my emotional tank as it gets depleted. Fill my physical tank with more energy so I don't focus on what is not there. But most of all fill my spiritual tank so You show through. Thank You Jesus for being My Filler. Amen.

I Peter 1:24 - "Word of God"

The Prophet Isaiah is quoted in I Peter 1:24 about how God's Word is not like grass and flowers that die but instead it "goes on and on forever." That tells us that we can depend upon His Word. It will never change. Men may change it to read as they desire but the meaning of The Word never changes. It does not matter which translation you read, the meaning is still the same. Previously in this chapter Peter wrote about the importance of living a holy life. Part of that kind of living is loving others. In fact, he writes in verses twenty-two and twenty-three, "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified our souls" then, and only then, can we have "a sincere love for the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart," (NASB). These verses show the only way to love with Jesus' love is through obedience. We cannot love with His love through our flesh. Many try but it just doesn't work. Loving through our flesh will only bring failure because it is not True Love. I desire to not only believe in Christ but to follow His example by loving everyone. John 3:36 tells us that believing and obedience go hand-in-hand. If we obey Him and live a holy life, the evidence will be the love we show to all people. Not just those we like. Not just those who are nice to us. Not just those who believe as we do. But all. Plain and simple. I remember telling my boys when they were growing up, "You don't have to like everyone but you do have to love everyone with Jesus' love." This is key when we desire to be Christ-like. I am sure He didn't like the things people did or said but He didn't quit loving them. I remember growing up being told "you are to hate the sin but not the sinner" when it came to things people were doing blatantly against God's Word. I personally don't like the word 'hate' but there sure are a lot of people who show that emotion toward others. That saddens me. It breaks my heart to see believers who show hate toward others. It seems in today's society we are seeing more and more of this happening. That shows we are in the last days before Jesus returns. I'm afraid there will be many surprised He does not come back for them. If we aren't living the way His Word directs us to, we can't expect to live with Him for eternity. We must die to self each and every day and live as He desires. Then, and only then, will He return for us. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the blessing of Your Word. Thank You for the way You reveal things through it. Thank You for the example You give to us on how we are to live. Thank You for the desire in my heart to be Christ-like. Father, today I pray for my attitude to be Your attitude. I know You do not like seeing believers not living out Your love and neither do I. But I also know I must love them if I am being obedient to Your Word. Father, enable me to keep my mouth shut when it is not for Your glory. I pray You will give me opportunity to love on people in a whole new way today. Thank You for the words of Isaiah that remind me that Your Word will never die but will live forever. I pray for all pastors who are going into the pulpit this morning to preach Your Word without deviating from its true meaning. I also pray for those hearing His Word to accept it and live it out in their life. Thank You for being My Example. Amen.

I Peter 1:18 - "Through All of It"

In the first chapter of I Peter there are some plain and simple ways given as to how we are to live on this earth in order to spend eternity with the Lord. I love verse eighteen in The Message! We must have a 'deep consciousness of God' if we are going to spend eternity with Him. It is only by His blood that we are even here! Matthew Henry writes...

The consideration of our redemption ought to be a constant and powerful inducement to holiness, and the fear of God. He continues, God expects that a Christian should live answerably to what he knows, and therefore we have great need to be put in mind of what we already know, Ps. 39:4.

We must never forget the sacrifice Jesus made with His life in order for us to live. No matter what we go through on this earth, no matter what we suffer through, no matter what happens with others fighting against us...He is Our Constant. I love the words to "Through All of It" that Colton Dixon sings...

Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it
Through all of it

Yes! There are valleys and there are mountain tops in life on this earth. But when we allow His Holy Spirit to live in us and work through us it doesn't matter if we are in the valley or on the mountain top. He is with us no matter where we are. His love is constant when we allow it to be. I am responsible for loving with His love in the same manner He loves me. Unconditionally. That means even when people don't treat me nicely or say nasty things to me. That means even when people have a different opinion on a subject in life than I have. It also means I need to stand firm in what His Word tells me and in loving with His love. I like something I heard Dr. Porter speak on a few weeks ago. "Love never fails." Plain and simple yet many believers seem to have forgot this passage in I Corinthians 13. Many are allowing the ways of the world to take over their spirits instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to flow from them. My heart breaks for the division with believers over the politics of today. Many of the things that people are divided over are very clearly stated in His Word. Unfortunately, people twist His Word and justify it to being what they want it to say. It is in black and white with no gray areas that we are to love one another. Oh how I pray for believers to realize this great command is not bendable. Many are making great progress in the way others see Jesus but unfortunately it is not in a positive manner. My heart breaks. I will continue to love with Jesus' love. It is hard though with brothers and sisters who are causing damage in their witness.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for yesterday and the fun we had with Baby Jace! What a blessing You gave us! I also want to thank You for my wonderful husband who is such a blessing to me! Lord, I pray for a healing in his body, boldness in his speech as he preaches tomorrow and a deepening in his walk with You. I thank You that Your love oozes out of him. I thank You for the way You enable him to recollect Your Word when asked Biblical questions. Lord, bless him and Jim today as they are at the Men's Event. Father, I also pray for more of You to ooze out of me. I pray You will be my words, my actions and my attitude throughout this day. I pray You will enable me to love even those that know You yet are living without showing Your love to others. Maybe I shouldn't but I hold them to a higher standard than those who are not in relationship with You. It hurts me to see people blatantly not following Your Word even though they say they do. Father, open their eyes to the Truth the enemy has hidden from them. Thank You Jesus for being My Constant! Amen.