II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 150 - "Best News Ever"

God woke me up this morning to the words to Mercy Me's song called Best News Ever. He knew I needed encouraged after the day we had yesterday.

What if I were the one to tell you
That the fight's already been won
Well, I think your day's about to get better
What if I were the one to tell you
That the work's already been done
It's not good news
It's the best news ever
Best news ever

So won't you, come
Come all you weary and you burdened
You heavy-laden and you hurting
For all of you with nothing left
Come and find rest!

He provided me with rest yesterday as I soaked in Him. There was nothing that 'had' to be done and I took advantage of that by not doing a whole lot of anything. I did some computer work but it wasn't anything that took much thinking, read for pleasure, watched TV with my hubby, and relaxed. My Momma said she always heard Mondays were suppose to be 'take it easy' days for pastors. Since I preached Sunday I told her I was going to listen to her. My time with God yesterday morning was a carry-over from my sermon on praising Him. I'm so grateful He reminded me of that as the fatigue set in my body. I'm grateful for the reminder as I watched Doc not be able to keep even liquids in. I'm grateful for the reminder when I found out some disturbing news about a loved one. Plain and simple. I'm grateful. There is peace in knowing God is in control of everything. I will continue to praise Him through the 'tough' days as well as the 'good' days. Just as I said in my sermon Sunday, praising Him is not an option...it is our responsibility! I want to always remember what Matt Maher wrote about praise. Praise isn’t something that we do to avoid our problems. Praise is the way through our problems. Yes! I will strive to praise Him no matter what happens in the day ahead. Yesterday when I received the check from the insurance company for the replacement tires on the Honda I praised Him! When I made a decent pie crust for Doc's quiche, I praised Him! When a friend told me her and her husband found a church home, I praised Him! Once again the Lord has taken me back to Psalm 150 this morning. He reminded me of the richness in this Psalm. I was reading some notes in The Voice that are interesting about the book of Psalm and specifically about Psalm 150. At the beginning of Psalm 150 it reads:

If Psalm 150 is any indication, then the worship of the one True God ought to be full of life and energy. Consider what it must have looked and sounded like in those days: voices lifted, shouting for joy, trumpets blaring, stringed instruments playing, people dancing, pipes humming, tambourines keeping rhythm, cymbals crashing. There are times when worship ought to break out in joy. Is it possible that our worship is too quiet, too reserved, too structured?

I am so missing corporate worship due to the COVID-19 but it doesn't stop me from having a personal time of worship. I love to turn on Christian music and let it flow in and through me! I've enjoyed listening to different ones share their singing on Facebook during the COVID-19 time without corporate church services. It has taken me a long time to adjust to not having live music in our corporate church services and I pray that changes in the near future. There is such freedom with live music that you don't have with 'canned' music. I pray God will send musicians to us sooner than later. This is written at the end of Psalm 150:

This doxology not only closes Book Five, but it also closes the entire Book of Psalms. Up until now, the songs in this book have reminded us of all the reasons we should praise God. Some songs have even commanded us to praise Him. But this closing remark takes the command to praise one step further: everything alive—humans, animals, and heaven’s creatures—must praise Him. Praise is what God created us to do; it is one of our highest purposes in life. So it is no wonder that the longest book of the Bible is purely devoted to helping us do just that.

This reminded me of something I read and shared in my sermon about Psalm 150:

Praise is the theme of each of these psalms. It is like a mounting crescendo at the climax of a great symphony. The theme of praise has dominated all the psalms, but as the end approaches, the “conductor” brings in each section of the orchestra in one grand finale of praise. Psalm 150 is the climax of the climax, where we are exhorted 13 times in six short verses to praise the Lord. It is telling us that ...

 God’s people should be caught up with praising Him.

Yes! We need to remember to praise Him with every breath He blesses us with. We need to lift Him up in our thoughts and words at all time. I love this word picture of an orchestra coming altogether for a grand finale. A few months ago our friends took us to my first orchestra event. Wow! Watching all the different instruments come together and making such beautiful music was a treat! I get a picture of how our Heavenly Father must be in awe of us as we praise Him. Woo hoo! I asked the question on Sunday, 'How can we praise God through tough days?' The answer remains the same. We need to praise Him through these days and allow Him to work in and through us to accomplish His will. We must remember…praising God is not an option…it is our responsibility! The more we get our focus on Him, the more we will praise Him. The more we allow Him to empower us through His love by the Holy Spirit as II Timothy 1:7 tells us, the more we will praise Him. The more we live a Christ-like life, the more we will praise Him. The deeper we go in our walk of obedience with Him, the more we will praise Him. The desire of my heart is to praise Him more every day with every breath that He blesses me with.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the day of rest yesterday! Thank You for the fatigue that brought about the day of rest! Thank You for the way You are going to be with Doc today! Oh how I pray he feels better. I pray what he eats stays in. I also pray against pain in his body and against anything harmful that he may come in contact with as he goes for blood work. Lord, I pray for my friend who received 'bad' blood work results and needs to adjust his eating and exercise. May You give him Your wisdom. I pray for families who are going through difficult days to seek You. Lord, I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. Lord, be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day. I am praising you in advance for some prayers to be answered in regard to: the church building rehab; Doc to be able to be out of bed and functioning; David as he heals from the bike accident; emotional healing for my friend Tricia; physical healing in my friend Linda who had surgery yesterday; and the MS tingling I am experiencing. Thank You for not only being My Good News but My Best News! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 150; Numbers 6:24-26 - "Alive & Breathing"

The Lord woke me with the words to Matt Maher's song Alive & Breathing going through my head.

Awake, awake, awake my soul 
Joy still comes in the morning 
Hope still walks with the hurting 
If you're still alive and breathing 
Praise the Lord 

Yes! Joy...hope...If you're still alive and breathing...Praise the Lord! I mentioned this in my sermon yesterday. I failed to write down who wrote this about the last five Psalms but it is so good:

Praise is the theme of each of these psalms. It is like a mounting crescendo at the climax of a great symphony. The theme of praise has dominated all the psalms, but as the end approaches, the “conductor” brings in each section of the orchestra in one grand finale of praise. Psalm 150 is the climax of the climax, where we are exhorted 13 times in six short verses to praise the Lord. It is telling us that ...

God’s people should be caught up with praising Him.

Woo hoo! Yes! Praise should be a natural part of life. It should flow from our lips as easy as any words we say. We can go through difficult days on this earth but we still need to praise God. How? Why? Will it make a difference? Yes! We can praise Him through difficult times by living a life of praise. We need to see the glass half full instead of half empty. As we do, our focus will be on Him instead of ourselves. We need to praise Him through these days and allow Him to work in and through us to accomplish His will. Praising God is not an option...it is our responsibility! I could start my week off grumbling about a lot of things but I refuse to give the enemy an open door into my life. Instead I will start it off praising God and giving Him an open door into filling me with more of Himself! I praise Him for...

• nine hours of uninterrupted sleep
• Doc being able to eat a little yesterday, getting up for church, and walking around the outside of the house once
• God giving me a sermon that He desired to be presented and for all who heard it
• the week ahead with no chemo and only two doctor appointments
• friends who bless us by taking the trash, picking up items we need at Sam's Club, and encouraging us
• the tires being replaced last week on the Honda so I don't have to be concerned with driving on the 'doughnut'
• the way God speaks to me through songs, Scripture, other people, dreams, etc.
• our Sunday School class that was so enlightening yesterday
• giving me II Timothy 1:7 to stand upon so I do not have to fear the days ahead but instead can stand in His love
• giving me a heart for people
• the generous donation for the Building Fund and the kitchen appliances donated for the building
• the electrical contractor who will finish the work needed to progression to happen at the building
• encouraging me a few years ago to follow His call to preach
• the date of August 2 being set for Ordination

So, so many things to praise Him for...so, so many! I will continue to remember Psalm 150 this week so I do not forget to praise Him no matter what is happening! When difficulties come, I will remember Matt Maher's words. Praise isn’t something that we do to avoid our problems. Praise is the way through our problems. Yes! I will also not forget what Psalm 150 teaches me on how to praise God. I will praise Him with...a strong faith; holy love and delight; confidence in Him; a belief that He is greater than the powers of darkness; respect to all His commands; cheerful submission to His will; rejoicing in His love and goodness; sharing His salvation for all; and having hope and expectation of eternal life with Him! Woo hoo! Yes! I will be more intentional on living a life of praise!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for all the blessings You give us! Thank You for the way You love us so greatly! Lord, You are so good! Your love is so wonderful! Your empowerment is so mighty! Woo hoo! Praise Your Holy Name! Lord, I pray today will be a better day for Doc. I pray he can eat without issues and be able to be up and around more. I pray He will feel Your strength in a new, different way. Lord, I pray for Your healing touch upon him. I pray that healing touch to be upon David as he heals from the accident; my sister Linda as she deals with intense pain; Billie as she recuperate from surgery; Craig as he continues therapy; and so many others going through difficult times. Lord, I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so I can be full of You. I pray You ooze out of me in a more intentional way than ever before. Father, I do not know what is ahead in this day but You do. I pray it will include many opportunities to love on people with Your love. Father, thank You for being The One I Praise! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 5 - "Jesus To The World"

Oh how I love Saturday nights with the way God wakes me to pray for pastors. Not only did He have me pray last night but He also gave me Scripture with a message for pastors. Ephesians 5 has great words for all people to follow but during the night He told me to share it with pastors. This chapter is divided into four sections in The Passion Translation. They are: Living in God's Love; Living in God's Light; Living in God's Wisdom; and Loving Relationships. As we follow these ways of living we will set the example for others on how to live. It is crucial for people to see those who call themselves Christians to live in this manner so they will desire to come into relationship with Him. 

Living in God's Love (vs 1-5) means living a life of holiness where His love flows in and through us. I love how His love is described in verse two as an aroma of adoration--a sweet healing fragrance. Woo hoo! We must live a life of His love if we desire to live with Him for eternity.

Living in God's Light (vs 6-14) means He will shine brightly through us as we allow Him. Verse eight reads: Once your life was full of sin's darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him. Your mission is to live as children flooded with revelation-light! As we allow Him to shine through us people will see the supernatural fruits of His light...goodness, righteousness, and truth (vs 9) in us.

Living in God's Wisdom (vs 15-21) means as we live in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we will have His wisdom. As we live in His wisdom we will be blessed with His joy. We need to remember to give thanks to Him for all of the ways He blesses us as we live for Him. I love verse sixteen which reads: Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for His purposes. Yes! That is exactly how I strive to live my life.

Loving Relationships (vs 22-32) shows how we are to live out all of our relationships in His love. If the pastor isn't living in such manner, how can they expect their people to do so? We must set the right example in our homes before we can set the right example in our church. We also must remember we, the church, are the bride of Christ. Verse twenty-seven reads:  All that He does in us is designed to make us a mature church for His pleasure, until we become a source of praise to Him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw.

He had me pray for all to take heed of these Scripture but especially for pastors to ponder upon them. He told me "there are too many pastors not striving to live a life of holiness and He needs them to realize it before it's too late." He said He "needs them to get to the end of themselves so He can empower them to be who He desires them to be." I thought of II Timothy 1:7 at that point in time. We do not have to be afraid to live a life as He desires. When we do, He will empower us to be who He has called us to be. We do not have to fret or worry over what people will do or say when we follow His will. He already has everything taken care of and knows the end result. Woo hoo! All we have to do is follow His example as NewSong's Jesus To The World tells of...

We need to be lambs that roar
We need to be eagles that soar
We need to be salt
We need to be light
We need to be Jesus to the world

We need to take love into the streets
Be willing to turn the other cheek 
We need to be strong
We need to be weak
We need to be Jesus
Jesus to the world

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for another Saturday night of praying for pastors! Thank You for giving me this Scripture to share! Thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy that You shower upon me! Thank You for my pastor/husband who needs to feel Your presence so greatly in his life! May today be a better day for Doc physically, mentally, and emotionally. May he see You in a new, different light in the day ahead. Father, I pray for a cleansing in my soul so You can fill me to overflowing with Yourself. I pray You will speak clearly through the message You gave me to give this morning. I pray the same for all pastors but especially for Pastor James as he fills the pulpit this morning and Pastor Scott with Billie's surgery this week. I pray for pastors who are regathering today for the first time since the COVID-19 hit. May You be their Peace in the midst of the situations they are going to face. May they remember You already know the outcome and rest in that knowledge. Father, I pray for decisions that need made by pastors regarding this pandemic to be made in Your wisdom. I pray for people to realize the heavy burdens pastors are dealing with during this time. Thank You Father for the generous monetary donation we received for the Building Fund yesterday! I pray You will continue to be with us in this process. I pray You will light a fire under the electrical contractor so work can continue. May we get into our building sooner than later. Thank You Jesus for being My Example to Follow! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Almost Home"

Cancer stinks! He sucks the life out of you and your loved ones. It is so hard to live with yet God continues to give us strength. Yesterday that strength came in the form of a man by the name of Jose. He encouraged me by sharing his story of having stage 3 cancer that had spread to two other parts of his body over the last eight years. As he shared his story, he praised God for every day of life given to him. He praised Him for his wife who took care of their four children while caring for him. I praised God for Jose's story and for seeing him working a full-time job even after going through all of this. God reminded me of my friend Billie who just had a mastectomy this week as a precaution due to her situation. He had me pray for her as she recuperates along with her family. She stays so positive and encourages me greatly. He reminded me of Shari who had a biopsy this week after being told she had lung cancer. The result was NO cancer. Woo hoo! I'm so grateful for those results for her. My prayer list of people with cancer is so, so long. Sometimes it is overwhelming to go through but I never stop praying for miracles to happen in people's lives. My God is still in the miracle making business. He still gives hope. I was reminded yesterday of something Doc says frequently. 'As long as I have breathe, there is hope.' Yes! God continues to give us exactly what we need to get through each day. Yesterday when the pump came off a patch was put on his stomach for 24 hours. I don't know if it is from the pump or the patch but he has been miserable. It's so hard to see him in this state. It's hard to not be able to help ease his pain and discomfort. It's hard to be up multiple times during the night. Plain and simple. It's hard. But thank God we have Him to depend on. I will stand in His love and empowerment as Paul talks of in II Timothy 1:7 to not just get through the day ahead but to shine brightly for Him. I will not allow the enemy to creep in with doubts and fears but instead will allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen me. God woke me up with the song Almost Home and the tears are falling. This song is sad yet it gives hope. Our time on this earth is short-term. When we are in relationship with God, our time with Him is long-term. Praise His Holy Name for that knowledge!

Well this road will be hard
But we win in the end
Simply because of Jesus in us
It's not if but when
So take joy in the journey
Even when it feels long
Oh find strength in each step
Knowing heaven is cheering you on

We are almost home
Brother it won't be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your empowerment to not just get through the day ahead but to shine for You! Thank You for the strength You are going to give both of us physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually! Thank You for being with Doc as he goes through these awful side effects! Lord, may You be greater than his issues today. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with Yourself. May You be seen/heard in my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. Lord, be with all of those who are dealing with cancer and/or treatments. My list is so long but Father I especially want to remember: Jose as he blessed me yesterday with his testimony; Billie as she recuperates from surgery; Linda as she finishes up treatments; and so many others. I also pray blessings upon David and his family from the bike accident and so many who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Lord, may Your presence be with them in a mighty way. I especially ask for Your presence to be with Nurse Sybil Freeman's family and friends as they grieve her loss from COVID-19 and for Matt and Stephanie's loss with his grandmother's death. Lord, be greater than their hurts. 

Thank You for being My Home! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 43 - "Amen"

Wow! God is so amazing! Eleven hours of sleep without Mordecei getting me up is wonderful! If my Daddy were still with us, he would say I was going to get bed sores...lol. I love the way my Heavenly Daddy blesses me! This morning He has the song Amen going through my mind and told me to read Psalm 43. I asked Him why He usually has me read from the book of Psalm and He replied, "There is great richness about being in true relationship with me. I desire you to go deeper in our relationship." Alrighty then. I love to do as He desires. I also love the way He gives me Scripture and a song that go hand-in-hand! This Psalm reads in The Passion Translation:

For the Pure and Shining One, by the prophetic singers of Korah’s clan
A contemplative poem for instruction
1 God, clear my name.
Plead my case against the unjust charges
of these ungodly workers of wickedness.
Deliver me from these lying degenerates.
2 For you are where my strength comes from and my protector,
so why would you leave me now?
Must I be covered with gloom
while the enemy comes after me, gloating with glee?
3 Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak!
Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth!
Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path,
showing the way into your burning presence,
into your many sanctuaries of holiness.
4 Then I will come closer to your very altar
until I come before you, the God of my ecstatic joy!
I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart,
to you, my God, my magnificent God!
5 Then I will say to my soul,
“Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed,
for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.
Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.”
Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

David wrote this Psalm to show how he desired to be still before the Lord. He shows the hope and confidence he had in God. In the beginning of the Psalm, David prays for God to deliver him so he is not like his enemies. He knows God is there for him no matter what. Matthew Henry writes of this Psalm:

Let us pray earnestly, that the Lord would send forth the truth of his word, and the light of his Spirit, to guide us into the way of holiness, peace, and salvation. The desire of the Christian, like that of the prophet in distress, is to be saved from sin as well as sorrow; to be taught in the way of righteousness by the light of heavenly wisdom, shining in Jesus Christ, and to be led by this light and truth to the New Jerusalem.

Amen! This is the prayer on my heart. I desire God to lead me in a life of obedience to His will. I love how this song goes...

What You did
Has given me a hope forever
What You do
Has shown me you will never leave

Even if I tried I couldn't count the ways
Not enough words for me to ever say
Just how good, how good You are to me

How could I hide this joy inside of me
Amazing grace, oh Lord, how can it be
Every day of my life I want the world to see
I can't get over what You've done for me
You got me singing like
Amen
Amen
Amen
Oh Amen

Woo hoo! Amen! He is my Hope! He will never leave me! Just as the last part of Psalm 150 reads, Yes, living before his face is my saving grace! Woo hoo! His amazing grace gives me such joy! His presence in my life gives me such peace! His love gives me such contentment! The empowerment of the Holy Spirit I receive from Him is what allows me to have His joy throughout 'tough' days. II Timothy 1:7 is one I hold close to my heart as I live out His love in a life of obedience to His will.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this song and Scripture this morning that encourages me to continue pursuing a life of obedience to Your will! Thank You for the blessing of eleven hours of sleep! Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for Doc getting the pump off later today! Oh how I pray the side effects will stay minimal. I pray against the side effects of the shot he will receive today and the patch he will wear for twenty-four hours. Lord, continue to encourage him and speak clearly to what You will is in his life. Thank You for the way You gave me a sermon to present! Thank You for being with so many people who are going through 'tough' days! The Caskey Family; Elaine and her family with David's accident; my sister Linda; Billie as she recuperates from yesterday's surgery; Robert DeYoung with his wife Naomi; and so many others. Father, I praise Your Holy Name for Shari's tests coming back with NO cancer! Woo hoo! You are so good! Lord, cleanse me so You can use me as Your willing servant. May You be my words, thoughts, actions, and attitude today in a more intentional way than ever before. Lord, I pray for our president, state officials, local officials, and all those in authority as they deal with making decisions with the COVID-19. I pray protection over people not only in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense. There are so many people who are falling into the traps of the devil and not showing Your love to others. My heart breaks. Open up eyes and hearts to what You desire instead of people's selfish desires. Oh Father, help us. Protect us. Be greater than the 'junk' of this world. Thank You for being My Shining Path! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 69; James 1:2-3 - "He Brought Me Out"

 

Last night before falling asleep I asked God to give me Scripture this morning that would speak clearly to me. He took me back to Psalm 69. David seems to lament a lot in his writing. It seems like he is constantly begging God to save him from his enemies. I thought about this for a bit and wondered if it was that he had a lot of enemies or was it that God used his circumstances to draw him closer to Him. I wonder if life was really as bad as David wrote about. I know days like yesterday are pretty tough to go through yet I also know God is with me. I think I cried more yesterday than I have since the cancer in Doc's pancreas began. I felt overwhelmed with sadness over the situation. I'm grateful for friends who encourage me greatly and for the knowledge people are praying for us. Did David have such encouragement? Did he have friends to turn to? Did he have the knowledge that God was with him through such times? In Psalm 69:20b David wrote, I looked in vain for one friendly face. Not one. I couldn’t find one shoulder to cry on. Where was his best friend Jonathan? Maybe he already had been killed by this time. Verses twenty-nine and thirty show me what I need to do on days such as yesterday.

I’m hurt and in pain;
Give me space for healing, and mountain air.

 Let me shout God’s name with a praising song,
Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks.

Yes! I need to praise Him through the pain of days that are so overwhelming. I need to thank Him to being with me no matter what happens on this earth. James 1:2-3 tells me I need to be joyful in times when I am going through trials. It is through such times that my faith will grow. The only way for this to happen is for me to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 in His love and empowerment. An old hymn in on my mind this morning...

He brought me out of the miry clay,
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!

Yes! I will sing praises to Him no matter what happens in the day ahead. I will sing praises to Him that Doc got through the first night of having the pump. I will sing praises to Him that we have been given another day of life together! Plain and simple. I will sing praises to Him!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for empowering us through yesterday! Thank You for the example David gives to praise You through tough times! Thank You for the reminder of this hymn that we are to praise You! Thank You for getting Doc through the five hours of chemo yesterday and the first night with the pump! Thank You for being with us through these 'tough' days! Thank You for going before us today and guiding our steps! Thank You for the safe travel for Adam, Rachel, and Miss Aiya! Thank You for providing financially for us! Thank You for protecting the WPD and other agencies who assisted them last night! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You! May You be seen/heard through my words, actions, thoughts, and attitude today in a new, different way. May Your love flow in and through me in a more intentional way. I pray for Raymond as he has surgery today. May he feel Your peace. I continue to pray for Shari as she awaits results. Thank You Jesus for being My Rock! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:13; Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Thy Will"

Today is one of those days where I would rather just not get up. I don't want 'to do' today. I have no desire to function. That is bad. Before I climbed out of bed I asked God to give me energy for the day ahead. I prayed for Him to not just get me through the day but to empower me to be who He desires me to be through it. I prayed: Philippians 4:13 for His strength over me; II Timothy 1:7 to not fear the unknown but instead to stand in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit; and Proverbs 3:5-6 for His wisdom for every decision ahead in this day. I prayed the same over Doc as he goes through another new chemo. This road we are on is so hard but nothing is too hard for God. I pray for Him to be with us in a mighty way throughout the day ahead. I pray we both feel His loving arms wrapped around us and that we feel His strength. I sure hope today is a better day for Doc than yesterday. God brought the words to the song Thy Will that Hilary Scott sings to me this morning...

I know You’re good
But this don’t feel good right now
And I know You think
Of things I could never think about
It’s hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all Your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that You’re God
And I am not
So

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will

Yes! His will is what I pray for our life. His will is all we need to live in. His will is perfect and what God desires of us to walk in. Plain and simple. His will is where we need to live. May His will be fulfilled through us today and the days ahead. May He be blessed by the way we live. May we stay focused on Him and not allow 'C' to distract us.

Dear Jesus,

I'm struggling today with functioning. Oh Father, how I need Your presence in a mighty way. May You be greater than the things we have before us. May Doc feel Your empowerment in a great way to not just get through this day but to stay focused on You. Thank You for going before us and opening doors that need opened and closing those that need closed! Thank You for empowering us to stay focused on You! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I need Your supernatural empowerment to function today. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day. May You shine brightly through me even though I am struggling. Father, continue to be with Shari as she awaits test results. Thank You for the report Amanda received yesterday! I pray Your supernatural healing over June. Lord, I pray for safe travels for Adam and Rachel today along with Beth and Bob. Thank You Father for being My Will! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 69 - "Fighting For Me"

This morning the Lord woke me up to the song Fighting For Me along with the direction to read Psalm 69. The song goes...

When the going gets tough
And my strengths not enough
I see You showing up like never before
This battle for my heart
You took on from the start
You are the peace when my mind's at war
And oh...

You will never stop fighting for me
When I can't fight for myself
Every word is a promise You keep
Cause You love me like nobody else
You stand up for me in the darkest night
When my faith is weak You're still by my side
You will never stop fighting for me
You will never stop fighting for me

Yes! The knowledge that He fights for us is comforting. There are times when we can become overwhelmed by the things that happen to us. We can feel like we our losing the fight to stay alive yet we never will because He is always fighting for us. In Psalm 69 David described different ways he felt like he was losing at life. He cried out to God to help him in the first twelve verses. We must remember to do the same. We must remember God is always there for us and ready to help us. He is always ready to empower us through the Holy Spirit just as II Timothy 1:7 tells us. He is always ready to wrap His arms around us and give us His strength to get us through no matter what is happening. This Psalm parallels what Jesus went through while on this earth. We need to remember we can't go through anything that surprises Him. He has already gone through everything Himself. He wants to rescue us from what we are going through but for that to happen we must get to the end of ourselves and allow Him to work in and through us. In The Passion Translation verse twenty-nine is key.

I am burdened and broken by this pain.
When your miracle rescue comes to me,
it will lift me to the highest place.

We must become broken in our spirit so God can empower us through the Holy Spirit. Then, and only then, can He shine brightly through us. Matthew Henry wrote of the last few verses of this Psalm:

The humble shall look to him, and be glad; those that seek him through Christ shall live and be comforted. God will do great things for the gospel church, in which let all who wish well to it rejoice. A seed shall serve him on earth, and his servants shall inherit his heavenly kingdom. Those that love his name shall dwell before him for ever. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Arise, thou great Restorer of the ancient places to dwell in, and turn away ungodliness from thy people.

Yes! Godliness in us is the answer to pleasing Him. As we live in His example, we bless Him. As we strive to live a life of holiness, we bless Him. As we walk in obedience to His will, we bless Him. Plain and simple. I desire to bless Him.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for our time with Adam, Rachel, and Miss Aiya! Thank You for the rest You provided yesterday! Thank You for Mishka (Sandy and Will) no longer needing surgery! Thank You for Doc being able to eat dinner last night without pain! May he have a 'good' day today as he prepares mentally and emotionally for chemo tomorrow. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day. May people see/hear You instead of me. Thank You for being My Restorer! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; II Chronicles 20:15; Joshua 1:9 - "See A Victory"

In our sermon yesterday we had a couple Scriptures that God brought back to my mind this morning as soon as I woke up. He also brought to my mind the words to Elevation's song See A Victory.

I'm gonna see a victory
I'm gonna see a victory
For the battle belongs to you Lord

Nothing we do on this earth has to be done on our own. We do not have to accomplish anything on our own strength but rather need to lean into His. The Lord told King Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20:15:

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.'"

We do not have to worry about anything we go through. He is in control when we allow Him to work in and through us. As we give our battles to God, we will be reassured of Him just as  Joshua 1:9 tells us.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Illness in ourselves and/or family members; coronavirus; riots/looting/marches; financial issues; etc. None of these things are too big for God. He knows the ending to everything we go through. As we pray, His answer may not be what we desire but His answer is what is best for us. As we live out II Timothy 1:7, He will empower us to live out victories in life. Woo hoo! I love the way He blesses me as I walk in obedience to His will. This last week with family visiting has been such a blessing. I'm so grateful for every moment God gives us to make memories. He loves us so much!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the blessings of yesterday with preaching together and our time with Adam, Rachel, and Miss Aiya! Thank You for the eleven hours of sleep last night! Thank You for Doc being able to drive the last couple of days! Father, I pray today is a better day for him as far as eating goes. I pray You will strengthen him as he prepares mentally for another new chemo on Wednesday. Once again, I pray against the nasty side effects that can happen. May You protect him from them. Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You be seen/heard through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout today. Thank You Jesus for the video of Craig having victory in his rehab! May You continue to be his strength! I pray for so many who need to lean on You through the days they are experiencing. Thank You Jesus for being My Victory! Amen.