II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 3 - "Surrounded"

This morning the Lord took me to Psalm 3. As I read it in different translations I settled in The Passion Translation. David wrote this Psalm when he had to flee from the attacks of his son. It is a Psalm that encourages us to "keep on keepin' on" through 'tough' days. It encourages us to run to God and not away from Him. He is always there for us, ready to fight our battles. It reads:

The Humbling of a King

1 Lord, I have so many enemies, so many who are against me.
2 Listen to how they whisper their slander against me, saying:
“Look! He’s hopeless! Even God can’t save him from this!”
Pause in his presence

The Help of God

3 But in the depths of my heart I truly know
that you, Yahweh, have become my Shield;
You take me and surround me with yourself.
Your glory covers me continually.
You lift high my head when I bow low in shame.
4 I have cried out to you, Yahweh, from your holy presence.
You send me a Father’s help.
Pause in his presence

The Song of Safety

5 So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby—
then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory.
6 Even though dark powers prowl around me,
I won’t be afraid.

The Secret of Strength

7 I simply cry out to you:
“Rise up and help me, Lord! Come and save me!”
And you will slap them in the face,
breaking the power of their words to harm me.
8 My true hero comes to my rescue,
for the Lord alone is my Savior.
What a feast of favor and bliss he gives his people!
Pause in his presence

Yes! I love how David realized the importance to Pause in his presence. That is key for every day of our life but especially when we are going through battles. Last night in Bible study we were reminded that when we are talking we cannot be listening. This is especially important to remember when praying. We cannot hear what God has to say if we are speaking ourselves. We need to Pause in his presence just as David did. First, we need to be in relationship with Him where we can hear Him. Second, we need to listen to Him. Third, we need to walk in obedience to Him. It may not be the easiest way to live in the beginning but it doesn't take long before it becomes a way of life. It is the best way to live. David shares in Psalm 3 God is our help, our safety, and our strength. He desires to be all He can be for us. We just have to desire to allow Him to be all these things.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the reminders from this song and Psalm 3 this morning! Thank You for fighting my battles every day! Thank You for being who You desire to be in my life! Thank You for not only listening to my prayers but speaking to me! Father, I know the only way this happens is through Your cleansing of my spirit. May You cleanse me so You can fill me with more of You. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. May You be my help, safety, and strength in a new, different way. May You empower me to be who You desire me to be. Father, I pray for Doc to hear from You for his sermon. I pray You will strengthen his physical body today. I continue to pray for a healing for him. Lord, I pray for many for physical healing but most of all I pray for spiritual healing in their souls. I pray for many who are fighting battles to realize the battles are not there's but yours. All they have to do is allow You to fight them. I pray for people to not just pray to You but to listen to Your response. I pray they will not just hear You but will desire to walk in obedience to You. Lord, there are so many people in my little world who are in relationship with You yet they truly do not know You. I pray they will let go of the 'control' they believe they have and allow You free reign of their lives. I pray for a deeper walk with You myself. Take my faith to a new level, Lord. Whatever it takes. Strengthen my spiritual soul and ooze out of me more than ever before. Empower me to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 more. Thank You Jesus for being My True Hero! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Ecclesiastes 3 - "Yes, I Will"

At 12:37AM the Lord woke me to pray for Steve and Peggy. She is getting closer to taking her last breathe on this earth. Her and her family are going through tough days. There are bittersweet emotions happening. When you know someone is a believer, it is easier to accept their death because you know it is not 'goodbye' but 'see you soon.' You are grateful they are no longer suffering but yet there is a void in your heart when they leave. My heart goes out to those who are going through such days. This week Kathy with the loss of her sister and Kenny with the loss of his father. In the last few months Jim, Shirley, and Renee have lost spouses. Many others have lost family members. Death is as much a part of life as birth. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is A time to be born, and a time to die...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance... These times are all part of life. They can also be 'tough' times. We have a choice to make when going through such times. We can either lean harder into the Lord and allow Him to deepen our faith or we can turn from Him. My prayer is for all to lean more into Him. When we lean more into Him, we receive His peace and His strength in an explainable way. I remember when my Daddy died I was saddened to know I would never hear His voice again nor would I ever have another hug from him. But in the midst of sadness there was a peace in knowing where he was going and there he would have a new body. When we are faced with a loved one with cancer, there are many thoughts that go through our mind. Will they die from this? Will God heal them while they are on this earth? How long will they be with me? How will I live without them? The list goes on and on. When the diagnosis is first learned, there are many emotions that come crashing down upon you. It takes awhile for God to help you sort them out. It is an emotional roller coaster throughout such a diagnosis. Sadness, anger, anticipation, joy, peace, fear, etc. But no matter what emotion that is experienced it is important to remember God is always with you no matter what. I don't like seeing Doc suffer from the effects of chemo. I don't want him to die. I continue to pray for a miraculous healing in his body. I will never give up praying for that to happen. But I don't know God's plan. I don't know if or when he will be healed. I don't know if he will be healed on this earth or through death. But I do know I will continue to pray for him to not die. Some may say that is a selfish prayer and maybe it is. Some may say I need to be stronger in my faith and believe God will heal him on this earth. I desire to go deeper in my faith and I know trials will take me there. I also desire to live with God directing my life and I know the only way for that to happen is to walk in obedience. I do not have anything to fear because the Holy Spirit is my Guide. No matter what happens in life, He is with me. I will continue to stand on II Timothy 1:7 and live in His love. I will not be fearful of the future but instead live with Hope. No matter how many days we have left on this earth each day needs lived to its fullest. None of us ever know when our last breathe will be taken. None know when our last word will be spoken. None know when the last chance to show God's love will be. Therefore, we need to make the most of every opportunity put before us. We need to make amends with those we are at odds with; love everyone with His love; make sure we are prayed up; and have our affairs in order so we don't leave a mess for our loved ones. When one is faced with a diagnosis that could be life threatening, it makes you realize time is short on this earth. But everyone should realize that even if they do not have such a diagnosis. The two ladies killed this week in a car accident did not know they would be leaving this earth. The couple last week with the baby born who lived only a couple hours did not know they would not be taking their baby home. We just never know. 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the privilege to pray for Peggy and Steve during the night. May You continue to be Steve's strength. Thank You for the privilege to pray for many who have lost loved ones. Kathy; Kenny; Jim; Shirley; Renee; Debbie; Joey; the family of the two ladies in the car accident; the family of the newborn last week; Kristen with the sudden death of her niece; and Gay's family as today is the anniversary of Little Joey's death. Thank You for the reminder that we never know when our last breathe on this earth will be. Father, I pray for Doc to have a healing on this earth. I pray for him to have a better day today. Thank You for the strength You provided him to drive the van and teach the teens last night. Lord, thank You for the strength You provided me in my emotional being as I dealt with the MS tingling in my face and head all day yesterday. I pray the same for today as it continues. Thank You for the answers to prayers with the lady with a lump in her breast getting the results of no cancer and Little Richie's tests showing no cancer. Lord, continue to be with all who are struggling with disease in their physical bodies to lean more into You. I pray You will cleanse me so You can fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, and attitude today in a new, different way. May You direct me to those who You desire me to love on with Your love and may I follow that direction with an obedient heart. Thank You Jesus for being My Hope! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Eph 2:1-10; Phil 4:13; Romans 8:28 - "Potter's Hands"

I woke up thinking about my sermon from Sunday. I love how God uses my sermon prep to bring something before me that I need to be reminded of. The sermons He gives me are just as much for me as they are for others. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-10 about how we are God's workmanship. Verse ten reads in The Living Testament:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

In The Passion Translation reads:

We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!

I love the idea that we are "His poetry"! That makes me feel think about how a poet takes time to write a poem with making every word perfect. God took time to create us making us perfect in His image. In the beginning of the chapter we read how God brings people out of death and re-creates them when they come into relationship with Him. We no longer have to live participating in the ‘junk’ of this world when we allow Him to ‘re-create’ us! Praise His Holy Name! I dug into the word 'poetry' and found in Greek the word is poiema. It means 'something made' and in context is something made by God Himself. As a new creation skillfully and artfully created in Christ, we are given a new life. Part of this new life includes supernatural attributes. When we accept Christ into our hearts, we are made anew. When we allow His Holy Spirit to have free reign of our life, He blesses us with supernatural power. I have seen healing in people's physical bodies, emotional bodies, and most of all spiritual bodies through the Holy Spirit. This makes us not just be 'His poetry' but 'His divine poetry'! Woo hoo! Gordon wrote, "Each of our lives is the papyrus on which the Master is producing a work of art that will fill the everlasting ages with His praise." That is the desire of my heart. I want to "fill the everlasting ages with His praise." We all are God's masterpiece...His poem...His work of art! As we believe this, our life changes. We begin to understand our incredible value in Christ. C.S. Lewis said, "We are a divine work of art." Just think about all the expensive pieces of artwork in galleries all over the world. If they are worth a lot, would we as God's one-of-a-kind human masterpiece not be worth even more? When we see ourselves in this manner, we will realize we are not worthless as many feel. We have value. Thinking this does not make us conceded. It makes us proud to be a child of the King. There are many who have trouble believing this because of the way they were raised with being put down by their parents. Our Heavenly Daddy does not put us down. Instead He lifts us up. He encourages us. He loves on us. Sunday I shared what Joni Eareckson Tada wrote in her book "A Place of Healing" where she describes herself as God's 'poiema'...

“(God) has a plan and purpose for my time on earth. He is the Master Artist or Sculptor, and He is the One Who chooses the tools He will use to perfect His workmanship. What of suffering, then? What of illness? What of disability? Am I to tell Him which tools He can use and which tools He can’t use in the lifelong task of perfecting me and molding me into the beautiful image of Jesus? Do I really know better than Him, so that I can state without equivocation that it’s always His will to heal me of every physical affliction? If I am His poem, do I have the right to say, “No, Lord. You need to trim line number two and brighten up lines three and five. They’re just a little bit dark.” Do I, the poem, the thing being written, know more than the poet?”

Woo hoo! God inspired me through Joni to do better at seeing myself as His 'poiema' and realize my worth in Him to a deeper degree. He encouraged me to allow Him to continue writing my story. Before we allow Christ to have free reign of our life we are nothing compared to what it is when we allow His love to flow in and through us. I want more of Him to flow in and through me. The desire of my heart is to be like the Apostle Paul who allowed God to make him in the workmanship He desired. Through his obedience many came to know the Lord. He did not fear anything that came his way but instead stood in God’s strength. Some of my favorite Bible verses come from the Apostle Paul .These are ‘Sheila translations’…

II Timothy 1:7…God does not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Philippians 4:13…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 8:28…We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to His purpose.

Woo hoo! Yes! He empowers me because I am ready to be His workmanship. I love the illustration from Spurgeon about the painter. He wrote:

“You have seen a painter with his palette on his finger and he has ugly little daubs of paint on the palette. What can he do with those spots? Go in and see the picture. What splendid painting! In an even wiser way does Jesus act toward us. He takes us, poor smudges of paint, and He makes the blessed pictures of His grace out of us. It is neither the brush nor the paint He uses, but it is the skill of His own hand which does it all.” 

God created each of us to fulfill the desires of His heart. He did not create us to ‘do’ but to ‘be’! I am grateful of the reminders He put before me last week when He placed this sermon on my heart and again this morning as He had it on my mind. I am so grateful in a world that tears us down He is there to lift us up. When I become discouraged, He is there to encourage me. Praise His Holy Name!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace! Thank You for the knowledge I have worth in You! Thank You for re-creating me and continuing to mold me into the person You desire me to be! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. May You go before me and be seen in all I do and say. Lord, I pray today will be a better day for Doc. I pray He will be able to not just get through the day but to enjoy it in the process. Give him rest for this evening with the teens. I pray for restoration and healing in him. I also pray for Little Richie who is undergoing an exploratory to determine what is causing his sickness. Oh Father, how I pray it is not the leukemia showing its ugly head. I pray for his family to have Your peace and Your strength. I pray for: my Momma; Dale who started with OSU yesterday; Little Weston's whose fever broke; Little Finn who continues his battle; Little Natalie as she continues her battle; Rita; Lynn as she awaits test results; Maxine; Mike; Mike; and so many others with major physical issues. May You be greater than their issues. May Your peace come down upon them and their families in a mighty way. Lord, I know I overdid yesterday and that is why my body doesn't want to go today. But I am relying on Your supernatural strength and wisdom throughout this day. Thank You Jesus for being My Creator! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Yes I Will"

Last night was a night of being woke up multiple times to pray. My heart is heavy for so many going through 'tough' days. Once again the words to Yes, I Will were going through my head and once again I wondered how some can continue praising God through the storms of life. The only way is to have deep faith. But how do people get through such times without Him? I was visiting with my ninety-six year old neighbor yesterday when this topic came up. She prayers continually while she crochets afghans for shut-ins; little hats for preemies; and hats for cancer patients. She is such an inspiration to me and I miss our daily visits since our circumstances have changed. I am so grateful for her and her prayers for us. After my Daddy and my friend Lenore left this earth I felt like my prayer support was gone. Maybe not completely gone but I knew there were a whole lot less prayers being sent up for me. I'm grateful to have people all over who pray for me. I'm grateful to have ones who pray for me when I do not have words and all I have to do is cry out to them for their prayers. My prayer life can get very heavy with requests. I'm grateful for the way God has allowed me to pray and leave it in His hands. I do not have to fret over anyone or any situation. All I have to do is give it to the Lord. He was given me the privilege to be a prayer warrior intercessor. I receive requests from people from all over. Sometimes I wonder why they don't just pray themselves but then realize many do but they feel the need for extra prayers. My prayers are nothing special. I speak to God. I listen to Him. I wait upon Him. I know there are many who have not come to the realization that praying is more than just asking God for things or for situations to be changed. Praying is a relationship with two-way communication. Praying becomes a deeper act of love when we can hear His voice. Praying can become a way of life as we allow God to use us in such a manner. I wish I could explain it so more people would grasp it. My prayer life is a big part of my life. If I didn't have it, I'm not sure I could continue to exist. He encourages and directs me through my conversations with Him. His love is poured into me through our communication. Not only is it poured into me but it flows out of me. Woo hoo! I just don't know how people live with Him. That is the reason I strive to share Him as much as I can. Sometimes that sharing is done boldly and other times it is done discreetly. Sometimes I feel Him working in me through the way people see me praise Him during the 'tough' days. I feel like I have not been praising Him enough lately and that is why this song has been on my heart for the last few days. Or perhaps it is because there are so many going through 'tough' days and I need to show them how to praise Him during these times. No matter what the reason, I will praise Him!

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
For all my days, oh yes I will

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the privilege to pray for so many people! Thank You for the way You encourage me through our communication! Thank You for loving me so greatly! Thank You for giving Doc the strength to not only go to church yesterday but to enjoy lunch out afterward! Thank You for my visit with Grammy yesterday! Lord, continue to use her as a prayer warrior. I pray the same for myself. I know before You can use me for Your glory You first must cleanse me. May that happen right now so You can fill me with more of You. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. I know what is on the calendar but You know what You desire for me to do today. May it become reality. May I not miss any opportunity to share Your love with those You put in my path. Father, I'm praying for so many going through 'tough' times to find a reason to praise You today. Doc; Mike; Mike; Maxine; two couples whose marriages are ending; Kenny and his family; Little Richie; Little Finn; Little Natalie; my friend out of the pulpit and seeking God's will; a friend recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's; Kristen with the sudden death of her niece; a friend who has been without work for an extended period of time; Will and Sandy as they continue to work to make the complete move to South Carolina; my friends Shirley, Jim, and Renee as they continue to adjust to being without their spouses; and so many others. May each one of these people find a reason to praise You today. May each of them realize a II Timothy 1:7 type of life. Thank You Jesus for being My Praise Motivator! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Yes, I Will"

I had not been asleep long before God woke me to pray my normal Saturday night time for pastors. He had me pray especially for their families. Sometimes the demands of ministry can be trying on families. There are family events missed, postponed, etc. that can be taxing on the family unit. As I was praying I thought about how even though there are many times that pull a pastor away from their family there are many 'parsonage' kids who go into ministry. The key is having balance and showing not only the 'bad' parts of ministry but more importantly showing the 'good' parts of it. Raising children in a 'parsonage' setting can be enriching. They can see how blessed it is to not only live a life of a servant but most importantly live a life sold-out to Christ. My prayers included...

• parents of prodigal children to not give up believing and praying for their children.
• pastors families who are in turmoil with one of the parents suffering with cancer. As I prayed this prayer, Doc's moaning prompted me to pray for a healing in not only his body but in the body of other pastors who are dealing with cancer. It also prompted me to pray for Steve and his family with Peggy's final days.
• Jay and his family as he recuperates from another knee surgery
• a pastor who has been out of the pulpit for awhile and seeking God's will.
• 'young' pastors in ministry who are just starting out to seek His will and not get caught up in the trap of people pleasing.
• women pastors who feel 'put down' or not accepted in ministry to realize God has called them and that is all that matters. I prayed they would not become so defensive that His light would be snuffed out of their witness.
• pastors who have not been shown appreciation for Pastor Appreciation Month to not allow their hurt to cause them to sin through words, actions, or their attitude.
• pastoral families who are struggling financially to seek His will and give Him control over their 'checkbook' along with seeking Him before making purchases.
• pastors to preach boldly what God has given them; to be willing to let Him change their sermon if He chose; and to have open hearts in the people to accept what He gives them to preach.

God had Yes, I Will going through my mind again during the night and again this morning. I guess I need to praise Him more since He keeps giving it to me. I try to live a life with praises on my lips. This week has been a 'tough' one with getting back from a week away and trying to get caught up; Doc's chemo being so hard; me being sick; loss of income; etc. But I will praise Him because today is Sunday! It is not only a day where I get to gather with my church family but I get to preach! Earlier in the week God gave me a sermon and I asked Doc if I could preach. He was hesitant because of being away last week but decided I could. I'm sure he is grateful he did since he has been so sick from the chemo this week. Before he gave me the OK I told him if he said 'no' I would just have to find another church to preach in because I was excited to share what God had given me...LOL. I love to preach but I don't like him being sick which gives me the opportunity to do it. I love how God knew I would preach this week before we knew. He also knew what was going to happen between Wednesday and Sunday with me being sick and the Outreach so He gave me the sermon before. Woo hoo, God! His timing is the best timing! Even when we can't understand it! As I prayed during the night, I asked God to give Doc strength to be in church this morning. I also asked that I would glorify Him through what He gave me to share and for people to have open hearts to it. These words are ones we all need to remember as we go through the 'tough' days of life...

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
For all my days, oh yes I will

Yes, I Will! I will praise Him through the 'good' days as well as the 'tough' days! I will stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and be empowered to do whatever He puts before me! I will allow Him to work in and through me in miraculous ways! I love my prayer communication with Him. My heart hurts for some of the requests that come my way. These last couple of days have been some heavy praying ones. Little Richie being so sick and being admitted to the hospital; Little Finn have broken bones that had not been detected; Peggy getting closer to leaving this earth; Kristen's aunt who has lost another daughter to a sudden death; Toby Mac's family with the sudden loss of his 21 year old son; and then this morning a husband who is walking away from a marriage of twenty plus years. I am thankful for God using me as a prayer warrior to be an intercessor. There are times when we all get to the point where we don't know how to pray for situations. There are no words. But God provides us with people in our lives who will pray for us. I'm privileged to pray for many but I also am privileged knowing when I get to that point in my own life I have people to call upon to pray for me. Even when I get to that point, I must remember to praise God because He always provides exactly what I need. Sometimes even before I realize it is needed.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for another Saturday night of praying for pastors! Thank You for loving me so much that You use me in intercessory for others! Thank You for empowering me through the 'tough' days! Thank You for working in and through me to strengthen not only my faith but many others! Father, today is a new day. I am excited to get to preach. I pray Doc will be able to go today. I also pray You will cleanse me so You can flow out of my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day! May You bless my prayers from last night and this morning for so many people. All pastors including myself, Doc, Steve, Jay; Little Richie; Little Finn; Kristen; the couple whose marriage is crumbling; and so many others. May You be greater than the 'tough' times people are going through. May they draw closer to You and be empowered by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for last night's Outreach where people saw Your love through us! Thank You Jesus for being The One I Praise! Amen.

II Tim 1:7; II Cor 1:3-4, 4:17; Romans 5:3-4; 8:18; Phil 1:29, 3:10

At 3am the Lord woke me to pray for Doc. The after effects of Wednesday's chemo are hitting him so hard. My heart breaks for him. I wish there was something I could do but I know I need to continue to pray for him and serve him in whatever way I can. I prayed for God to eradicate all cancer from his body. I prayed for wisdom for both us and the doctors. I prayed for others who are dealing with cancer and/or treatments. Our list is so long and with going through it ourselves we know first-hand how hard it can be. I will admit there are times when I think, 'Wasn't it enough for me to go through breast cancer!?!?!' I know our past can be used to bring others into relationship with Christ. I also know I am guilty of thinking I don't want anymore 'tough' life situations to deal with. I'm tired of the fight but then remember it's not my fight. All I have to do is lean into God and trust Him through both the 'normal' days and the 'tough' days. I will continue to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and allow His Holy Spirit to work in and through me. During the night when I was lamenting, God brought several scriptures to my mind that Paul wrote for us to learn from...

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. II Cor. 1:3-4 NIV

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 NIV

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 NIV

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. II Cor. 4:17 NIV

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. Phil. 1:29 NIV

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Phil. 3:10 NIV

Woo hoo! 

He is My Comforter in days and situations that seem like I can't go on. 

He is My Hope when life seems hopeless. 

He is My Life...yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

He is My Example in how I am to live while on this earth.

God also brought Yes I Will to me during this time of lamenting. 

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
For all my days, oh yes I will

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for our time during the night where You encouraged me through Your Word and through this song! Thank You for loving me so greatly! Thank You for cleansing me today so You can fill me with Your words, attitude, and actions so people will see/hear You instead of me. Lord, I know what is on the calendar for the day but I don't know what You want accomplished. I pray for an open heart to be ready for what You desire of me. Use me however You so desire. Lord, I continue to pray for cancer to be eradicated from Doc's body along with Dale, Mike, Maxine, two pastor friends, Little Richie, and many others. I pray for ones awaiting results from cancer testing to glorify You through whatever their results show...Lynn and one who had testing for a lump in her breast. I praise You for Sharon being home and doing better. Lord, may You be greater in our lives than the trials that come our way. May we continue to lift you high in the lowest valley! Thank You for being My Comforter! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Yes I Will"

The last couple of days have given God a time to remind me He is in control and I need not fear. With the loss of income we have experienced over the last few months there have been many times when we wondered how bills would be paid but God always provides. When we came to South Carolina, we knew Doc would need to be bi-vocational. God provided those first ten months without him having a job so he could be with me through the breast cancer diagnosis, surgeries, and treatments. After going through that time, He provided the job as a rural carrier for a few months with great pay and great insurance but then Doc stood up to them when they started requiring him to work Sundays. I believe that was a test God gave for two reasons. One to see if Doc would stand up for his call and the other being to see if we trusted Him. Of course, the answer was yes to both. A couple months later when a job was provided with Sherwin Williams it was only a little over half the pay but it was 'enough' for us to get by. After a year with them, Doc's body was beat down from the job. We prayed for God's guidance and once again He provided. We took a step of faith and followed His direction. All was going good until the cancer came into his life. Then life became complicated yet at no time have we felt like God has ever left us. We have stood upon II Timothy 1:7 throughout these 'tough' days. We have leaned more into God than ever before and continue to trust Him. He has blessed us in many ways through wonderful people who bless us. He has provided in ways we never thought possible. Our house payment being lowered by twenty dollars a month; the electric bill budget being lowered by seven dollars a month...these all seem small yet are big miracles in our life. Wednesday at chemo being told we owed $1200 and would need to pay it right away made my heart hurt. I told them we had not received any bills and Doc's insurance had been paying all his bills at 100% since May so I did not see how it was possible for us to owe. We had just had a conversation about money on the way to the appointment so this was not good timing to be told about a big bill. When we got home, I checked on-line with the insurance and it shows we do not owe anything. That made me not only feel better but also made me praise God! We've lost income this week due to circumstances out of our control but I know God already has things worked out. He woke me with these words to encourage me this morning...

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
All my days, oh, yes I will

I love His encouragement! I love how He knows what I need, before I even know. He is a great God! The words to this song begin...

I count on one thing
The same God that never fails
Will not fail me now
You won't fail me now
In the waiting
The same God who's never late
Is working all things out
You're working all things out

He never fails us! No matter what we go through, He is always there for us. The 'waiting' is not always easy but when we put our trust in Him and believe He is 'working all things out' it is doable. We are not only experiencing this through our personal lives but in the life our church. Due to circumstances out of our control we are faced with a deficit of approximately $40,000 to complete the building rehab. Once again, I believe this is a test for our church body. How committed are we to reaching the souls of Beaufort for God? How committed are we to trust God with our personal finances so the building can be completed? We are being tested and I'm praying we all will 'pass' the test put before us. I'm praying for a miracle to happen not just in the area of finances but in the lives of people. If God can lower a house payment by twenty dollars, He can provide $40,000 to finish a building. I believe it but I also believe the miracle will only happen when we all are walking in His will. His focus is on souls. Ours needs to be the same. I'm excited to see how He will be glorified through my personal life, the lives of my church family, and the life of our church. Woo hoo!

 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the words of encouragement through this song! Thank You for the reminders of how You have been with us every step of the way through the step of faith in coming to South Carolina! Thank You for encouraging Doc today as he continues with the after effects of chemo! Thank You for being with Simone, Trenton and Baby Weston through this time with his early birth! Thank You for all the ways You shower Your love upon us! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me today with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be greater than me today in my words, actions, and attitude. Thank You for being The One I Praise! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:28 - "God's Not Done With You"

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

God's not done with you
Even with your broken heart and your wounds and your scars
God's not done with you
Even when you're lost and it's hard and you've fallen apart

There are days where I wish my life on this earth was over. I get so tired of 'junk' that brings drama into people's lives. My physical body gets to the point where I know I can't take another step and just collapse. Life in heaven will be so much better than life on this earth. But then I am reminded...

He's got a plan, this is part of it
He's gonna finish what He started

Yes! We have to go through the 'tough' days so our faith will be strengthen and taken deeper. But how many 'tough' days have to happen? How many days of uncertainty as you wait on medical testing have to happen? How many times do we have to be put down by others before they will realize we are only trying to love them with God's love? How many times... As many times as it takes until Jesus returns or calls us home. He is the Only One who knows the answers. Today is a new day. 

I will stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and realize His empowerment to not just get through this day but to thrive in Him. 

I will stand upon Philippians 4:13 in His strength as my physical body is retaliating to moving. 

I will stand upon Romans 8:28 believing He will give me exactly what I need to fulfill His purpose.

Why will I do these things? Because I know God desires me to. I used to think God only desired me to do things that were easy or that made me happy. But all God wants is for me to live a life of holiness. This type of life is one where His love pours out of me. It is a life where I have freedom through Him making all the decisions that come my way. Most of all it is a kind of life where His love is experienced in a deeper level than ever before. I desire to go as deep as God desires to take me. I was a 'Daddy's Girl' with my earthly father and continue to be a 'Daddy's Girl' with my Heavenly Father! When I did wrong, my earthly father still loved me. When I walked away from God as an adult, my Heavenly Father still loved me. God's love is reason enough to keep going on with life and striving to share His love with others.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the strength to not just through yesterday but to enjoy it in the process! Thank You for answered prayers before Activity Night for 'an adjusted attitude' so I would not be crabby in my tiredness! Thank You for the twenty-five Shoeboxes that were packed! Lord, I'm so blessed with our Tuesday night group! Thank You for Rhonda, Carrie and Chris, and Joshua who help us! Thank You for Doc feeling up to being with us last night! Thank You for the way You continue to bless our efforts in this area of ministry. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me with more of You so You can use me in the way You so desire. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout the day ahead. Lord, I pray for Your strength for both of us as we go to chemo and for tonight's Bible study to be enriching to all. I also pray You will be with: Debbie as she recuperates from back surgery; Little Charlie as they await test results; Momma as she goes to therapy; one with chest pains; Kim's car situation; Will as he continues to get the house ready to sell and Sandy as they are apart; a lady going through testing for a lump in her breast; our church rehab...the work yet to be completed and the finances for it to happen; and many other requests on my heart. Father, most importantly I pray for spiritual needs to be fulfilled. Thank You for being My Heavenly Daddy! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Praise You In This Storm"

Since I woke up I've been praying for my friend Debbie who is having surgery this morning. This will be her third major surgery over the last few months. Those prayers made me think about many people who are going through difficult days physically. One lady whose family will be saying their 'goodbyes' today as she is taken off of life support; a family member who will be moved to a step-down unit today struggling with an unknown illness; Doc as he faces chemo tomorrow along with others dealing with cancer; the list goes on and on. I am thankful we won't have these bodies forever. My body decided it needed rest yesterday after the weekend we had. Even after a nap and resting it still was not wanting to go. I do not like to cancel plans due to physical issues but sometimes it just can't be helped. If I don't listen to my body, I know the results will not be pretty. If I do not take care of my physical body, I will be sorry. I was thinking this morning about Psalm 71. David wrote this Psalm to show his belief in God. In the first thirteen verses he prayed that he would always depend upon God and never be ashamed of that. He recognized that even though life is difficult we are never alone. He is there to encourage us through tough times. In the last ten verses of this Psalm David praises God for blessing him every day of his life. There are some people who think it is wrong to ask God to bless them. I do not think it is. I believe God desires to bless us. As He does, we can bless Him. As our bodies on this earth decay, we can trust Him in knowing we will have new bodies when we leave this earth. In The Passion Translation this Psalm is entitled "The Psalm of Old Age." Verses fourteen through twenty-four read:

14 No matter what, I’ll trust in you to help me.
Nothing will stop me from praising you to magnify your glory!
15 I couldn’t begin to count the times you’ve been there for me.
With the skill of a poet I’ll never run out of things to say
of how you faithfully kept me from danger.
16 I will come forth in your mighty strength, O my Lord God.[a]
I’ll tell everyone that you alone are the perfect one.
17 From my childhood you’ve been my teacher,
and I’m still telling everyone of your miracle-wonders!
18 God, now that I’m old and gray, don’t walk away.
Give me grace to demonstrate to the next generation
all your mighty miracles and your excitement,
to show them your magnificent power!
19 For your glorious righteousness reaches up to the high heavens.
No one could ever be compared to you!
Who is your equal, O God of marvels and wonders?
20 Even though you’ve let us sink down with trials and troubles,
I know you will revive us again,
lifting us up from the dust of death.
21 Give us even more greatness than before.
Turn and comfort us once again.
22 My loving God, the harp in my heart will praise you.
Your faithful heart toward us will be the theme of my song.
Melodies and music will rise to you, the Holy One of Israel.
23 I will shout and sing your praises for all you are to me—
Savior, lover of my soul!
24 I’ll never stop telling others how perfect you are
while all those who seek my harm slink away ashamed and defeated!

Every day we have on this earth is a day we need to praise God for all He has done for us and all He will continue to do. It does not matter what our circumstances are, we need to praise Him. Matthew Henry wrote, "The Lord often strengthens His people in their souls, when nature is sinking into decay." When we are going through 'tough' days in our physical body, we can be reassured of God's love and peace in our spiritual body. We can stand upon II Timothy 1:7 knowing He empowers us to get through 'tough' days. Henry continues: 

"Assured of deliverance and victory, let us spend our days, while waiting the approach of death, in praising the Holy One of Israel with all our powers. And while speaking of His righteousness, and singing His praises, we shall rise above fears and infirmities, and have earnests of the joys of heaven. The work of redemption ought, above all God's works, to be spoken of by us in our praises."

Praising God through illnesses is not always easy to do but as we do people will come to know Him. Praising Him gets our minds off of our own problems and allows us to see things through His eyes. He will use our praises in mighty ways such as in miraculous healing in our body and in the bodies of others.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word this morning that encourages me to praise You no matter what is happening in my life! Thank You for bringing to my mind the words to Praise You In This Storm! Lord, empower me to do just that throughout this storm with Doc's cancer. Cleanse me this morning so You can fill me with more of You so I can praise You. May people see/hear You instead of me today through my words, actions, and attitude. May I be more intentional in praising You than ever before. I pray for Debbie's surgeon to have wisdom; the family of the one being taken off of life support today to feel Your presence; one who has been given a short time left on this earth by the doctors; Sharon as she continues to battle an unknown illness; Little Charlie as he undergoes testing; and so many others with physical issues. I pray for miraculous healing in bodies. I pray for more praises to be raised up out of people going through difficult days. May You be praised by all. Thank You Jesus for being The One I Praise! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Till I Found You"

 

I woke up this morning to these words from Till I Found You going through my mind...

I never knew anything lasts forever
Till I found You, till I found You
I never dreamed anything could be better
Till I found You, till I found You

You rewrited my story
And I'm brand new like the morning
Oh I never knew anything lasts forever
Till I found You
Till I, till I found You

Yes! Life is definitely different after you find the Lord. There is another huge change that happens when You give everything to Him and allow Him to be in control over every aspect of your life. I was reminded of this yesterday as we took on walking up a mountain to see a waterfall. I did not do that on my own strength but on His. The same goes with Doc. We walked it a few years back but that was before breast or pancreatic cancer. Mordecei was not with us when we walked it before so it was his first time for the accomplishment. Even though it was only 1.4 miles there were steep places we walked that were difficult. But we didn't do it. God did. It was His strength that enabled us to accomplish the walk. It was His strength that empowered us to not only walk it but enjoy it. It took us a lot longer than most with having many breaks along the way but we did it. Woo hoo! This could not have been accomplished if we would have never surrendered our entire beings to the Lord. It would have never been accomplished if we were not living a II Timothy 1:7 type of life. This morning I am praying for some going through difficult days with: health issues in themselves and/or family members; transitions to new jobs or looking for employment; marital issues; transitions to the death of a spouse; transitions in moving; and some with prodigal children. My God is still in the miracle making business and I believe He will provide miracles in His time. It is going to take a miracle for me to get through this day...lol. Seriously though, I will depend upon His strength greatly to not just get through the day but to enjoy it in the process.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for all the miles we traveled safely this last week! Thank You for the physical strength You provided to both of us! Thank You for the memories Doc and I made! Thank You for time with family and friends! Thank You for loving us so greatly! Lord, cleanse me this morning so You can fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit. This morning I am praying for some going through difficult days with: health issues in themselves and/or family members (Doc, Steve, Steve, Sharon, one with something found in her breast, one with a back injury, my Momma as her wrist continues to heal, Dale, Maxine, one on chemo); transitions to new jobs or looking for employment (Sandy and two others); marital issues; transitions to the death of a spouse (Jim, Patty, Shirley); transitions in moving (Will); and some with prodigal children. Lord, may You be greater than the obstacles that come their way today. May You be their strength and empowerment to push through this day. I pray the same for myself as I'm physically wore out. Lord, I am so grateful to have You rewriting my story! Woo hoo! Thank You Jesus for being My Savior and Sanctifier! Amen.