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

 

Eleven hours! How can a person sleep eleven hours when they have not done anything physical the day before?!?!? If my Daddy were alive, he would tell me I was going to get bedsores from being in bed so long. LOL. Maybe I'm just getting caught up from the craziness from before being self-quarantined. I do believe if that were the case I would have already been caught up. No matter why, God knew I needed it. I was reminded last night as I listened to Brother Dan preach that God knows the end at the beginning of our circumstances. What a great reminder! He already knows the outcome of every situation we find ourselves in. This makes me want to be even more intentional in living out II Timothy 1:7. It makes me desire to live out the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in a way that will show others how easy life is when we do not rely on self but instead rely on God. Brother Dan also said 'God is waiting on us to wait.' Wow! He is using this time of the coronavirus to stop us from the craziness life has become so we have time for things of Him that we have let go by the wayside. Praise His Holy Name for answering Brother Dan's prayers to have time with family yet be able to reach more people. That is happening through this time with his on-line revival. I praise Him for not feeling guilty about leaving Doc when I had to go to things because now those things are no longer. I praise Him for the worship music playing in our home again. I praise Him for being with my Momma and keeping her safe. I praise Him for times of seeing our grand babies over the computer that doesn't normally happen. I praise Him for giving me a deepening in my spirit to know Him better. There are so many things to praise Him during these days of unknown. Nothing is unknown to God. Once again I am reminded that He knows the end at the beginning of our circumstances. He knows we all have people in our lives who desire to go deeper with Him. He knows who is ready. He is waiting on us to wait on Him to reveal such things to us. He is waiting on us to be open to what He desires of us to do and say. He is waiting on us to be ready to go where He desires us to go. Plain and simple. He is waiting on us. Woo hoo! The enemy may try to use this coronavirus to tear people apart but God is using it to restore the spiritual lives of all of us. The words to Yes I Will are in my heart this 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
You're working all things out

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

Yes! He is working all things out during this time we are in. That is something He always does but sometimes we get in His way. Sometimes we try to manipulate circumstances to make things go the way we think they should. Shame on us! All we have to do is trust God. He knows what the best outcome is for all of us. All we have to do is wait on Him. That is what He is doing right now. He is waiting on us to wait on Him. He is waiting on us to trust Him through coronavirus, pancreatic cancer, and everything else going on in life. During this time we must go deeper in our faith and allow Him to work in and through us more than ever before. 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the eleven hours of rest last night! Thank You for people who send cards, drop off groceries, call, etc. to encourage us! Thank You for the resolution for Doc to get blood work without having to go to the hospital! Thank You for the day ahead where I am praying he has less pain! Thank You for guiding us and taking us deeper in our faith walk! Father, cleanse us so You can fill us with more of Your Holy Spirit. May we be more intentional in saying and doing what You desire throughout the day ahead. Thank You for continuing to protect my Momma! Thank You for our time 'being with' the grand babies via the internet over the weekend! Thank You for Brother Dan having time with family yet still being able to touch more people! I sure am enjoying this time of revival with him. Thank You, thank You, thank You for all the blessings You are showering us with! Thank You for friends who have sent checks for the church building rehab! It is so exciting to see it getting closer to being accomplished. You are a great, great Father! Lord, I pray for: Carletta to regain strength; Weston and his family to be protected while in the hospital along with Little Finn and his family; Momma, Grammy, Mr. Fran and other seniors who are alone; my friends in the assisted living facility to be protected along with the workers; those in the front-line as they serve our community; Dave and the others on Parris Island; and for the world to find Your peace. Thank You Father for being My Depth! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "It Is Well With My Soul"

Yesterday was such a wonderful day! I listened to several sets of worship throughout the day. Of course, my favorite was with Emily and Miss Evelyn leading worship for the Cardington Church of the Nazarene. It was extra special with my 'baby' Ben opening their service with prayer. That made my heart so proud and grateful. It was so cool how three of the worship sets had the song It Is Well With My Soul in them. The first verse speaks of the peace I feel right now in the storm of cancer in Doc's pancreas and the coronavirus in the world.

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll; 
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.

Yes! His peace is my peace because I have chosen to rely on Him with every aspect of my life. Last night with finishing my day with listening to Brother Dan Bohi speak about why he believes in healing, I was blessed again. I was reminded of the night God used him to heal me. What a blessing to walk into the church with a walker and dance out after the service. More than a physical healing, I received a healing in every aspect of my body that night. As I pondered on that God reminded me of something He brought to my mind last week as I felt like I wasn't getting any projects accomplished. I've done a lot of resting during this time of self-quarantine. I've also done a lot of things not of my 'normal' but I feel like I'm wasting time. I don't like to do that. This morning God reminded me about looking at every aspect of my life and setting goals. He reminded me that he gives all of us 168 hours in a week. If I desire to tithe of my time then I need to give back to Him 16.8 hours in a week. I normally surpass that number but I want to try surpassing it in all areas of my life. I pray for Him to touch me physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually. Therefore, I am going to be more intentional in all of those areas myself. I can't expect Him to bless me in an area I am not working on myself. I am standing in agreement with Him to strive to spend time on each of these areas daily in this new week ahead.

Physically - be more intentional on eating healthier and getting my goal of 8000 steps in 

Mentally - be more intentional in reading for knowledge instead of just for pleasure and memorize more Scripture

Emotionally - be more intentional encouraging others which in turn encourages me

Financially - strive to get the taxes done

Spiritually - be in His Word more and in prayer more

As I strive to do these things, God will speak more to me. He will become more real to me as I seek more of Him. I want to get to the end of this week knowing I was more intentional in loving with His love. The only way for that to happen is for me to be more intentional in living for Him. I want to get to the end of the each day and be able to say...

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Yes! Oh how He loves me so greatly and I love Him so greatly. He desires to bless me in abundance and I desire to live in a manner that is worthy of such blessings. Today starts a new week. I pray it will be a week filled with God moments like yesterday. I know the enemy will come knocking at my door but I do not have to fear his tactics. All I have to do is stand in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (II Timothy 1:7) as I live out God's love. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the many blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for the worship I listened to throughout the day yesterday! Thank You for Emily and Miss  Evelyn's blessing me with their worship along with Matt, Hope, and Jennifer and Gideon! Thank You for Doc's message yesterday morning and Brother Dan's message last night! Thank You for our FaceTime with Miss Bella! Thank You for Doc feeling better toward the end of the day! May You give him Your strength and empowerment throughout the day ahead. Cleanse me so You can fill me with Your Holy Spirit. May You empower me with Your love so You will flow from my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. Use me in a mighty way to encourage others. I pray for Amanda and her family as Freddie has surgery today; Carletta as she continues with her issues; and all of the people with the coronavirus and their families. May Your presence be felt by all of these ones. Open doors for all to see how we can encourage one another. Thank You Jesus for being The One To Bless Me! Amen.

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II Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 3:5-6 - "God's Not Done"

During the night when God woke me to pray it was not just for pastors but for a specific group. He had me pray for pastors who have lost ones in their flock yet can't be with families as they mourn. It is so sad to think about these circumstances. It makes my heart hurt to think of people who normally would call their pastor when a loved one dies and the pastor going to be with them...to comfort them...to help in whatever way possible. It also hurts my heart to think of how many people are alone in their last moments on this earth and how many people are alone in hospitals. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it is on parents who aren't allowed to be with their children who are hospitalized. I think about how many elderly people I would visit when I was a Hospital Chaplain who were so lonely. They looked forward to visits from myself and the other Chaplains. People need people. Phone calls, texts, emails, cards, etc. are not enough. We need human touch. This virus has taken so much from us but it can never take God away from us. My prayers also went to the pastors who preached last night or will this morning to more than ever before via the internet. God's Word is getting into people's lives that normally does not happen. Even in our little group we know of three people that watched last week that don't normally attend church. Woo hoo God! He will use our present 'bad' circumstances and turn them into something 'good' when we are open to His Holy Spirit. Pastors must be in relationship with Him where they not only hear His voice but walk in obedience to it. We must stand upon II Timothy 1:7 as He takes us into unknown territories in ministry. We must stand upon Proverbs 3:5-6 as we trust Him to lead us where He so desires. It is exciting to live such a life. There are times the enemy tries to throw in a curve ball but he is not who I follow. God is the Only One who has a say in my life. Oh how I pray for more people to die to self so God is on the throne of their heart.

Dear Jesus, 
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace! Thank You for our video chat with Ben's family yesterday! Thank You for waking me during the night to pray for pastors! Thank You for encouraging me to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and Proverbs 3:5-6! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day in a more intentional way. I pray for a better day for Doc. I pray You will relieve the pain in his stomach. Be with him as he preaches and encourage him through the sermon you have given him. I pray for wisdom for him with not having chemo this week. I also pray for all pastors who are finding a new rhythm to life right with all of the restrictions upon us. May each of them find Your peace in a mighty way. May all of us seek You for the desires of Your heart. Thank You for being My Pastor! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 91 - "Waymaker"

How in the world can it be Saturday already? Every day I think 'today will be the day I...' get one of my projects accomplished. Yet here it is the end of the week and I have not accomplished one of them. What did I do this week? I took time to listen to different people sing worship music, took Doc for a few car rides, took care of church business, made contact with people, mowed the yard, am on my third book with reading, picked strawberries, along with all the 'normal' stuff with cooking and cleaning. Most importantly we laughed and spent time together. Mordecei sure is enjoying all this time together. Yesterday as I read there are five positive cases for the virus in our zip code I was overwhelmed with a sense of panic for about two seconds. Thankfully God was right here to remind me I do not have to fear. I just need to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 in His empowerment. He gives peace. He gives His love to wrap around me in a way that is so encouraging. He gives His wisdom on making decisions. He gives exactly what I need when I need it. I was thinking about how many I've prayed Psalm 91 over yet I haven't prayed it over us for awhile. I've prayed it over Ben as he is out in the food banks, Homer and Darlene as they travel to Ohio, front-line workers, grocery store workers, Melissa and the others at the infusion lab...so many. Today I am praying it over Doc and I along with others who have compromised immune systems.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the promises of Your Word! Thank You protecting us throughout this time with the virus! Thank You for people who check on us, send us things in the mail, bring us groceries...the list goes on and on! Thank You for cleansing my spirit this morning so You can fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit! May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day in a more intentional way. Father, once again I pray Psalm 91 over not only others but for Doc and I. May Your protection go out over: those with compromised immune systems; Ben as he is in the food banks; those in the front-lines including medical personnel, police/fire, and grocery workers; Melissa and the others at the infusion lab; Homer and Darlene as they travel back to Ohio; my Momma, Mr Fran, and others who have home health workers coming into their homes; Dave and the others on Parris Island; Baby Evan who was born this week and his family; and so many others. Lord, help us to be more like You during these days. Empower us to see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears. Father, I pray today will be 'the' day to get a project done but most of all I pray for Your direction on how this day goes. Thank You Jesus for being My Waymaker! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 26 - "Oceans"

I have been finding a lot of insight and encouragement from the book of Isaiah these last couple of weeks. Today I read Isaiah 26 since today is the 26th day of the month. I read it in different versions. The NIV entitles it as A Song of Praise. In The Message it is entitled Stretch the Borders of Life. This morning God brought to my mind the words of Oceans that Hillsong sings.

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

What an encouragement to be a child of God, especially in the days we are living! The first few verses tell of the promise of life for those who accept Him into their heart. I love the way Matthew Henry describes the peace found in such a life.

Thou wilt keep him in peace; in perfect peace, inward peace, outward peace, peace with God, peace of conscience, peace at all times, in all events. Trust in the Lord for that peace, that portion, which will be for ever. Whatever we trust to the world for, it will last only for a moment; but those who trust in God shall not only find in him, but shall receive from him, strength that will carry them to that blessedness which is for ever. Let us then acknowledge him in all our ways, and rely on him in all trials.

These words remind me that I need to live out Proverbs 3:5-6 every day of my life. I need to trust God with every moment of my day and allow Him to guide me throughout every day. He is my empowerment as I live out II Timothy 1:7. Verses seven through ten in The Message read:

The path of right-living people is level.
    The Leveler evens the road for the right-living.
We’re in no hurry, God. We’re content to linger
    in the path sign-posted with your decisions.
Who you are and what you’ve done
    are all we’ll ever want.
Through the night my soul longs for you.
    Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you.
When your decisions are on public display,
    everyone learns how to live right.
If the wicked are shown grace,
    they don’t seem to get it.
In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living,
    blind to the splendor of God.

Yes! I am living these verses right now. I am so ready for the Lord to return. I am tired of cancer, coronavirus, abortion, homosexuality...the list goes on and on of things not of God. But there are many people not ready for His return. I need to get better at sharing the Hope of Christ with others so they can come into relationship with Him. I need to get better at sharing a life where you die to self and allow Him to be the Lord of Lords of your life. I need to get better at loving with His love. Plain and simple. I need to get better. Verses twenty and twenty-one speak volumes to me in the time we are living. Wow, God!

Come, my people, go home
    and shut yourselves in.
Go into seclusion for a while
    until the punishing wrath is past,
Because God is sure to come from his place
    to punish the wrong of the people on earth.
Earth itself will point out the bloodstains;
    it will show where the murdered have been hidden away.

Is shut yourselves in being quarantined? Is God punishing us for the sins of this world? Doc mentioned he is preaching Sunday on how we, as a nation, need to repent. Maybe God is preparing my heart for that message by bringing this Scripture to me this morning. I shall ponder on it more and seek His message through it.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for this message and song this morning that prompt me to seek more of You! Thank You for the enlightening You give through Your Word! Father, I pray for more of You and less of me. Cleanse me so You can fill me. I pray for Your Holy Spirit to come down upon me in a new, different way. May I love with Your love more intentionally than ever before. May I see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears. Lord, may I be Your hands and feet more than ever before in my life. Father, I pray for Doc to have healing in his body. I pray he will not be sick today like yesterday. I pray You will be his Healer from the tip of his head to the tip of his toes. Thank You for: Kim being discharged from the hospital; David getting through the first radiation treatments; Audrey feeling better and hopefully getting discharged; Carletta continuing to seek You in her time of physical ailment; and many others who are struggling with illness including those with the coronavirus. May You continue to use Your servants to love on people during these tough days. Even though we cannot be with people physically I pray You will encourage us to be creative in the way we can still fulfill our purpose on this earth. Thank You Jesus for being My Leveler! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Holy Water"

The Lord woke me at 2:45AM with an urgency to pray for those in the front-lines. Doctors, nurses, x-ray technicians, lab technicians, fire personnel, EMS workers, police, etc. After praying for them He had me pray for grocery store workers who not only are in the public but have to deal with the public. Many people are stressed over what is going on and not acting nice. When I finished praying, I thought about how praying is perhaps the only thing that is 'normal' in my life. It is difficult to not be out and about loving on people. It was so good to have Bible study last night even though it was done through the internet. I still was able to 'see' people and hear their voices. That filled my emotional tank up fast! I'm so bummed my Momma's laptop isn't working right. I can't imagine being alone and then having my laptop not work. She is like me and a people person. Not being able to be connected to people is tough. Thankfully she still has her phone! If nothing else, this time of life we are experiencing right now has taught us all how dependent we have become on technology and the things in life that make life 'easier' for us. Hopefully, people are realizing Jesus is what we need to be dependent upon. He is what will make life 'easier' for us. That does not mean life will be easy but it does mean He will be our strength to get through such times. Coronavirus is just another thing to add to my list of things the Lord saw me through. I thought MS, breast cancer, hurricanes, and cancer in my husband's pancreas were big things but this virus is pretty big. I will continue standing on II Timothy 1:7 in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. I will not fear today or the days ahead. I will allow God to love others through me in an intentional way. I will ask Him to keep my focus on Him so I can not only hear His voice but walk in obedience to it. 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the opportunities You gave me yesterday to love on people! Thank You for the opportunities You are going to give me today! Thank You for waking me in the night to pray! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words/actions so people will hear/see You through me today in a more intentional way. Thank You for the box of chocolate chips from Cathy and the masks from Dorothy yesterday! Thank You for the words of encouragement given by many through texts and messages on Facebook! Thank You for Doc being up more yesterday and able to accomplish some things he has been wanting to do! May You continue to be his strength! Father, I pray for those who are going through some difficult situations right now. Dave; David; Dakota; Martha; Carletta; Freddie and his father-in-law; my Momma; everyone quarantined; those who have tested positive for the virus and their families; those who have lost jobs due to the virus; pastors and church leaders as they are working toward keeping the flock together in such times and preparing for Sunday services; and again for those working on the front-lines. Lord, I pray blessings over Joshua today with his appointment. Father, draw us closer to You. Enable all to see You are who we need to depend upon every day, not just these days of uncertainty. Lord, help me to be more motivated today! Thank You for being My Focus! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Isaiah 43:2, 41:10, 40:31; II Cor 4 - "I Am Not Alone"

God knows I'm struggling. That is why He gave me a song Kari Jobe sings to start my day. These words are words that I needed to let seep into my spirit so the enemy will not have an open door into my life.

When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I'm standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

Yes! No matter what I am going through, He is with me. No matter how much I feel disconnected from people, He is with me. No matter how hard it is at times to keep on breathing, He is with me. Plain and simple. He is with me. I must never forget that! Loneliness can produce fear. I need to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 in a more intentional way in these days. As I do, the Holy Spirit will empower me over loneliness. He will empower me to stand upon God's love and to have His wisdom. He will empower me to see through God's eyes. This will enable me to see how I can help others even when I feel alone. When I focus on God instead of myself, I am focusing on eternal life. I was thinking this morning about how it seems like the book of Isaiah is full of encouragement. This song is based on Isaiah 43:2.

Another one from Isaiah that comforts me is Isaiah 41:10...

Isaiah 40:31 was part of my sermon Sunday. It gives me hope in trying days...

Yes! God is so good at loving on me exactly how I need to be loved on. He is so good at knowing what I need to fill my spiritual tank. He is so good with giving me a song and taking me to Scripture that encourages me greatly. Plain and simple. God is so good. I know I can't be the only one who struggles with loneliness. I also know God is there to get us through such times. Paul's words in II Corinthians 4 encourage me to not give up when I struggle. In The Passion Translation it reads:

7 We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that the extraordinary overflow of power will be seen as God’s, not ours. 8 Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. 9 We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out. 10 We continually share in the death of Jesus in our own bodies so that the resurrection life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. 11 We consider living to mean that we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. 12 So, then, death is at work in us but it releases life in you.

13 We have the same Spirit of faith that is described in the Scriptures when it says,

“First I believed, then I spoke in faith.”

So we also first believe then speak in faith. 14 We do this because we are convinced that he who raised Jesus will raise us up with him, and together we will all be brought into his presence. 15 Yes, all things work for your enrichment so that more of God’s marvelous grace will spread to more and more people, resulting in an even greater increase of praise to God, bringing him even more glory!

16 So no wonder we don’t give up. For even though our outer person gradually wears out, our inner being is renewed every single day. 17 We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison, 18 because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.

Yes! We can't give up! We must stay focused on the eternal prize of life with Christ. I love the reminder of "First I believed, then I spoke in faith." As I live out this type of life, others will come into relationship with Him. That is my goal. That should be the goal for all believers. Oh how we all need to get better at living out our faith. Matthew Henry wrote of verses thirteen through eighteen of II Corinthians 4...

The grace of faith is an effectual remedy against fainting in times of trouble. They knew that Christ was raised, and that his resurrection was an earnest and assurance of theirs. The hope of this resurrection will encourage in a suffering day, and set us above the fear of death. Also, their sufferings were for the advantage of the church, and to God's glory. The sufferings of Christ's ministers, as well as their preaching and conversation, are for the good of the church and the glory of God. The prospect of eternal life and happiness was their support and comfort. What sense was ready to pronounce heavy and long, grievous and tedious, faith perceived to be light and short, and but for a moment. The weight of all temporal afflictions was lightness itself, while the glory to come was a substance, weighty, and lasting beyond description. If the apostle could call his heavy and long-continued trials light, and but for a moment, what must our trifling difficulties be! Faith enables to make this right judgment of things. There are unseen things, as well as things that are seen. And there is this vast difference between them; unseen things are eternal, seen things but temporal, or temporary only. Let us then look off from the things which are seen; let us cease to seek for worldly advantages, or to fear present distresses. Let us give diligence to make our future happiness sure.

Yes! We must stay focused on eternal life with Him and not allow the enemy any open door during these trying days. We must allow Him to use us in the manner He desires to be the most effective for Him. Today is a new day and I will strive to be more intentional in living as He desires and be creative in how I love on people with His love. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this song and the Scripture You blessed me with this morning! Thank You for reminding me I Am Not Alone during these trying days! Thank You for the opportunities You put before me yesterday to love on people and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for the physical strength You provided for me to get the yard mowed yesterday and for Doc to get the mopping done while I was outside! Thank You for giving him what he needs physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually to get through these trying days! Father, we continue to pray for a healing in his body while one this earth. May it be so. Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be seen/heard through me today in a more intentional way. I pray for David as he has his first radiation treatment this morning; Kim, Audrey, and Wayne as they are in the hospital. May You be their Healer and their Protector. Thank You for being My Focus! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 29:11-12; Psalm 89:15-18 - "My Life Is In You"

The Lord woke me at 5:30 with an urgency in my spirit to pray for those on the front-line in the medical field. He had me pray for doctors, nurses, x-ray technicians, lab personnel, EMS workers, emergency room personnel, etc. He had me pray for those who were working around the clock and those with families who are not going home for fear of taking the virus home to them. He told me there are some who will not see their families for months due to the virus. He reminded me to pray for those in a picture I saw yesterday of grandparents looking through the window at their new grand baby. He also had me pray for the workers and residents in nursing homes as the residents are not allowed visitors. As of yesterday our hospital is following the same protocol and He had me pray for those patients. He also had me pray for patients in hospitals for protection over the virus. Last night when we heard about our hospital I told Doc I probably won't be allowed with him next week at chemo. He told me he doesn't think he will go even if told to. He said he doesn't think he will go to the hospital for labs nor the oncologist appointment either. These days are ones with tough decisions being made. Thankfully we can pray and seek God's wisdom with such things. We do not have to make any decision on our own. We can stand in II Timothy 1:7 with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as we stand on Proverbs 3:5-6 in trusting Him to direct us. Woo hoo! As we do, we are also standing on Jeremiah 29:11-12. They read in the Common English Bible:

I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you.

Yes! We have His peace as we seek His wisdom. We have hope in Him as we live in His presence. I am reminded of words from Sunday's sermon that I need to adhere to throughout this day and every day ahead. God’s promises to David in Psalm 89:15-18 in The Passion Translation read.

O Lord, how blessed are the people
who experience the shout of worship,
for they walk in the radiance of your presence.
¹⁶ We can do nothing but leap for joy all day long,
for we know who you are and what you do,
and you’ve exalted us on high.
¹⁷ The glory of your splendor is our strength,
and your marvelous favor makes us even stronger, lifting us even higher!
¹⁸ You are our King, the holiest one of all;your wrap-around presence is our protection.

I need to experience the shout of worship, walk in the radiance of His presence, leap for joy all day long, stand in the glory of His splendor allowing His favor to strengthen me, and allow Him to protect me. Woo hoo! Yes! This is exactly what I need to do. As I do, I will not only hear Him but I will listen to Him. As I do, He will not only hear me but will listen to my prayers. Woo hoo! THIS! Woo hoo! I want others to experience what I am experiencing. My heart breaks for those who are have no hope in their life. God is My Hope. He is My Strength. He is My Peace. He is My Greatest Love. I am praying for more people to realize such a life. I am praying for more people to come into relationship with Him but also for those already in relationship with Him to get to the end of themselves so He will not only be the King of Kings but the Lord of Lords of their life.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for waking me at 5:30 to pray for first responders! Thank You for the sacrifice they are making! Thank You for the way You give wisdom to us! Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me with Your Holy Spirit so You can use me as Your faithful servant! Thank You for Doc being up some yesterday and even taking a walk around the outside of the house! Thank You for continuing to be his strength as we wait on Your healing! Father, I pray for Your wisdom, peace, and strength to be his in a more intentional way today than ever before. I pray the same for many who are struggling through these days. Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually. May more people get to the end of themselves and allow You to be the Lord of Lords over their life. Father, go before me and help me to not feel useless during these days that are so different. Even though I did get things accomplished and contacted many yesterday I still felt at the end of the day that I was not productive. I think I set my mind on too big of goals for each day and when they aren't met I am disappointed. I pray You will keep my focus on what You desire of me and be content with what You accomplish through me. Woo hoo! I am in Your hands to be Your hands and feet. May You work mightily through me in the day ahead. Thank You for being My Life! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 40:27-31 - "In Christ"

These days are not 'normal' but that does not mean they are 'bad'! Yesterday was an experience I would never have had if it were not for our present situation. I was apprehensive in doing a live feed on Facebook and was glad when it was over. I would much rather preach to live people who interact with me but it all worked out. Even after all of our work on Saturday to get things 'right' it was still messed up by being sideways. But I will not focus on the negative but instead on the positive! There were people who were reached that do not go to church. There were people who were reached that due to work schedules miss hearing the Word. There were people who were reached who were feeling hopeless. Plain and simple. There were people reached. Yesterday many pastors did the live stream for the first time. Some had internet issues. That should not surprise any of us. God was winning and the enemy was at a loss. Woo hoo! I am so grateful for all who did not put their head in the sand but instead got creative in sharing His Word. I also am so grateful for the words of encouragement people are giving pastors during these different times. I am so grateful for the churches who are leaving the building to minister to people. Plain and simple. I am so grateful and am standing upon II Timothy 1:7 today in a more intentional way so I can live out Psalm 40:27-31.

²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Yes! Woo hoo! I desire to soar on wings like eagles...run and not grow weary...walk and not be faint! I am holding onto the promises of God's Word that tell me He is My Strength! As I allow the empowerment of the Holy Spirit have free reign in my life, people will see/hear Him through me. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the privilege to bring Your Word yesterday! Thank You for the ones who have listened to not only me but other pastors! Thank You for the seeds that were planted! May we see great fruit come from this time. I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today in a more intentional way. May You guide me to do what You desire of me through this time of being self-quarantined. May You be Doc's healer today in a mighty way. May his pain be less and his stomach calmed. Thank You Jesus for being My Strength! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "I Refuse"

There are many pastors doing something different today than they have ever done before. Different is not always 'easy' but instead it can be challenging. This morning I am a bit apprehensive with the new experience ahead. I love to preach and feel comfortable doing what God has called me to do. But my comfortable place is with a group of people I can see and interact with. It is not in front of a camera without a live audience. It is a bit like when I had to video sermons for my classes. At least then I had people in an audience except for the time the camera didn't work. Yesterday I was reminded of two very important things I need to remember. One came from the sermon itself. We do not have to fear being a failure because God can’t fail! The second came from a dear friend. Just an audience of one, right? God will be with me just as He always is. I do not have to fear messing up. All I have to do is present what He has given me. As I stand upon II Timothy 1:7 the Holy Spirit will empower me. His strength is my strength. I am praying His love will flow out of me in such a way people will see/hear Him and not me. I pray the same for all pastors preaching through this avenue today. During the night I prayed for those who were feeling 'a bit off' with this. I prayed they would feel His empowerment and strength. I prayed for the enemy to be knocked down and the Lord glorified even if things go different than any of us desire. This avenue is one that can reach people otherwise not reachable. I prayed throughout the night for Him to glorified through every Bible preaching sermon brought forth today. No matter what format it is given through. I prayed for those who will have the opportunity to teach Sunday School to be blessed in abundance. I prayed for churches with praise teams or worship leaders to bring music that is inviting to people. All of my prayers included for God to be glorified. My sermon is entitled The Best of Times, The Worst of Times...The Choice Is Yours. Pastors have a choice to make as we minister to people through these days that are so different. We can get creative in how we can share His love without being with people in person or we can put our heads in the sand until it's over. One thing is for certain. The only way the desire of God's heart will be accomplished is by us standing in His strength and empowerment. We can not only listen to His voice but must walk in obedience to it. The words to a song Josh Wilson sings come to my mind this morning...

'Cause I don't want to live like I don't care.
I don't want to say another empty prayer.
I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.

Yes! I refuse to allow the enemy any open door into my life. I refuse to allow the coronavirus from stopping me from doing what God has called me to do. I refuse to fear and instead will continue to stand upon His empowerment. Plain and simple. I refuse.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the ten hours of sleep last night! Thank You for being with us yesterday as we had to find a tripod! Thank You for the way Staples was protecting their customers with curb side service! Thank You for giving us a time for lunch in the car at The Sands! Your creation is so beautiful! Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me! May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day. May You knock the enemy down when he comes knocking at my door trying to put fear upon me over this morning. I will continue to stand upon II Timothy 1:7. Your empowerment and strength is what I desire. Father, be with Doc today not only in his physical body but also in his emotional, mental, financial, and most of all his spiritual bodies. May You be His Healer in a mighty way today, May His pain and fatigue be less. Father, I continue to pray for all in these days of uncertainty to know You are there for them. I pray for people to get to the end of themselves so they will not only accept You into their heart but also allow You to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over their life. Thank You for being My Choice! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Waymaker"

Being in bed for ten hours should make one feel rested but with being awake three of those hours I sure don't feel that way. After praying for everyone and everything that came to my mind I asked God to let me go back to sleep but that didn't happen. I struggled with what I was missing. I cried out to Him to reveal to me whatever it was and nothing happened. I felt discouraged and realized the enemy would pounce on discouragement in a heartbeat. The beginning of the song Waymaker kept going over and over in my mind...

You are here, working in this place
I worship You, I worship You

Yes! All I need to do is to worship Him. I need to speak Scripture, sing, praise Him, etc. when life starts becoming overwhelming. I need to allow Him to calm my Spirit from the things that go through my mind. I need to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 and not fret over the present circumstances. I need to make sure I do not give the enemy an open door into my life. I have heard some people say the coronavirus is the devil. If that is true, I sure do not want to give him an open door into my home. It is weird to not be packing up lunch and supplies and heading to the building to paint today. It will be different tomorrow to not gather as a church body. But we are living in different times and life is not as we usually know it. The one thing that is not different is God. He is here for me no matter what time of the day or night. He is my...

Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness
My God, that is who You are
Waymaker, Miracle Worker
Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness
My God, that is who You are

Yes! He is all of these to me. I love the part of the song that goes...

You are here, touching every heart
I worship You, I worship You
You are here, healing every heart
I worship You, I worship You
You are here, mending every heart
I worship You, I worship You
You are here, turning lives around
I worship You, I worship You

Yes! He touches me every minute of the day/night. He heals me. He mends by broken heart. He turns my life around. Praise His Holy Name! Oh how I am praying for His healing over our land in a mighty way. We believers need to step up our game on bringing His love to others throughout these tough days with this virus. We must get creative in how to do that without physical contact during this time of social distancing. We must allow Him to reveal to us opportunities to do so. People need God every day but when life is going along as normal they don't realize it. It takes such circumstances as we are currently in for them to get to the end of themselves. God is the Answer for all. It just has to be the right time for people to accept Him. I believe now is that time. 

cDear Jesus,

Thank You for the ways You loved on me yesterday and throughout the night! Thank You for the people You brought to my mind to pray for during the night! Thank You for giving Doc strength for another day! Father, may his pain be less today and may He feel Your presence in a mighty way. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. I pray for opportunities to love with Your love even from the walls of my home. I pray for calmness in my spirit over things that are weighing heavy on my heart. I continue to pray for the physical needs of those who had surgery this week. Jan and the young father/husband who had serious eye surgery. I also pray for those with comprised immune systems to be protected from the virus. May them and their families make wise decisions. I pray for those who have had recent deaths yet due to the virus cannot have funerals. May You be Michelle and others comfort. Lord, be greater than this virus. I pray all of us to be on our knees in repentance every day. May more believers come into relationship with You where You are not only their King of Kings but You are their Lord of Lords. May they die to self so You can live in and through them. Lord, help us all to live more in the manner You desire. I am sorry when I mess up or when I miss an opportunity put before me. Thank You for giving second chances! Thank You for being My Waymaker! Amen.