Psalm 93 - "Forever"

 

The Lord took me to Psalm 93 this morning. The last verse speaks volumes to me. It reads in The Passion Translation: Nothing could ever change your royal decrees; they will last forever! Holiness is the beauty that fills your house; you are the one who abides forevermore! God's word is unchangeable! It also is powerful! His Word gives encouragement in times of trouble and wisdom when sought. His Word is the foundation of a life with God that is unshakeable. In the times when we feel like life is falling apart we can go to His Word and seek exactly what we need to not just get through such times but to glorify God in the process. His Word is the truth. We never have to question that it is true even though there will be times we question it to learn from it. His Word is beautiful as we read it and receive His love. His Word is forever meaning we will realize it on this earth and those who live for the Lord will realize it for eternity. I don't want to miss any opportunity God gives me to share His love but I know I do. I don't want anyone going to hell but yet I know there are people dying every day without God in their life. I don't want to find myself at the end of time on this earth with the knowledge I could have done more to share God's love. I desire to love on all I meet. I desire for people to see God through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I know I need to be more intentional than ever before. It takes nothing but our time to show His love. He gives us all twenty-four hours a day. How we use those hours is up to us. Yesterday was a slower day for me after a busy weekend and for that I was grateful. Even in the day being slower I still looked for ways to share His love. He is my Forever...my eternity. I desire for more people to have that same goal. Chris Tomlin's song "Forever" is on my mind this morning....

From the rising to the setting sun,
His love endures forever.
And by the grace of God we will carry on,
His love endures forever.
Sing Praise, Sing Praise
Forever You are faithful,
Forever You are strong.
Forever You are with us,
Forever and ever, forever.

Dear Jesus,  Thank You for the blessing of a slower day yesterday! Thank You for continuing to be with my Momma during these 'tough' days! Thank You for my HVAC appointment going well! I pray I showed Your love to others in a way that made You happy. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You flow from my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray for many going through 'tough' days to feel Your love in a mighty way. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray You will be so very real to the father dealing with custody issues with his little girl. I pray healing over little Weston who is in ICU and strength for his parents. Lord, be so close to Pastor John with the death of his father. Thank You for being My Forever! Amen.

I Samuel 18:1-3 - "Thank You For Giving To The Lord"

Sometimes I wonder what life would be life as a different one of God's creatures. Sometimes being a human is tiring. Sometimes life becomes overwhelming. Sometimes. But then there are the times when God puts people in my path that encourage me greatly. People who love on me in a way that makes me know beyond a shadow of a doubt I am not alone in this world. He also uses nature to speak to me. When I saw these two in the pond yesterday my first thought was 'awwww....they have a friend...' Sounds silly to think but friends are an important part of my life. Friends listen to me when I need to talk things out. They give me hugs when my emotional tank is feeling empty. They share their wisdom with financial decisions that need made. They give of their time to help me with things that need done. They pray for me. They provide great conversation filled with laughter and sometimes tears. Sometimes friends feel closer than family. I am so grateful for the people God has put in my life to be my friends. I am grateful for 'old' friends and for 'new' ones. I was reading in I Samuel of how David and Jonathan quickly became friends when they met. Their friendship grew into a deep, committed relationship because they both knew God's love. When you know God's love, you are able to love in a different way. I want to be the best friend I can be to everyone. I know there are times I get distracted and not fully engaged in conversations and need to get better at that. I also know there are times I miss opportunities to love on people with God's love and I need to get better at that. This morning I am reminded of a song Ray Boltz sings called "Thank You For Giving To The Lord" and reminded of how much impact we have on people. That impact can be a positive or a negative. I know I desire to have positive impacts on people. I pray people can honestly say these words about my friendship with them...

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for the love poured out on me by my church family! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. I pray for Your direction on how to be a better friend. I also pray for people going through 'tough' days to have friends surrounding them. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray You will be so very real to the father dealing with custody issues with his little girl. I pray healing over little Weston who is in ICU and strength for his parents. Lord, be so close to Pastor John with the death of his father. Thank You for being My Friend Provider! Amen.

Philippians 4:13 - "When We Fall Apart"

What a blessed day it was yesterday with thirteen people come out for work day at the church. The weather was perfect with being overcast and not too hot. There was so much work completed on the outside of the building which blessed me in abundance. The thing I was really blessed by was seeing people talking and laughing as they worked. I am one blessed pastor. Last night as I crawled into bed I thanked God for my people and asked Him to encourage pastors who are discouraged. I prayed for people to love on them today at church and asked Him to put people in their path that would encourage them. I also prayed for them to realize everything that is happening in their life is not their fault. Some of the hurts may be because of their own doings but a lot of the hurts are because of other people's actions. We can be our worst enemy because we allow the enemy to tear us down. God is there for us 24/7 to love on us. He is there to encourage us. Praise His Holy Name! When life seems like everything is going wrong, it may just be God taking care of things to make life better. That means when people are taken out of our lives it is not always a negative but instead is for our own good. Sometimes I wonder if Doc's death was because God wanted me to realize the strength I had without Doc. After being married thirty plus years we worked together as one most of the time instead of as two different people. I was strong before he died but I definitely am stronger since. Some days are still a struggle with missing him. I especially miss him as my pastor. I learned so much from him in that role. I also miss his knowledge of everything. Even when he didn't have an answer he would find one. He never gave up which is a lesson I strive to put into practice every day. This morning the tears of falling for all the things we never got to experience but they are also tears of joy for all the things we did experience. God keeps taking me back to a time the month before he died when he told me to never forget what we were experiencing and to never forget to have fun. I strive to do just that. As I reflect on this last week I think he would be proud of me in so many ways. I'm sure there would also be disappointments but that goes with being a human. I am reminded of a song called "When We Fall Apart" that Ryan Stevenson sings...

Well, it's been a while since you've been gone
And sometimes I still catch myself tryna call your phone
All the hopes and dreams we used to talk about
They're still alive in me, and I just hope I make you proud
Now I'm your legacy and it's your love still holdin' me together
And I still hear you say

It's okay to cry, it's okay to fall apart (Oh)
You don't have to try to be strong when you are not
And it may take some time to make sense of all your thoughts
But don't ever fight your tears 'cause there is freedom in every drop
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart (Yeah, yeah, it's okay to fall)
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart

Dear Jesus, Thank You for all who participated in work day yesterday! Thank You for loving me through my church family! Lord, just as I prayed being going to bed, in the middle of the night, and again this morning encourage pastors who are discouraged. Put people in their path who will love on them with Your love. Cleanse me so You can fill me so I can share Your love more. I pray for many hurting to be encouraged by someone today. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray You will be so very real to the father dealing with custody issues with his little girl. I pray healing over little Weston who is in ICU and strength for his parents. Lord, be so close to John with the death of his father. Thank You for being My Strength! Amen.

Psalm 39 - "Worn"

God is so amazing! This morning He woke me with the song "Worn" and directed me to read Psalm 39. David wrote this song about how fragile life is and how the only hope we have is by living a life with Christ. Life is not perfect when one believes in Christ but it sure is easier to handle. Matthew Henry wrote of this Psalm:

Afflictions are sent to stir up prayer. If they have that effect, we may hope that God will hear our prayer. The believer expects weariness and ill treatment on his way to heaven; but he shall not stay here long : walking with God by faith, he goes forward on his journey, not diverted from his course, nor cast down by the difficulties he meets. 

Life's circumstances can be hard. Our emotions can put roadblocks before us that cause us great grief. People can cause great grief in life. We can cause great grief by not following God. Life can be tough but praise God we don't have to stay in the 'junk' of life but rather can lean into God's strength to not just get through it but to glorify Him in the process. The words to this song are ones everyone can relate to from time to time. My prayer list is full of people dealing with physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs. We all have needs and must lean into God for His strength, wisdom, clarity, etc. He has all the answers and for that I am most grateful. His love covers all hurts of life. He is the balm that soothes our soul as we allow Him. The key is surrendering all of our life to Him so He has free reign to be everything we need.

I’m Tired I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes
To keep on breathing
I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that you can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart
That’s frail and torn
I wanna know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
Cause I’m worn

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for loving me so greatly! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray people will come out for the work day at the church today and much will be accomplished. I pray not only for physical work to be done but for us to enjoy being together as we work side-by-side. I also pray for many who are feeling "Worn" to receive Your rest. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray You will be so very real to the father dealing with custody issues with his little girl. Thank You for being My Everything! Amen.

Exodus 14:14; Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Still"

Sometimes we; see someone going through something in life or go through something ourselves and ask God 'Why?' Some things do not make sense such as a child being abused. God does not cause such things to happen but why does He allow it? Why doesn't He stop it? These are questions we will ask without getting answers. They are questions that break my heart. Being a survivor myself of such junk makes these stories hit home even more so. It sickens me to hear of children's innocence being taken from them. The enemy is alive and well in our world and having a blast causing hurt in people's lives. I pray for those going through such circumstances to find some sort of peace through God. I pray they will find solace in knowing God is there for them. I know from experience they will struggle with even talking with God because they feel abandoned by Him. It is hard to be in that place. Life feels like it is crumbling all around you yet you have to get up each morning and put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.  We must be still before Him and allow Him to work in and through every circumstance we find ourselves in. I am reminded of the words to the song "Still" that Hillsong sings...

When the oceans rise
And thunders roar
I will soar with You
Above the storm
Father You are King
Over the flood
I will be still and know
You are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust

I also am reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6 that reminds me to trust God. He is there to guide us through everything we go through. He is there on the mountaintop and He is there in the valley. Praise His Holy Name!

Dear Jesus, Thank You again for the beautiful weather You are blessing us with and for the opportunity for a morning walk with Steve yesterday! Thank You for all of the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! My heart hurts for so many people who are going through tough days. May they find peace in You. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray You will be so very real to the father dealing with custody issues with his little girl. Thank You for the opportunity to pray with him yesterday! Thank You for being My Stillness! Amen.

Psalm 5:3; Isaiah 40:31 - "Waiting Here For You"

The Lord took me to Psalm 5 this morning and stopped me at verse three. It reads in The Passion Translation:  At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare  my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart. I start each day as David with prayer. In my prayers I ask Him to cleanse me so He can fill me. We have blatant sins in her life and we also have sins we don't even realize we commit that need confessed. Before God can use us as He desires we must have a 'clean slate' for the day ahead. There is a word in this verse that I was given insight with for our Bible study last night. It is the word 'wait.' We were studying Isaiah 8 where he wrote about waiting for the Lord. So many times we think when we wait on something or someone we are doing nothing. Guzik wrote: 

And I will wait on the LORD: Waiting on the LORD is not passive inactivity. It means to wait on the LORD as a waiter would wait on a table. It means to be totally attentive to the LORD, focused on His every move, and responsive to His every desire. At times it means inactivity, but even that is an “active inactivity,” where we stand before the LORD, totally focused on Him, waiting for what He wants next.

We are told later on in Isaiah 40:31: But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. When we truly wait on the Lord we will receive great blessings. We will realize the desires of His heart to a fuller extent. Sometimes in our humanness we go ahead of God because we want answers now or we want something to happen now. We live in an instant society where we put our food in the microwave and it's done or we go through a drive through and have our food quickly. These things have made us not want to wait on anything. Living a life in God's presence is one where we learn to wait on Him as we focus on Him. I pray I am more attentive to Him in the day ahead so I do not go before Him or try to manipulate any circumstance I find myself in but instead find myself waiting on Him. I am reminded this morning of a song Christy Nockels sings called "Waiting Here For You" and thinking once again about how we do not like waiting on anything. Lord, help us!

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for you, I’m waiting here for you

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for my church family that love on me so well! Thank You for Your Word, songs, and nature that speak to me! Cleanse me so You can fill me so people will see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. Father, there are so many people I'm praying for that need mountains moved in their life. May they all realize the need to wait for Your timing and Your resolve in their circumstances. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. Thank You for being The One I Wait On! Amen.

Psalm 113:1-3 - "Praise You In This Storm"

Yesterday as I enjoyed the sunshine the clouds were also present. It was mostly bright sunshine yet at times the clouds took the brightness away. As I laid there reading I thought about how life is that way. Things can be going along smoothly and then something happens. I have been praying for a friend and her husband with his health issues. Last week was encouraging with good test results and now this week is another challenge for them. My heart breaks for them yet I know we have to go through challenging time to take our faith deeper. It is in the 'trying' times that we realize God in a deeper way. I felt its warmth as the sun came down upon me yesterday. That warmth became less when the clouds passed over. God's love is not like that. His love is constant no matter what circumstances we find ourselves. It does not diminish when we sin or don't pursue an opportunity He gives us. I believe His love grows stronger for us every day. Last night as I watched the sunset I thought about how I enjoyed the brightness of the sun during the day and then its beauty as it set. God's nature is not only beautiful but is also provides great insight. His nature prompts us to think more about Him and gives Him the opportunity to speak to us in unique ways. I am so blessed by His nature and try to be in it as much as possible. Sometimes I enjoy it with others and sometimes like yesterday I was alone. Sometimes He speaks to me when others are around and other times He puts me alone so I can be focused on Him. We all need to have balance in our life with work and play, being with others and being alone, etc. No matter what though we need to praise God through every aspect of life. We need to praise Him when we feel the warmth of the sun and we need to praise Him when the clouds are overcast. We need to praise Him in the full sunshine and we need to praise Him in the storms of life. I am reminded this morning of a song Casting Crowns sings called "Praise You In This Storm"...

And I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm

I have lived through many storms in life and the thing I can say about all of them is they diminish. Some (such as widowhood) don't go away but they get easier to live through. Some storms in life are violent while others are not. Some seem to last forever and go from one hard hit to another. Praise God for Him being with us no matter how the track of the storm goes.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the beauty of Your creation and the way You speak to me through it! Thank You for the beautiful sunshine yesterday with the temps in the eighties and the beautiful sunset last night I enjoyed! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. I pray for many going through storms in life to feel Your peace. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues, and my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. Thank You for being My Storm Calmer! Amen.

Psalm 13 - "Good, Good Father"

This morning God woke me to pray for several who find themselves in a deep, dark valley of life. Some are there due to disease in their body or a loved one. Some are there because of broken relationships. Some are there because of great financial strain. My prayer list grows daily and has so many different circumstances represented. I also have many on my list who do not have a personal relationship with God. I continue to pray for their eyes to be opened to Him. I pray their hearts would receive Him before they leave this earth. I am so grateful for the upbringing I had where trusting God was a common activity. I am thankful for the way my parents showed great faith when they found themselves in the deep, dark valleys of life with my sister's murder, both of them having multiple health issues including my Daddy's cancer, my Momma watching him pass after sixty-six plus years of marriage, etc. I am thankful for the way God has always been with me through all the deep, dark valleys of my life. God is so, so good. This morning as I read Psalm 13 I thought about many of the things David lived through yet he still wrote of turning his life around. This particular Psalm is entitled "Prayer Turns Depression into Delight" in The Passion Translation. It starts with depression as David laments and ends with asking God to intercede in his life. That is what we need to do when we feel overwhelmed. We need to not only pray but we need to allow God to work in and through us. He is the Only One who can change our circumstances. Yes, we can change them but it takes His empowerment to do so. It takes allowing Him free reign in our life to knock the enemy down. As I walked at the waterfront yesterday and the sun was shining down on me I felt the warmth of not only the sun but the Son. He spoke to me about some things going on in my life and encouraged me. I love experiencing Him but I especially enjoy doing so out in nature. This morning I am reminded He is such a "Good, Good Father" and feeling very blessed. I don't know what the day ahead holds but He does and that is all that matters. I know what is on the calendar but I pray if He has something else in store for me I will be ready.

You're a good, good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for blessing me through so many people! Kendra and her friends, Debbie, Amy and Nick, Clay and Jo Ann, and so many others. It was a very full but very blessed day. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. May I be more intentional in sharing Your love. I pray for many who find themselves in the deep, dark valleys of life to experience You. I pray Your peace over them. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray for my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized and waiting tests to feel Your peace. Thank You for being My Good, Good Father! Amen.

I Peter 4 - "Goodness of God"

Today is a new day. I have the choice to make on how I spend it. I can either do as I want or I can seek what God wants of me. I have several things on the schedule but I must be open if He changes that schedule. If He chooses to put a roadblock before something or add something to the schedule, I need to walk in obedience to what He desires. God took me to I Peter 4 this morning. This chapter talks about living as God desires in His love, mercy, and grace. We do not have to live as the world even though we live in the world. We can lean into God's strength to stand up against the tactics of the enemy. When life gets hard, we do not have to allow our circumstances to dictate the outcome. Instead we can stand in His empowerment and rejoice. Verses twelve and thirteen read in The Passion Translation: Beloved friends, if life gets extremely difficult, with many tests,  don’t be bewildered as though something strange were overwhelming you. Instead, continue to rejoice, for you, in a measure, have shared in the sufferings of the Anointed One so that you can share in the revelation of his glory and celebrate with even greater gladness. Peter was known to be outspoken and assertive. He was not afraid to tell people about Jesus no matter what the outcome. He encouraged all through his writing to love with God's love so more people would experience it. We can all learn from Peter. Verses seven through nine of this chapter are ones that we all need reminded of daily. Since we are approaching the end of all things, be intentional, purposeful, and self-controlled so that you can be given to prayer. Above all, constantly echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins. Be compassionate to foreigners  without complaining. Loving God and sharing His love with others needs to be a key aspect of our life. I am reminded of the words to "Goodness of God" that we sang at church yesterday and feeling very blessed...

I love You, Lord

For Your mercy never failed me

All my days, I've been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful

And all my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Dear Jesus, 

Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace that You shower down over me! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. I pray Your empowerment over many going through difficult days. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray for my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized and waiting tests to feel Your peace. Thank You for being My Goodness! Amen.

Exodus 14:14 - "For God Is With Us"

Yesterday was a long day after the short night before but it was full of blessings. Before leaving Virginia I had the privilege to pray with Katelyn again. Ashley and I had good conversation during the seven plus hour drive home along with safe travels. I was blessed with some time with Brent and Sherry who are in town for a couple days before I headed home and relaxed. Throughout the evening I was blessed with people checking on me which makes me realize just how much God loves me. Blessings were a part of my day from start to finish. This morning when I woke after sleeping nine hours I felt refreshed and ready for the day ahead. I love Sundays when I get the privilege to preach what God has given me and be with my church family. I prayed before going to bed, during the night, and again this morning for all pastors to feel blessed for the day ahead. I prayed for those struggling to feel His empowerment and for those making big announcements today to feel His strength. May we all remember God is always with us. He is there on the mountaintop and He is there in the valleys of life. My prayer list continues to grow daily for many hurting. It includes physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational, and spiritual needs. My heart breaks for many but especially those who do not have a personal relationship with God. It breaks for those who pretend to be in relationship with Him. I am reminded this morning of a song For King & Country sings called "For God Is With Us" and feeling blessed. I was reading why they wrote the song and feeling so blessed. 

We started writing this song from the perspective of a baby boy, and then into adulthood and the great sacrifice of Jesus and then how it impacted humanity. And somewhere along the way, we looked back and Luke and I called one another and said, 'Hey, maybe this is not just devoted to Christmas. Maybe this is a thought, an idea, that could carry with us through the whole year - through Christmas, and Easter, and beyond. Maybe this is a good reminder after so much loss, and so many questions about where God is in the midst of a pandemic, and where God is in the midst of racism or political division. It's kind of an offering and a celebration of the fact that we still believe that both religion and science points to this reality and it's continually pointing back to this reality that there is a creator, that there is creative design, and that it's not just an abstract thought, but God is actually amongst us and with us and that this earth has been endowed with life and beauty that comes from God.' We hope that it meets you where you are right now, into Christmas, and beyond.

There is a part of the song that goes: Can you feel your heart begin to race? Can you see the tide begin to change? With all of our futures rearranged The world will never be the same... Today is a new day. How we choose to go throughout the day is up to us. God gives us freewill to make our own decisions. He desires us to walk in obedience to Him but because of giving us freewill He knows in our humanness that may not happen. I am so grateful for His love, mercy, and grace that He showers down upon me every day. When I mess up, He is there to love on me. When I miss an opportunity He puts before me, He is there to give me other ones. When I feel like I can't continue on in life, He is there to carry me through the tough days. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday with safe travels, time with Katelyn, Brent, Sherry, and Ashley! Thank You for a good night's rest and for the day ahead! I pray for all pastors who will be delivering the message You have given them to feel Your empowerment. May You be so real to all of us. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray rich blessings upon many going through valleys in life. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. I pray for my friend Rosemary who is hospitalized and waiting tests to feel Your peace. Thank You for being My Constant Companion! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:7 - "Peacespeaker"

Yesterday evening when I finished Sunday's sermon there was a part that talked about having God's peace in our life. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:7, The peace of God which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds. Jesus told us in John 14, Peace I give to you. God gives peace in the midst of the storms of life. He gives peace when things shake our world. This morning at 1:30 I had an experience where I knew I needed God's peace in order to go back to sleep. Afterward I put on Facebook asking for prayers for calmness and people responded. Pastor Jason sent me a private message with the words to the song "Peacespeaker" and reminded me he and others were praying for me. I was able to go back to sleep and each time I woke back up thought of these words....

I know the Peacespeaker
I know Him by name
I know the Peacespeaker
He controls the winds and waves
When He says, "Peace, be still"
They have to obey
I'm glad I know the Peacespeaker
Yes, I know Him by name

Praise God for the knowledge of God's peace being there for me at all time. I am so grateful when the storms of life happen He is there to calm the waves. Sometimes it feels like I will overturn but then the waves calm down. The tossing and turning of storms can be overwhelming at times but I cannot allow the enemy to win. One time I woke back up God gave me II Timothy 1:7 to concentrate on and I went back to sleep. It doesn't matter what storm we face He will empower us through it as we allow Him to do. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for being with Doug with a successful surgery! Thank You for continuing to be with Tyler and Katelyn! Thank You for providing peace in the storms of life as Pastor Jason reminded me during the night! I pray for many to receive Your peace. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. Cleanse me so You can fill me. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray for traveling mercies in the day ahead. Thank You for being My Peacespeaker! Amen.

Psalm 145:18 - "Goodness of God"

Some days are tougher than others. There are some days you look around and ask God 'Why?' Being in a hospital setting makes you think such things. Seeing people suffer brings sadness to my heart. I am thankful for those who have the hope of Christ for eternal life with Him but I am sad for those who don't have such hope. I am thankful for those who have support from family and friends but sad for those who are alone. I am thankful for medical personnel who use their expertise to help people but sad for those who live in areas of the world without such people available. There is so much to be thankful for in life. No matter if we find ourselves on a mountaintop or in a deep, dark valley there is always something to be thankful for. Sometimes it is hard to find such things but it is there. Today I am thankful for another day of life and for the privilege to be able to support a family in a hard place. I am thankful for the opportunity to pray with them last night and to pray for them when I was awake during the night. God is so good to give me such opportunities. As I think on today I do not know what the day holds but I know who does and that is all that matters. I'm not sure if I will travel home today or tomorrow but I know whichever day it is God will be with me every mile. The knowledge of Him being in my life is priceless. Yesterday I found myself in an elevator at the hospital by myself. I started singing "Goodness of God" and felt His presence come down upon me. What a blessing He is to me!

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for the opportunity to be with Katelyn and her family! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray Your peace over many who are finding themselves in the deep, dark valleys of life. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. Thank You for being My Goodness! Amen.

John 14:12 - "Miracle Power"

This picture brings me so much happiness. Yesterday while walking at Kate Gleason Park I was in awe at the beauty of God's creation. It is hard to see but there was a beautiful butterfly flying around the bushes. This particular bush was in bloom yet has so many more buds yet to bloom. Some ladies took the blooms that had fallen and crafted hearts throughout the park. The butterfly, flowers, and hearts reminded me just how much Jesus loves me. He loves me so much that He died so I could live. He loves me so much when I mess up or miss an opportunity in life He continues to love me instead of tossing me aside. He loves me so much that He never gives up on me even though it may take time after time to get something through my thick scull. His love is greater than anyone else can give me. Praise His Holy Name! Yesterday was full of emotions. I experienced joy, expectation, anger, disappointment, and so many other emotions. The coolest thing is no matter what emotion I experienced He still loved me. Yesterday morning He loved me so much when I was struggling with a particular situation I received a call from Paul who talked me through it. Paul didn't know I needed to talk but God did and provided. Yesterday afternoon as I worked more on Sunday's sermon He revealed to me not only parts of this Sunday's sermon but also the next one too. Last night He blessed me in abundance with my church family gathering for dinner and study. Even when we think life is not going as we desire or how we think it should God is in the midst of us working in and through us as we allow Him. Praise His Holy Name for this knowledge! I am so grateful for His Word and the way it speaks to me. John 14:12 is a verse that encourages me to walk by faith in obedience to Him. As I do, He will be able to do miraculous things through me. Woo hoo! As we live in His "Miracle Power" we will receive many blessings.

I believe in miracle power
In a wonder working God
I am filled with the Holy Spirit
Working wonders in my heart
I belong to a loving Father
I'm a friend of Christ His Son
When it feels like I won't make it
I call on Jesus

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the beauty of Your creation and this beautiful weather we are experiencing! Thank You for the people You put into my life and the way they bless me in abundance! Cleanse me so You can fill me with more of You. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today. Thank You for Your protection with travel today! Thank You for getting me through so many emotions yesterday with different situations! Lord, I pray Your strength and empowerment over many going through emotional days. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. Thank You for being My Miracle Maker! Amen.

Romans 5:1-5 - "Holy Spirit"

 

On the way to meet some friends yesterday morning this thought came into my mind. Wow, God! This is such a great reminder that I am not in this world alone. I struggled with yesterday being Valentine's Day. I know it is just a man-made holiday or as Doc used to call it, a 'Hallmark holiday' to make the greeting card companies money. But even when we know such things it does not make the day any easier. Having God speak life over me helped my day along with friends who brought laughter into my life and many who checked on me throughout the day. Every morning I pray for God to cleanse me so He can fill me. I expect Him to answer my prayers. Therefore, I expect results. I expect Him to love on me with His love in ways I can only receive from Him. I expect Him to provide His wisdom with decisions being made. I expect Him to give clarity in all situations. I expect because I have hope in Him. Paul's writing in the first five verses of Romans 5 are powerful. They read in the NIV:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

It was no mistake God spoke to me yesterday nor was it a coincidence He took me to these verses this morning. He is crafting Sunday's sermon. In my humanness I prefer Sunday's sermon to already be done at this point in the week. But I have to remember God's timing is what it is all about. His timing to complete the sermon is perfect. It is not about what I want but needs to be about what He desires. His desire is to pour His love into everyone in a way that will fill us up with more of Him. That is the only way we can love with His love in the manner He desires. I look forward to continuing the sermon writing today as He continues to pour Himself in me. I love the last part of these verses that tell me He pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We all have the opportunity to have the Holy Spirit in us. All we have to do is walk in obedience to His will. Francesca Battistelli's song "Holy Spirit" is going through my head this morning....

There's nothing worth more
That could ever come close
No thing can compare
You're our living hope
Your presence, Lord
I've tasted and seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone
Your presence, Lord

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for loving me so greatly that You speak to me! Thank You for Paul's words in Romans 5 that remind me of the peace a life with You provides! I pray that peace over many going through difficult days. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Marion; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; Ashley Foor; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Katelyn; Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; and Michele with breast cancer. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam and Darryle and his family. I praise You for continued reconciliation for a father and his prodigal daughter. Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me. May people see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. Thank You for being My Filler! Amen.