II Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Every Move I Make"

 

Sometimes people will disappoint. Sometimes circumstances will disappoint. Sometimes even God's timing will disappoint. But we cannot allow any of these things to disappoint us to the point we turn away from God. Instead we need to live in His empowerment so we can realize such times as being what is best for us. If we don't do so, the enemy can have an open door to play havoc in our lives. Turning to God instead of turning to food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, etc. is a more positive action. Reading His Word and talking to Him accomplishes so much more than anything else we can do when we are disappointed. We must live out II Timothy 1:7 with His love and empowerment instead of fearing as the enemy likes to put on us. We also must trust Him as Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us if we desire to live as He wants of us. This week I played Every Move I Make for the children. This is how He desires us to live.

Every move I make 
I make in You 
You make me move, Jesus
Every breath I take
I breathe in You

Every step I take 
I take in You
You are my way, Jesus
Every breath I take
I breathe in You

Yes! This is exactly how I desire to live. I want everything I do to be done in His will. The song continues about how He is seen in everything and how His love has captured me. Woo hoo! I can so relate to this. It is only through His love, mercy, and grace that I am who I am today. Not only did He save me years ago but then He took me back with open arms when I walked away. He strengthens me every day as I walk in obedience to His will. He pours Himself into me to the point of overflowing so I can love with His love. He is so good to me. I desire to please Him but am I truly pleasing Him? I believe I am to some degree but I know I need to get better at sharing His love. I should not miss loving on anyone He gives me opportunity to love on yet I know I do. Sometimes I miss opportunities and then I am disappointed in myself. I cannot allow such times to stop me from striving to be Christ-like. Instead, I need to repent and carry on with what He puts before me. I need to be more intentional in having my focus on Him. As I do, I know He will be more real to me than ever before.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder this morning that disappointments in life should not take my focus off of You but instead make my focus more intentional! Thank You for the opportunities You gave me yesterday and the ones You will give me today to love with Your love! Thank You for the physical strength You give me! Thank You for the desire of my heart to be who You have called me to be! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts in a more intentional way today. I pray for Doc with the pain he is having. I ask that You give him what he needs to do what You desire of him today. I pray for the work that will be completed at the church building and for those who will be participating. May You be with us and give us not only productive work time but also fellowship time. Thank You for Ady doing better! Thank You for the time I had with my friends at the retirement facility yesterday! Thank You for continuing to be all I need throughout 'tough' days! Thank You for being My Everything! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 31 - "Reason"

Yesterday afternoon was awesome with a few hours of normalcy. It wasn't what used to be 'normal' but it was great just the same! When cancer is a daily part of your life, you are grateful for such times. We had Sonic $1 hot dogs for lunch, checked the progress of the electricity at the church building, bought a few Christmas gifts that were on clearance, and had BYOB banana splits from Bruster's. The 'bad' part about the afternoon was Doc coming home and sleeping for over two hours from being wore out. But we made some memories and enjoyed the time. Praise God! I know He gives us such times to encourage us through the 'tough' days and for that I am grateful. The Lord took me to Psalm 31 this morning to be encouraged. In The Passion Translation in this Psalm He is called many things. Hiding place...strong shelter...high fortress...stronghold of salvation...God of faithfulness ...my God...secret place. Woo hoo! He is all of these to me. He is the One who directs my days. He is the One I not only hear but walk in obedience to. He is the One who is always with me. Plain and simple. He is the One. Yes! I do not have to fear the cancer in Doc's body. God already knows the outcome. All I have to do is stand in His love and empowerment as II Timothy 1:7 directs me to do. Verses nineteen through twenty-four of Psalm 31 reads:

19 Lord, how wonderful you are!
You have stored up so many good things for us,
like a treasure chest heaped up and spilling over with blessings—
all for those who honor and worship you!
Everybody knows what you can do
for those who turn and hide themselves in you.
20 So hide all your beloved ones
in the sheltered, secret place before your face.
Overshadow them by your glory-presence.
Keep them from these accusations, the brutal insults of evil men.
Tuck them safely away in the tabernacle where you dwell.
21 The name of the Lord is blessed and lifted high!
For his marvelous miracle of mercy protected me
when I was overwhelmed by my enemies.
22 I spoke hastily when I said, “The Lord has deserted me.”
For in truth, you did hear my prayer and came to rescue me.
23 Listen to me, all you godly ones: Love the Lord with passion!
The Lord protects and preserves all those who are loyal to him.
But he pays back in full all those who reject him in their pride.
24 So cheer up! Take courage all you who love him.
Wait for him to break through for you, all who trust in him!

I love the picture of His blessings overflowing from a treasure chest. Every day we have together is a blessing for Doc and I. The memories we make are blessings. No one knows when their time on earth will be over. I could be in a car accident today or the breast cancer I had three years ago could return and take me from this earth. We never know but when we are facing things such as pancreatic cancer it brings leaving this earth more real. It makes time more precious with loved ones. Making memories becomes a blessing that is often taken advantage of. Love the Lord with passion has been our way of living for quite some time but now it is even more so. He blesses us in abundance every day and for that I am grateful. I also am grateful for the way He provides physical, mental, emotional, and financial strength. As Doc said the other day, it doesn't make sense how we continue to make the bills without his extra income. It also doesn't make sense to the doctors that he is doing as well as he is with going through nine months of treatments for pancreatic cancer. It doesn't make sense why we are not in the church building yet. There are so many things that don't make sense in the human aspect of things but thankfully we don't live in the flesh but in the spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One to guide us through the mountains and valleys of life. This morning these words going through my mind...

This year's felt like four seasons of winter
And you'd give anything you think to feel the sun
Always reaching always climbing
Always second guessing the timing
But God has a plan a purpose in this
You are His child so don't you forget

He put that hunger in your heart
He put that fire in your soul
His love is the reason
To keep on believing
When you feel like giving up
When you feel like giving in
His love is the reason
To keep on believing

Yes! He is the Reason I woke up this morning. He is the Reason I have a new day ahead of me. He is the Reason we will not fear pancreatic cancer but instead stand in His love through it. Plain and simple. He is the Reason! Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for all the ways You encouraged me yesterday! Thank You for this Scripture and song this morning that encourages me! Thank You for the way You already know the outcome of the cancer in Doc's pancreas! Thank You for blessing us yesterday as we made memories together! Father, I pray today will be a day where Doc feels Your strength in every aspect of His life. I pray the same for many others who are battling disease. Thank You for little Ady doing better; little Richie as he approaches his last chemo; and little Finn as he gets closer to going home for his first time. I pray You will continue to be with Spencer and his family as they await his liver transplant. Lord, it's so hard to see anyone go through such things but it is especially hard to see children suffer. May You be greater than what they are going through. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout the day ahead. May You use me as Your faithful servant to love with Your love. May You continue to be with Craig's family as they prepare for their move. Thank You for the way You have encouraged them greatly through this time with his health issues! Thank You for all the ways You continue to bless us through this valley we are living in! Thank You for the progress with the electric at the building. I pray You will provide painters tomorrow to continue the work. Thank You Father for being My Treasure Chest of Blessings! Amen.

 

II Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 6:10-20; James 1:2-4, 4:7-8 - "Stand In Your Love"

II Timothy 1:7

I woke up to these words again this morning...

'Cause my fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love
My fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love
My fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love!

Yes! We do not have to allow the enemy any open door into our life but instead need to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the night and again this morning I am praying for several people who need the reminder His love is greater than circumstances on this earth.

• Doc as he continues the battle of pancreatic cancer. Others who have various types of cancer.
• A friend whose elderly mother is not thinking clearly and making unjust allegations.
• The military family in South Korea who are quarantined separately due to the father/husband being exposed to the coronavirus. 
• A family with visitation issues.
• A friend whose wife is an alcoholic.
• Several people with physical, emotional, and financial issues but most of all those with spiritual issues.
• A friend who fell and hurt his back yesterday.
• A friend whose foster child was transferred to a larger hospital due to continued health issues.
• A friend with ongoing marital issues.

There is so much 'junk' in this world. It breaks my heart to see people going through trying situations but it also blesses me to see their faith grow as they lean into the Lord and His strength. James 1:2-4 tells us that we are to rejoice through trials because the result is a deepening in our faith. We have a choice to make every day of our lives to either follow God or allow the enemy an open door. We have a choice to make on whether we want to hold onto control of our lives or allow God to have total control. We have a choice to make on whether we want to keep failing at life as we live it for ourselves or if we want victory through a life with Christ. Plain and simple. We have a choice. God gives us free will to make decisions. There is no better life than one sold out to Christ. There is an unexplainable peace when living for Him. Even in the midst of things such as pancreatic cancer there is peace in knowing He knows the outcome and no matter what that outcome is we win! He is our Victory when we live in the desires of His heart! He is our Victory when we walk the road of obedience to His will! He is our Victory when we live in His love and empowerment! Plain and simple. He is our Victory! Woo hoo! I was reminded this morning that when I stand in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), I have victory over the enemy. As I follow James 4:7-8, I have victory over the enemy. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James gives two promises in these verses. First,  the devil will run away when I resist him. When he comes knocking at my door, I must tell him to get away because God is greater than him. Second, God is here for me at all time. He desires to be my Strength and Empowerment. Sometimes I struggle with these verses because it seems like the enemy does not give up attacking. He does not like what God is doing in and through me. He desires victory but God is always with me and won't allow the enemy to win as long as I stay in relationship with Him. The more the enemy fights, the more I have to be prepared. Preparation comes through living in His presence, being in His Word, being in conversation with Him, etc. I do not like to be unprepared for anything. I like to know what is going to happen, when it will happen, etc. The enemy is tricky so I must be on-guard at all time so I do not get caught up in his tactics. I am thankful for the way God reminds me of  what I need to do to live a life where He is in control. 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the reminder from this song this morning and the different Scriptures You brought to me! Thank You for Doc being able to go to Bible study with me last night! Thank You for our study on Matthew! Thank You for the day ahead and all the ways You are going to use me to love with Your love! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today in a more intentional way. May people see/hear You instead of me. Lord, I pray for Your touch upon many today. Doc; Jed; Tisha and her family; Mike; Mick; Holly; Amanda; my pastor friend with cancer; my friend with her elderly mother not thinking right; the military family in South Korea who are quarantined; my friend with visitation issues; my friend with an alcoholic wife; my friend with ongoing issues in her marriage; and many others with deep spiritual needs. May You be greater than what each one of them are living out in their lives right now. I continue to pray for Your wisdom and guidance with our church building rehab and ministry that will occur in that neighborhood. Reveal Your will to us. Thank You Father for being My Victory! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 1 - "Stand In Your Love"

This morning the Lord took me to Psalm 1 which encourages me greatly to keep on living for Him. This Psalm encourages me to continue living every day with a learning spirit where I allow Him to teach me how to draw closer to Him. It encourages me to continue to walk in His ways and not allow the enemy an open door. Verse two encourages me to be in His Word day and night. 

His pleasure and passion is remaining true to the Word of “I Am,”
meditating day and night in the true revelation of light (TPT).

These last few days God has me praying for Doc to be in the Word more so that he will be encouraged. There is so much encouragement in His Word. I am so grateful every time I read it I receive something from it. Verse three encourages me to bear fruit. 

He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree
planted by God’s design,
deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,
bearing fruit in every season of his life.
He is never dry, never fainting,
ever blessed, ever prosperous (TPT).

This is imperative for all believers. If we are not sharing God's love, we cannot bear fruit. If we are not walking the road of obedience to His will, we cannot bear fruit. How can we tell if we are doing so? If people are coming into relationship with Him or going deeper in their faith to the point where they surrender to a life of holiness through us, we are bearing fruit. This way of life is how God desires us to live. A footnote in The Passion Translation describes such a person: “No matter what he sets out to do, he brings it to a successful conclusion.” Woo hoo! Yes! I want to be successful in my life for Christ. The desire of my heart is to fulfill the desire of His heart. The only way that can happen is to stand in the empowerment of II Timothy 1:7. I cannot allow the enemy to place fear upon my life but instead need to stand in God's love. It is a daily battle to do this. The enemy does not like the strength I have through Christ. He tries to use circumstances and people to tear me down every day but my God is stronger than anything he tries to trip me up with. My God is stronger than his lies. My God is stronger by being in my presence 24/7 which is something the enemy cannot do. Plain and simple. My God is stronger! Woo hoo! This Psalm ends with a comparison between the life lived without Christ and one that walks with Him.

But how different it is for the righteous!
The Lord embraces their paths as they move forward
while the way of the wicked leads only to doom (TPT).

Woo hoo! This is another bit of encouragement from my Heavenly Father! Praise His Holy Name! This morning the words to Stand In Your Love are going through my mind. That is exactly what I will be more intentional in doing in the day ahead. As I do, He will empower me in a greater way than ever before. Woo hoo! 

'Cause my fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love
My fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love
My fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love!
Oh, I'm standing

There's power that can break off every chain
There's power that can empty out a grave
There's resurrection power that can save
There's power in Your name, power in Your name
There's power that can break off every chain
There's power that can empty out a grave
There's resurrection power that can save
There's power in Your name, power in Your name!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You, thank You, thank You for these words of encouragement as I begin another day! Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for the way You encouraged me with hugs from friends yesterday! Thank You for my time with my friend at the assisted living facility and my time with children yesterday morning and again last night! Thank You for Doc feeling well enough to teach the teens! Thank You for Joshua driving the bus! Thank You for Rhonda cooking, Jim providing groceries, and Campbell's making dessert last night! Father, You bless me in abundance and I am so thankful! I am thankful Doc has this week off from chemo! I pray he will regain strength during this time. I pray for the oncologist as a plan is made for the addition of radiation in his treatment plan. Most of all I continue to pray for a complete healing in his body while on this earth. Lord, I also pray for a healing in Corey and Tisha's family with all the sickness; many others who are dealing with flus and sickness; Craig and his family as they move; families that are being torn apart by the enemy to stand in Your love instead of allowing him an open door; and most of all for believers to come to the end of themselves and allow You complete control over their lives. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. Empower my words, actions, thoughts, and attitude throughout this day. May people see/hear You instead of me. Thank You Jesus for being My Greatest Encourager! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; James 1:2-4; Philippians 4:13; Nehemiah 8:10 - "Way Maker"

II Timothy 1:7

When I awoke during the night, I asked God to encourage me. As I prayed for Doc, I asked Him to heal him. It has been a week today that he has been sick and in bed with the exception of part of the day Thursday and part of Saturday. It's starting to get to me emotionally. Yesterday my favorite Walmart greeter asked, "Are you doing ok today?" It was then I realized how ragged I must look. I don't want to look that way. Even when I am drained in my physical and emotional beings I don't want to look like it. I want people to see Jesus in me. Maybe people will see Him in me when they see I'm worn but I haven't given up. Maybe they will see Him in me by seeing His strength keeps me going on the 'tough' days. His answer to encouraging me came in the form of Him telling me to ponder on Psalm 41. David wrote about how God cares for His people in this Psalm. Praise His Holy Name for that. I do not know how people get through life without Him. That is one of the reasons I need to get better at sharing Him with others, so they don't have to do life without Him. As I read Psalm 41 in different translations I was reminded that He provides what we need, when we need it. Matthew Henry wrote, The people of God are not free from poverty, sickness, or outward affliction, but the Lord will consider their case, and send due supplies. God knows what we need and He knows the perfect time to bless us with it. We cannot allow our circumstances to take us into sin. We cannot allow the enemy any open door into our lives. When we complain, that is an open door for the enemy to play havoc. Instead we must rejoice. James 1:2-4 tells us in the New Living Testament:

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Yes! Our faith will grow as we trust Him through trials on this earth. Those trials will bring us deeper in relationship with Him as we lean into Him. We will be empowered by the Holy Spirit as we allow Him to guide us in His love as II Timothy 1:7 tells us. His strength will be our strength as Philippians 4:13 reads. Nehemiah 8:10 reads, The joy of the Lord is my strength. Woo hoo! The way to have His joy is to put Jesus first; Others second; and Yourself last. That means we must walk in obedience to His will, loving with His love, and standing strong against the enemy. We must not depend on others but instead depend on the Lord. David knew he needed God to be in his life. He knew he needed to confess his sins before Him. We need to do the same daily. We need to ask Him to cleanse us so He can fill us with the Holy Spirit. When we do, He will bless us. We will live in His presence as we allow Him to direct our lives 24/7. Woo hoo! There is no better place to live. I love the way David ends this Psalm:

Everyone praise the Lord God of Israel, always and forever!
For he is from eternity past
and will remain for the eternity to come.
That’s the way it will be forever.
Faithful is our King! Amen! (NLT) 

Yes! We need to praise Him for all that He has done and all that He will do for us. I love how this translation brought out Faithful is our King! I had never read it before but that is what the word Amen means. Every time we end a prayer we are saying Faithful is our King! Wow, God! That is so cool! We pray with expectancy that He will answer our prayers. We must remember He answers every prayer but it may not be in the manner or the timing we desire. But His answers to our prayers are always what is best for us. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the encouragement from Psalm 41 this morning! Thank You for the way You care about me so much! Thank You for knowing what I need when I need it! Father, cleanse me today so You can fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit! Empower me to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and love instead of fearing. Empower me to stand in Your strength as Philippians 4:13 speaks of. Empower me to have Your joy as Nehemiah 7:7 speaks of. Plain and simple. Empower me to live as You so desire throughout this day. Lord, I continue to pray for healing in Doc's body. May You bless him with a 'better' day physically today. I pray He will be in Your Word seeking encouragement. May he be filled with Your Holy Spirit today in a new, different way. Lord, I pray this morning for: Charlie whose mother is now with You; Spencer who is waiting on a liver transplant; Ward who is in ICU; many battling the flu; many battling cancer including Amanda's Daddy, Little Richie as he draws near to his last chemo, Holly and Amanda with new diagnosis, my pastor friend, Mike, June, and so many others; those battling Alzheimer's or dementia and their families and caretakers; those in rehab or going into rehab Angela, Corey, Sharon's Daddy, Linda, Craig, and others; and so many who need You to be their King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Father, may Your love show through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. May You be greater than the circumstances of our life right now. Thank You Jesus for being My Way Maker! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 6; Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Build Your Kingdom Here"

II Timothy 1:7

I love when God brings a sermon to go along with the Sunday School lesson and/or the music. He is so good! He knows exactly what we need and when we are open He gives us a heart and mind to receive it. Woo hoo! Obedience is key in our relationship with Him. Communicating with Him 24/7 is important to know the desires of His heart. If one is to call themselves a Christian, they should be living a Christ-like life. We should be walking around with a Christ-like attitude saying and doing Christ-like things. How is that even possible in today's world? It takes dying to self and allowing Him to be who He desires to be in us. It takes realizing His desires for us are the best. It takes not only accepting His timing in situations but embracing it. When we live such a life, He will be glorified in our thoughts, words, actions, and attitude. One of the things God brought to me to speak yesterday was for our church as a corporate body of believers. He needs all of us to give Him all of us. I hope that sunk in with those who heard it. The result of a church living in such a manner will be a church doing His will. It will be a church fulfilling the desires of His heart. We do not have to fear the 'what ifs' of life for our church. We do not have to fear about our pastor's health nor the 'when' or 'how' we will get into the church building. All we have to do is stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and allow the Holy Spirit to empower us. He empowers those who will accept it. Not everyone can do everything but everyone can do what God empowers them to do. Some can physically work, some can't. Some have the mental capabilities to do what others can't. Some have the financial means when others do not. But the one thing we all can do is the will of God. We all have different gifts to give. We just need to realize what those gifts are and then apply them as God directs. This morning the song Build Your Kingdom Here is in my heart...

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray

Yes! This is exactly what I desire for the Beaufort Church of the Nazarene. I desire for us to be a thriving church that seeks God in every decision that is made. I desire to see the people of this church sharing God's love everywhere He takes them. But these are the desires of my heart. Are they His desires? I believe so. The more I pray for the church, the more He encourages me to not quit preaching the message of holiness. He encourages me to not allow the present circumstances to wear me down but instead to stand in His strength. Woo hoo! In my humanness, I am tired. In my humanness, it would be so easy to throw up my hands and give up. But I do not live in my humanness. I live in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. I live with my Ephesians 6 armor on every day so I can live out Proverbs 3:5-6. I'm ready for today, whatever it brings. I'm ready to love with His love to whoever He puts before me. I'm ready to be more intentional to speak words of life and not death. Plain and simple. I'm ready. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the blessing yesterday to preach! I don't like that Doc is so sick that allows me to have such opportunity but I'm thankful for it. I pray for him to have a better day today. I pray against the issues he is having. Lord, You continue to have me pray for him to be in Your Word to find encouragement. I pray that will happen today for as long as You desire. May You be greater than what he is going through. I also continue to pray for others who are dealing with health issues. Little Richie as he draws closer to his last chemo; June; Mick; my pastor friend with cancer; Mike; Little Liam with his burn; a six year old with emotional issues; Holly and Amanda with new diagnosis; my friend with back issues; my Momma with pain; and so many others who are suffering. May they find You in the midst of their present trials. Lord, be with those who need You in their life to have someone who will say or do something to make a difference for them. I pray for two families who continue to be in turmoil. I also pray for Kim as she continues to deal with so many emotions with her circumstances. Lord, be greater than anything that comes her way. Thank You for the work that has already been accomplished on the church building and what will be accomplished this week. I continue to pray Your timing over what needs done to complete this project and for Your resources to come through. Thank You Father for being My Kingdom Builder! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Control"

Last night was no different than any other Saturday night. It was full of being woke up multiple times to pray for pastors. A difference in the prayer times was He had me focus on pastors who are discouraged and/or disappointed. He had me pray for...

• healing in ones with physical needs.
• peace in ones with stressful situations.
• wisdom in ones with financial issues.

The one time He woke me up to pray for for pastors who have the attitude they are in charge in the church they were called to. It was during this prayer time that He brought to my mind the song Control. 

God You don't need me
But somehow You want me
Oh how You love me
Somehow that frees me
To take my hands off of my life
And the way it should go
God You don't need me

But somehow You want me
Oh how You love me
Somehow that frees me
To open my hands up
And give You control
Yeah, I give You control

This song is about having our plans but realizing we must give up what we want so He can work in and through us for what He desires. That is a hard place to get to, especially for some pastors. Sometimes power rears its ugly head. Satan gets a foot in the door of a life and takes over. We must remember that is not God's desire for any of us. He wants people who will be in relationship with Him 24/7, committed to living a life of obedience. 

Another time I woke up because Doc was having a tough night. God had me pray against discouragement in his spirit. The days since chemo have been 'tough' physically. He tries to push through them but yesterday was just too much. He had me pray for Doc to dig into His Word for encouragement and for people to encourage him through the 'tough' days.

The last time He woke me to pray II Timothy 1:7 over all believers but specifically over pastors. God desires to empower us through His Holy Spirit. He desires for us to not only live in His love but to share it. He also desires us to stand firm in our faith when the enemy tries to put fear upon our life.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for another Saturday night of praying for pastors! Thank You for the way You give me specifics to pray for! Thank You for those who came out and painted at the church building yesterday and the work that was accomplished! Thank You for the favor granted to us with purchases yesterday! Thank You for another day to live! Thank You for blessing us so greatly! Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit! Thank You for giving me the desire in my heart to live a life sold-out to You! I am so grateful for the day I realized that type of life is one where I do not have to fret over anything but instead just needed to give you control over aspect of my life! Father, I pray for Doc to fill better today but if he doesn't then I pray You will speak through me as I preach. Thank You for giving me Scripture yesterday to study and prepare! Lord, be with all pastors who will be going into the pulpit today to be living a life controlled by You. I pray again for those who are discouraged/disappointed. May You be greater than their discouragement and disappointments. May they seek You instead of others through what they are going through. Thank You Jesus for being The One In Control of My Life! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Romans 8 - "Yes I Will"

II Timothy 1:7

The words to a song Vertical Worship sings are on my mind this morning. God had my friend Tiffany remind me of them after we received the call from the surgeon's office Thursday morning.

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
Is working all things out

Oh, 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
For all my days, oh yes, I will

He will never fail us! He is with us working all things out even though we may not understand what He is doing. I think of Romans 8:28 this morning. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Paul begins this chapter with writing about how we are to live in the Spirit. In verse five he wrote, Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. In our flesh, the desire would be for Doc to not have cancer in his pancreas. In our flesh, the desire would be for it already to be gone. But we strive to live in His Spirit so we continue to seek Him to be glorified through this situation. If He chooses for Doc to leave this earth, he won't be dying but instead would be living in Glory with the Lord. I would be terribly sad and would miss him but I know I would have hope in seeing him again. Verse twenty-five reads, But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Yes! All of God's children have hope for eternal life with Him. We just have to wait on our time to leave this earth. There are days like the past couple days where I imagine Doc is looking forward to having a new body. Being so sick is hard to cope with but it does keep us close to the Lord. We continue to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit throughout every day but especially on the 'tough' days. Paul's last words of this chapter encourage me to keep on praising Him no matter what. Verses thirty-eight and thirty-nine read, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Woo hoo! Nothing will separate us from God's love. That is why I will continue to praise Him no matter what the circumstances of life are.

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 reminders from this song and from Romans 8 this morning! Father, You know there are times I struggle with Doc's situation and I ask for a cleansing in my soul so You can fill me up with more of Your Holy Spirit to empower me through such times. I pray today will be a better day for him physically. I ask for healing in his body. Lord, give him exactly what he needs to not just get through this day but to glorify You through it. I pray he is able to preach tomorrow but if not then I ask that You empower me to finish the sermon You gave me earlier in the week. Thank You for all the ways You provide encouragement to us. Thank You for Lee who went out of his way to stop and see us yesterday. May he have a good trip visiting family. Thank You for protection over Jim and his family with the car accident. May You help the process with insurance to go smoother than it has been. Thank You for my time I had with my friends at the facility yesterday. They are so encouraging to me as they ask about Doc. Thank You for those that will be coming today to work at the building. Lord, continue to give wisdom on finances with the project. Thank You Jesus for being My Encourager! Amen!

II Timothy 1:7; Prov 3:5-6; Phil 4:13; Eph 6:10-20; James 1:2-4 - "I'm Alive"

Usually my prayers are for those out in the elements of hot weather but last night I prayed for those out in the cold and rain. I prayed for protection for them and warmth. I prayed for the families living in their cars to have gas to have some heat. My heart breaks for people who do not have homes. I know some circumstances are from their own doing but I also know there are people who are just going through tough times. I wish I could help every one of them but I can't. I know my best form of help is to pray for them to have God's protection and wisdom. It's so hard to see people along the road with signs asking for gas, money, or food. But before giving anyone anything I know I must pray and ask the Lord for wisdom. I am blessed to have a home with water and electric. I am blessed to have food in the refrigerator and on the shelves. I am blessed to have money for gasoline for our vehicles. Plain and simple. I am blessed. It doesn't make sense on paper how we are paying all the bills, having gas and grocery money, etc. without Doc working a second job. But God continues to provide. We may not always have everything we 'want' but we definitely always have everything we need! He is so, so good at loving on us. I am so grateful for His grace, mercy, and love. I woke this morning with a song Big Daddy Weave sings going through my mind...

But God
Rich in mercy
You came to save me
Now I'm alive
But God
Strong and mighty
You reached down for me
So I could rise

Yes! I'm alive because He died for me! I'm alive because He came back from the grave for me! I'm alive because He gives me life! Plain and simple. I'm alive. I need to live for Him every day. I need to strive to walk in obedience to Him. The only way for that to happen is for me to be in relationship with Him where I will not only hear His voice but desire to follow Him. I'm not sure how I would feel if I were living on the street. Would I still believe in God or would I give up hope? Would I still desire to walk with Him or would I allow the enemy his way in my life? Would I see God as my Heavenly Father who loves me or would I think He had abandoned me? Would I have hope or would I wallow in despair? Living on the streets is something I've never experienced and pray I will never do so. But we never know where God will lead us. If I lost all of my worldly possessions, I would still have God. But my faith would have to be mighty strong to not lose Him in the process. I pray I am always leaning on Him. I pray I am always standing on: the empowerment of II Timothy 1:7; the trust of Proverbs 3:5-6; and the strength of Philippians 4:8. I pray I always put on His armor found in Ephesians 6:10-20 and have His joy as in James 1:2-4. I am thankful this is the way I live. When we received the news yesterday from the surgeon that he is recommending radiation, we were thankful to continue to be on a proactive mode of healing instead of the palliative mode the oncologist spoke of. We were thankful to have a plan. We were thankful surgery is still a possibility in the future. Plain and simple. We were thankful. As my friend Crystal said, "I pray you are feeling the reassurance of God's plan today and not disappointment." Yes! That is exactly how we felt with the news. We were at peace. There were some who were upset over the news but we were not. We were thrilled we are still in the forward motion. God's got this. Pancreatic cancer is not too big for Him just as my breast cancer was not too big for Him. We know He will continue to be glorified through this situation. Woo hoo! We do not have to worry because He knows when and how Doc will be healed. All we have to do is continue to trust and wait on His time.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace! Thank You for all the ways You bless us! Thank You for the forward progress the surgeon is recommending! Father, I pray You will continue to give Doc strength when radiation is added to his regiment. I pray for protection over his organs. I pray for the radiation to kill the tumor so it can be removed. Thank You for our time together yesterday!  Lord, I also pray for Holly who is starting chemo for her newly diagnosed breast cancer and Amanda who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. I pray for people to be with these young Momma's and love on them with Your love. I continue to pray for my pastor friend and Mick as they undergo chemo; Mike as he continues dealing with his cancer; Little Richie who will have his last treatment next month; June as she awaits another appointment; and Dave who sees the doctor on Monday to set-up his surgery. Lord, be greater than C in their lives and be greater than chemo and radiation side effects. I pray for a successful sinus surgery for Tommy today and safe travels for Lee. I pray for my friend waiting on MRI results for her back and Sharon's Momma to have Your peace. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You instead of me throughout this day. Go before me and open doors to share You with all I meet. I pray You will be with Doc as he continues to battle the fatigue upon him. Thank You Jesus for being My Life! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; James 1:2-4 - "Prize Worth Fighting For"

As we finished up the study on the book of James last night I was reminded of the many teachings we have read about over the last few months. James 1:2-4 are verses that I've strived to live by over the years of living with M.S. This morning as I read it in different translations I pondered upon The Passion Translation. 

My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.

Woo hoo! As I stand in the empowerment of II Timothy 1:7, not only will my faith grow but my ability to live a Christ-like life will also be more possible! The more we focus on Him instead of the troubles in life, the more capable we are of experiencing His joy. I woke up with these words going through my mind...

When every day is just another struggle
And every choice is an act of war
Gotta pray, gotta press on
To the prize worth fighting for
When it feels like I'll never make it
When my heart's crying out for more
Gotta pray, gotta press on
To the prize worth fighting for

Your love is my reward
The prize worth fighting for
Jesus, You're worth my all

Your love is my reward
Your love is my reward

Yes! We can never give up on living for God. We can never allow the enemy to steal our joy. We can never think we are not good enough for God but instead need to strive to be Christ-like. He is our Eternal Reward when we leave this earth. But to have Him for eternity we must live for Him while on this earth. It may not seem easy when our journey begins with Him but it becomes easier the closer we get to Him. His ways are easier to follow the more we practice them. His love is easier to share when we are filled to overflowing with it. The more we hear His voice, the more we will know His will. Woo hoo! I loved what my friend Kim wrote yesterday about how she was led to pray for us during the night. This is a perfect example of how when we live a James 1:2-4 kind of life He will bless us in abundance through tough situations...

I chuckled a little when I read Your blog. I also will pray about EVERY situation I can think of when I’m struggling with sleep. We are indeed sistahs!

Last night was different though. I started praying for you and Doc, and instead of focusing on the needs and the seriousness of the situations, I was lead to list the many “thank yous” that this season has brought you and Doc.  

* People who support you in prayer
* ...financially
*...acts of service
*people you’ve ministered to that otherwise you never would have met
* miracles
* increased understanding of the beauty of “normal” things
* your relationship with each other 
* and on and on

The list was so long. So many ways Abba has loved on you both. My heart rejoices that my friends are being so well cared for by our Lord.  

I’m rejoicing with you both.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the ten hours of sleep! Thank You for the study on the book of James that was completed last night! Thank You for Mr. Fran opening his home up for us! Thank You for being with us yesterday through the chemo and waiting on the call from the surgeon! May You continue to be with our anxious spirits as we continue to wait. I pray for Doc with the side effects from the chemo being nasty this week. May You be his strength. I pray the same for my friend Mick who is recovering from another round of chemo. Lord, be greater than what they are experiencing in their bodies. I pray for Mike and my pastor friend who are dealing with cancer to feel Your strength. Lord, cleanse me this morning so You can fill me to overflowing with more of Your love. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day. May You shine brightly through me as I strive to live the life You desire of me. I pray You will continue to heal Grace and John after their procedures. Thank You for them both being released from the hospital. Lord, take me where You desire today in my studies. Open my eyes up to more of Your wisdom. Keep my focus on You as I explore Your Word. Thank You Jesus for being My Eternal Reward! Amen.