Prepare for the Season, All Year Long

Now is the time to make a commitment and adjust our focus this holiday season. Let's slow down, pare down, and sit down with the Lord each day as we set our thoughts on being thankful. And remind our hearts to be blessed by the birth of our Savior, instead of being stressed over the season........
It's easy to get swept up in many things and forget to stay connected with, and focused on, the one thing that really matters. Make it a tradition to prepare for the season all  year long.

First of all, “Thanksgiving”  is not just a day. It is a way of life. In all things, in all times, in all places, we are to “give thanks and praise without ceasing.” Pray with your families about the many ways that you are thankful. I am not talking about the quick little “thanksgiving” sentence prayer … really explore and give thanks to God for the many riches and blessings given to you and yours.

Now plan for a “trimmed down” Christmas and Thanksgiving meal and perhaps now is the time to think about that "banquet", inviting  others less fortunate that will never be able to offer you the same in return. Set a modest table, not laden in overindulgence with excessive and decadent calories, but the dishes that bring memories of family to share with your guests.

"But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."  Luke 10: 41-42

Prepare for this Holiday season by the "giving of yourself" with encouragement or gifts of companionship, they cost nothing and mean so much. Look for ways to be a blessing to others and in doing so you will renew the love that "came down" on Christmas morn.






Words and Music by Chris Eaton

Close your eyes and share the dream
Let everyone on earth believed
The child was born, the star shone bright
And love came down at Christmas time
And love came down at Christmas time...
 

Don't Lose Hope

One of my favorite places to go when "surfing the net" is The Ranch. This is a young man, Eric Elder, who loves the Lord, his family of six children and has a wonderful talent for playing a soothing piano.  He continues on after losing Lana last November,  the wife that he claims held it all together for him for almost 20 years.

from Eric's message today, a quote from Howard Ivan Smith

“It has taken me many months to get to the point where I can say, ‘All right, the future is not going to be what you thought it was.  It’s gone, and you’re not going to have it.  You just will not have it.  Your future went with him.  Now you’ve got to build a new one.’”

Eric goes on to say:

I didn’t like reading those words at first, but over time I knew they were true for me, too.  I’ve come to realize that the future is not going to be what I thought it would be, either.  It’s gone, and I’m not going to have it.  I just will not have it.  Now I’ve got to build a new one.

“This isn’t the direction I thought my life was going to take.”  And at some point you’ve had to let it go and say, “It’s not going to happen; they’re not coming back,” just as I’ve had to say, “OK, she’s not coming back.”

 

He also included this anonymous quote:

“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.  The second best time to plant a tree is today.” 

 

I thought of that quote this spring as I looked at two pine trees in our yard, one of which I planted this past Christmas in honor of Lana, and the other which Lana and I planted 19 Christmases ago, almost 20 years now. .........For some reason, this has been an amazing year for fruit trees, and for all the trees that Lana and I planted with the kids over the years, this is the first time any of them has produced an significant amount of fruit........All these trees started bearing fruit–just this year...............When I saw all these trees bearing fruit, part of me was tempted to be really sad and wonder, “How could Lana have missed all that fruit?”  But the other part of me said, “Lana would be thrilled to know that all her hard work has paid off and is now bearing fruit–fruit that will last.”...........

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Even though Lana is gone this year and can’t enjoy it herself, we’re all enjoying the fruit of all that she’s done.........

......So not everything we plant will bear fruit.  But I want to encourage you to keep planting and planting and planting because at the proper time you will reap a harvest, too, if you do not give up!

 

I encourage you to go to The Ranch and continue to read from Eric's message of Hope while listening to his soothing piano music, it is good for the soul.

 

An interesting note about Eric,

this is another series of excerpts from one of his messages.

......When I was living for my own desires, doing whatever felt good, I was on a path headed towards destruction and didn’t even know it.  I was just following my desires wherever they led me.......For a few years in college, my desires even led me into homosexuality, being sexually intimate with other men........I didn’t realize that the way I was fulfilling that need wasn’t the way God wanted me to fulfill it.  I was just having fun, not realizing the danger that this presented to my life, nor the danger that this presented to God’s plan for my future....... It never occurred to me that I could possibly get AIDS until several years later, just a few days after I had put my faith in Christ. ...... In the following week, as I waited for the results of the test to come back, I was afraid for my life.  I wasn’t afraid for my soul, because I had already put my faith in Christ.  I knew that God had forgiven me and that He would bring me to live with Him in heaven, even if I did die.  But I didn’t want to die.  I wanted to live the fullest possible life that God had created me to live.

****I don’t know why I was spared when others haven’t been, whether they’re Christians or not.  It certainly wasn’t because I deserved it.  But I knew that whatever the reason, I now had another shot at life.  I felt as if God had picked me up off the path of death and had put me on the path of life, and life abundant.

On this new path, God has given me a wife and six kids as a result of our sexual intimacy—life abundant!
What difference can it make to follow God’s plan for your life instead of your own?  For me, for my wife, and for our six kids who might never have been born, it’s made all the difference in the world****

 

They Deserve Our Respect

Romans 13:1-7 teaches that God has placed the government and its leaders in power. We may not know why, but, like David, we are to respect the positions and roles of those to whom God has given authority. There is one exception, however. Because God is our highest authority, we should not allow a leader to pressure us to violate God's law.

2 Corinthians 10:4: "We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments."

 

Listening is one of the greatest manifestations of respect. Even if you think someone else's ideas are way off the mark,  listen carefully to what he or she is saying and then ask questions that truly make you curious. Don't express your feelings, or your own thoughts regarding the supposed stupidity of the suggestion. Instead, start asking questions like "How will the company have enough to pay for the new hires in two months?" or "What do you think about our current marketing strategies? Do you think we should improve those first? You might find that he or she has some great ideas that were being poorly expressed because no one took the time to analyze them more fully. excerpt from Marci Crane.

Teach your children to honor and respect the authorities in their lives, whether it be teachers, government, police or church authorities. This will greatly assist them to understand that the structures that have been set up both in heaven and on earth are given to help them in life.
It is easier for children to show respect to their parents if their parents are loving, fair and compassionate toward them. The parents also need to practice what they preach if they are to have credibility in the children's eyes. Now I did not say that the parents need to be perfect, as that is a physical impossibility while we are still on this earth.
When our children hear us apologize after we make mistakes, it helps them to see that we are all under God's authority.

(Exodus 20 v 12)¹²    "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you

from Mike Huckebee......"So when you hear that American values are gone and will never come back, remember the Judean date palm tree. As long as people carry the seeds of what made America great in their hearts, it’s never too late to make a comeback".

 

Praise God in All Circumstances

"The brook would lose its song if you removed the rocks"

A wise man once said, “Whatever came to me, I looked on as God’s gift for some special purpose.  If it was a difficulty, I knew He gave it to me to struggle with, to strengthen my mind and my faith.”  That idea has sweetened and helped me all of my life. Unknown

When you have a heart for God and you know He loves you, your confidence in His ability to deliver you soars. You know help is on the way and you eagerly anticipate it. First Thessalonians 5:16–18 encourages, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (NLT). .....When you are in a situation and there seems to be no way out, open your mouth and praise the Lord—and don't stop. Instead of crying and complaining, give God praise because you know He has a plan for you that includes deliverance, restoration and peace.......Thank Him for His goodness because your praise will stop the enemy and move the hand of God......Creflo A. Dollar



Praise is a wonderful method we can use to bring healing and deliverance to our souls and bodies! Many people are depressed today; one of the quickest ways to receive deliverance from depression is to praise God. We must make our souls bless the Lord when we are not feeling well. It will bring liberation and healing.

Singing unto the Lord also can bring quick relief from despondence and oppression. We all feel like we are in the "pits" when that horrible sensation of apathy and depression comes over us. Singing praises can bring us up out of that pit. Music plays an important part in a worship service and we have all experienced how our hearts have been lifted by singing and worshiping in church. We do not have to wait until we go to a service to receive this same benefit. We can worship out of our hearts wherever we are.

 

(based on Psalm 103)


Chorus
Bless the Lord, o my soul and all that is within me.
Bless the Lord, o my soul and all that is within me.
Bless His holy name, it will never change;
bless the Lord, bless the Lord, o my soul.

Bridge 1
I will bless the Lord at all times,
His praises shall continually be in my mouth;
bless Him, I will bless Him.

I will bless the Lord at all times,
His praises shall continually be in my mouth;
bless Him, I will bless Him.

Bless His holy name, it will never change;
bless the Lord, bless the Lord o my soul.

 

 

When we praise and bless God, we find that other people around us respond to that spirit of praise also.... us all bless and praise God and conquer the enemy...Betty Miller

Agapomen Allelus

1 John 4:7-8 NIV
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God

Agapomen Allelus, "Let us love one another".....when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk. Love and care for one another.  It is your problem... it is your concern..to see to the well being of all you can..as you are able.

 

 

.....There will be times as a Christ follower that you'll feel unappreciated, and taken for granted. You'll not feel loved as you should be.  When that happens you should love others anyway. BUT HOW?  Because God is love and because God has loved us, we have God's love to give

 

It doesn't work to love people begrudgingly, to love when we don't have God's love inside us. If we're on empty, we don't feel like we have God's love to give. Instead, I suggest you just get loved up by God! Read the NT just looking for God's great love for you, and memorize some verses that you find. Pray, thanking God for the love He has given you. No measuring up, no pity party-just tell Him, "thank you Lord for loving me." Simply let God love you. Let His love fill you up so that it spills out to other people in your life. Open it up and let it flow. Let it flow and love one another......

"excerpt from a sermon by David Ward"

 

 

  

Family Reunion

Thessalonians 4:15-18

 

¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

 

And what a reunion it will....

 

Our family enjoyed a Cousin Reunion this summer which stirs up so many pleasant memories of my mother and father, sister and one brother who have passed before me.  What joy to know that God's Promise tells us, "we will all be together again".

Think about those who are still alive when the Lord comes (and it could be you and me!).  They’ll get to see it all.  Not only will they witness this event first hand, they’ll be part of the unfolding scene.  It says in today’s verse those “who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”.   The people of faith who died before the Lord’s return, will be with Him when He comes for the rest of us.  Some family reunions get pretty high, on alcohol, when they’re together.  None have gotten this high before!  This reunion will be flying high in the sky with our Lord, Jesus Christ holding us up!  Talk about a family reunion!

Bon Jovi lyrics
"Who says you can’t go home
theres only one place they call you one of their own

Just a hometown boy born a rolling stone    
who says you cant go home"



The Family of God...by Bill & Gloria Gaither

I'm so glad I'm a part, of the family of God
I've been washing in the fountain
Cleansed by his blood
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod
For I'm part of the Family, The family of God

God Gave Us
by Regina Hill

God gave us the seasons --
each with its own beauty and reason,
each meant to bring us a blessing,
a joy, and a feeling of love   

******

 

And I think "Summer" was meant to bring families together!

 

 

 

My Father's Eyes

Do I live so others see my Father in me? I hope so, that is my wish. My earthly Father, but more importantly, my Heavenly Father.

What Others See In Me

I may not be every mother's dream for her little girl,
And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world.
But that's all right, as long as I can have one wish I pray:
When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say,

She's got her Father's eyes,
Her Father's eyes;
Eyes that find the good in things,
When good is not around;
Eyes that find the source of help,
When help just can't be found;
Eyes full of compassion,
Seeing every pain;
Knowing what you're going through
And feeling it the same.
Just like my Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes,
Just like my Father's eyes.

And on that day when we will pay for all the deeds we have done,
Good and bad they'll all be had to see by everyone.
And when you're called to stand and tell just what you saw in me,
More than anything I know, I want your words to be,

She had her Father's eyes,
Her Father's eyes;
Eyes that found the good in things,
When good was not around;
Eyes that found the source of help,
When help would not be found;
Eyes full of compassion,
Seeing every pain;
Knowing what you're going through,
And feeling it the same.
Just like my Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes,
Just like my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes,
Just like my Father's eyes

Choose What Matters

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Luke 6:35

 

When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7

 

 

WHAT WILL MATTER

                             By Michael Josephson
 

"For each of us, it will one day come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will be passed to someone else.
Your fame, your wealth and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or owed.
Your grudges, frustrations and jealousy will finally disappear.
So to your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It will not matter where you came from, or what side of the tracks you lived.
At the end it won't matter if you are beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built.
Not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is that every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that empowered enriched or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew but how many will feel a lasting loss when you are gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those that learned to love from you.

 

A life lived that matters is not of circumstance, but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters"

 

 

For My Sake, I Need to Encourage

 Ralph Waldo Emerson says, "It is one of the most beautiful
compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help
another without helping himself."

BT Washington says, "Helping
someone else is the secret to happiness."

     We give away a piece of our self when we give love, compassion and
kindness to others; but it always comes back to bless us. Helping others fills the lonely places in us and builds character.read more

Be positive with the people you are around on a daily basis. The more positive you are to people the more motivated you will feel too...read more

 
1 Thessalonians 5:11...Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Proverbs 16:24...Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Colossians 4:8...I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts

a Man's True Measure

We all realize that giving on any level feels really good, but internally all forms of giving are not equal. When we give with the expectation of receiving something in return, we are not really letting go of what we are giving. If we do not let go completely, then we are still clinging to whatever we gave.

When you give freely without expectation, it can come back to you in some very unpredictable ways. But remember, if you are giving simply to get something back, then you put limits on the ways that you can receive..read more

Recently I’ve been asking myself, “What is my expectation?” before I do something for another person. The answer I find most acceptable—cheesy as it may sound—is: to feel good and show love. Strangely, when I release the need to control what I get for giving, I get enough, somehow.......

Let’s face it: none of us is always kind. Human nature dictates we’ll act with one eye on what’s in it for us, at least occasionally. And I think that’s okay, as long as we make an effort whenever possible to do good for the sake of it.
read more

Pay for someone behind you in line at a drive up, leave $20 at the till to pay toward the next person inline at the local discount store..it feels good to be a part of the promise that..good things are out there and happen when you least expect them..their day will change..and they will pass it on to others in retelling the story..or better yet..they will be inclined to do something for someone just because.

Deuteronomy 16:17

 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you. 

 

 

Blaze Your Own Trail

Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)






There are three paths in life we can choose to take;
waiting for life to happen TO you,
making things happen, or
turning around and wondering what happened.

The middle path is where the trail blazers head. When you don’t like the path laid out for you, and don’t like any of the other paths you see, make your own.


1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (NLT)

Psalm 119:105Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.


Joshua 1:9...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (NIV)

 

God Will Make a Way

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength
For each new day
He will make a way
He will make a way

By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today

Words and music by Don Moen



         Being a graduate is like being a lump of clay. You have become a useful vessel that has been formed by the hands of literaly hundreds or thousands of people.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

John 14:27...Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

You do not have to be mad in a maddening world. You can choose to be happy. You can choose to be optimistic. You can choose to let not your heart be troubled.......So let not your heart be troubled. The sun still shines. The smiles are still there. The good graces between neighbors still exist. Bad things will always and have always happened. But love and good and right prevail even in the madness of the present age. more by Erick Erickson

The peace of Christ is something alive and active, something liberating and dynamic. It is life and love and joy. Paradoxically, it is a gift which both calms and challenges us - it does not grant us an immunity to pain and suffering, or even death, rather it enables us to face all these painful realities and triumph over them in union with the victory of Christ himself.

Phillipians 4:7...The peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and mind as you live in Christ Jesus

It Is Well with My Soul

Text: Horatio G. Spafford
Music: Philip P. Bliss

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

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

let this blest assurance control,

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

and hath shed his own blood for my soul.

(Refrain)

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

(Refrain)

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

even so, it is well with my soul.

The Mother's in My Life

A Mother's Prayer by Celine Dione
The Mothers in My LIfe by Julie Cargo

I pray you'll be my eyes
And watch her where she goes
And help her to be wise
Help me to let go

Every mother's prayer
Every child knows
Lead her to a place

Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe

I pray she finds your light
And holds it in her heart
As darkness falls each night
Remind her where you are

Every mother's prayer
Every child knows
Need to find a place
Guide her with your grace
Give her faith so she'll be safe

Lead her to a place
Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe

"A mother's hands may age, but her influence lasts forever."

God Provides the LIght

We are the tent. (2 Cor. 5:4)    

Jesus is the light. (John 1:4)

The Holy Spirit is the oil. (Zech. 4:1-6)

Fueled by the Holy Spirit, we are called to let Jesus' light shine through us into the darkness. (Matt. 5:14-16)

God provides a Light that shines in the darkness, and He creates a tent (us) to shine through.

For Jesus' light to pierce the darkness, shining brighter and brighter, we need to become more and more transparent.

For His light to shine continuously, we need to constantly be refueled by the Holy Spirit through prayer, studying and memorizing Scripture, and abiding in Him.

For His light to shatter the inky blackness of this world, we need to fearlessly move our tents into places of darkness where no other light shines.

There is a world of people who long for the safety and presence of Jesus–but they need a beacon to guide them. May we humble tents, who carry the Light, glow brightly everywhere as we travel through this world!  excerpt from Amy Carroll  more

 

God's first act of creation was to speak light into his formless, empty earth and into the darkness which lay on the face of the deep...Genesis 1:3

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. —Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)

Look directly to Jesus for your insight and direction. Jesus is the light. Look to him and you’ll see through the world of darkness soon enough

 

Shine Down On Me

Gaither Vocal Band

 

Lord, I want to be your witness

You can take what's wrong and make it right

Daystar shine down on me

Let Your love shine through me in the night

Lord, I've seen a world that's dying

Wounded by the master of deceit

Groping in the darkness

Haunted by the years of past defeat

 

Lord, I want to be your witness

You can take what's wrong and make it right

Daystar shine down on me

Let Your love shine through me in the night

He is With Us

Sometimes we find ourselves caught in a problem and see no way out. Don't panic; God can open up a way In the same way, when we follow God's path, he goes with us. His presence with us on the journey is more important than anything else—even the destination. "How good it is to be near God!" (Psalm 73:28).   "God can see the end of your journey from the beginning, and he will go with you." Point of Grace sings... God is With Us Words and music by robert sterling A rushing river sweeps around us Just as dark and cold as night, it surrounds us But we pass through the water to a safer shore We're sheltered from the raging river's roar Though the night is long And the river's strong Still God is with us We can stem the tide Reach the other side For God is with us The river deepens, night grows darker And the struggle seems to be getting harder Today has troubles yesterday has never known But we don't have to face them on our own And when we face the river's roll He holds our hand and won't let go

They Will Want What You Have

John 13:35... By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Be a living example: How do you treat the box boy on Tuesday..or the traffic jam at 5pm?  you might be the only Bible some people read.  When the people around you see the peace in your life, especially when it seems like you're surrounded by storms, you can bet they'll want to know how to get what you got!

He Wants to be Just Like Me

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you"
I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see
He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

Treat everyone with respect and dignity, no matter the circumstances and find ways to bless the people around you, even if ..yes even if...yes, they are the ones that need to see and feel it the most
.....Do not become overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good..Romans 12:3... Jesus didn't treat the well, but the sick...Matthew 9:11...If you live these Spiritual fruits ...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control....Galations 5: 22-23. your life will glorify God and encourage others to follow your example. 

Share your story through actions! It’s a great way to plant a seed without being preachy or pushy. You don’t need to tell others why they should do it this way, just live and.....

...They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, they will know we are Christians by our Love.....

 

How you live your life..day to day...will be your testimony to the World. 

A Lesson in Patience

I am re-posting a blog regarding Patience, as this season has tried the patience of many!

..... True patience finds its strength in an unflinching focus on God......

Joseph Stowell

Be thankful...Be Thankful...BE THANKFUL.....
Patience is not just waiting but how you are waiting..and what you accomplish why you are waiting...use that time to focus on the wonderful blessings around because they ARE there..choose to look for what you have..

Dear Lord...thank you for giving me a heart of thankfulness for the many blessings I enjoy while I am waiting for your moment of glory to come down around me.  Let me be a blessing to others while I wait.  In your precious name I pray...Amen

April showers really do bring May flowers. This quote, verse, or whatever you want to call it, reminds us all about the virtue of patience...Many of life’s greatest things come only to those who wait, and by patiently and happily enduring the clouds and damp of April you can find yourself more easily able to take in the sights and smells of May.....

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." Thomas Jefferson

Luke 21:19..... In your patience possess ye your souls

Almost everything in life requires patience, buying groceries and standing in line or the traffic jam on the way home. The meaning of the word patience is a willingness to suppress annoyance and a quiet steady perserverance, and doing this with an fortitude and remaining calm.

.......When you come to the Lord, there is no waiting line-His ears are always open to your cry..... taken from Our Daily Bread

Romans 8:25...But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with Patience.

 "Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable." ...Neal A. Maxwell

Patience is endurance, steadfastness, long-suffering, and forbearance.

Job 2:10...He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

 Remember Herbert the Snail said it best in "The Music Machine"

Have patience, Have Patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient
You only start to worry
Remember, remember that God is patient, too
Just think of all the times when others
Have to wait for you...written by Bill and Gloria Gaither

Prom Night

Parents Prayer for Prom Night

May my child be blessed
on this special evening . . .
May my child be blessed with an enchanted evening.
May they dance with joy in their heart.
May they enjoy the smiles and laughter of others.
May my child have a date that is kind in word and deed, grateful and complimentary.
May their evening be filled with grace, dignity and respect. May my child experience a wonderful night, full of lasting memories.
I pray for the safety and wisdom for all that attend Prom this evening…
May the Lord watch over them.
- – Judy Geaslen

It's not what a man does that makes his work sacred or secular, but why he does it.

Prom night should be special and a time to look back on for great memories.

"Raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6

Encourage and believe in your child and his passions...and you will not be disappointed in the outcome....

Trusting God

If God were to answer all our questions, we would not be adequately tested. What if God had said, "Job, Satan's going to test you and afflict you, but in the end you'll be healed and get everything back"?   Job's greatest test was not the pain; it was not knowing why he was suffering. Our greatest test may be that we must trust God's goodness even though we don't understand why our lives are going a certain way. "We must learn to trust in God, who is good, and not in the goodness of life."   What would it take for you to trust God without knowing the answers to your questions? Are you willing to get to that place?    Sometimes God doesn't explain what's happening to us or where He is leading us - When He does this, we are to blindly trust that HE knows what He's doing! If He were to explain it to us, it might scare us  and we wouldn't follow His sure leading. Faith begins when we say, “I trust You, God.” (Psalm 31:14) Trusting God   It’s easy enough to say you trust God when the “big things” in life go your way. For trust is a word you know and believe and hold for the moments you pray. But when life gets hard and things fall apart and you’re crying with tears on your sleeve, God will bring you through crises, trials, and pain to test what you really believe. When you’re tired and lonely and seeking a spouse as you wait on the mate that God chooses; God will draw you to himself as you trust in His timing and respect the methods He uses. When you quietly trust in the midst of great heartache to believe God works all things for good, You are looking at His sovereignty instead of your circumstance and surrendering what’s not understood. When you’re slighted & overlooked for what’s “rightfully yours” -trusting God will reveal what to do. And trusting will pull you into the wisdom of heaven as God shows His great glory to you. Trusting God through the losses that send your heart reeling will give strength to each prayer as you call; Till you come to realize it’s not losses or success but it’s knowing your God through it all. Trusting God blindly no matter what happens looks foolish to those who don’t know. But to the redeemed….who believe God by faith -trusting is what makes our faith grow. ©Sheila Gosney Trusting God

The Protection of God

Matthew 7:25...The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock

As Jesus told his followers,  storms come to everyone's life, but the difference is how we each prepare...

"There won't always be sunshine in the sky like today, and when the rain comes, I want you to think happy thoughts of friendship."

"Into each life some rain must fall. I hope that sunny days are ahead" May God's "Son" shine touch you and your home and shield you from all storms.

The gift of an umbrella can symbolize both friendship and God's blanket of protection helping people from all walks of life feel cared for and protected. 

Don't let anyone squelch your inner prompting to reach out to someone else no matter how trivial it seems.

.......excerts from "They Call Me "The Umbrella Lady" Roberta L Messner

It Won't Rain Always...Bill and Gloria Gaither

Someone said that in each life some rain is bound to fall

And each one sheds his share of tears And trouble troubles us all

But the hurt can't hurt forever And the tears are sure to dry

And it won't rain always The clouds will soon be gone

The sun that they've been hiding has been there all along

And it won't rain always God's promises are true

The sun's gonna shine in His own good time

And He will see you through

 

Psalm 34:1...“I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

God will make a way when there seems to be no way. Instead of questioning God and focusing on the storm, lift your voice in praise and come to His feet in worship. Right now, allow Him to speak peace to the raging storm in your life. I assure you this will pass and the sun will shine again. Yes, I will bless the Lord at all times. No matter what comes or doesn’t come my way, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. It’s not a feeling, it’s a decision..... Bless the Lord

...Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name...

 

 



Just Because

"Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom." (Luke 6: 38)

"Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season, in God's time, you shall reap"   Ga 6:9.
The verse means: "Show hospitality, even though the corresponding return of hospitality to you may seem improbable; nevertheless, be hospitable in faith."...barnes notes

We have reason to expect evil, for we are born to trouble; it is wisdom to do good in the day of matthew henry commentary... Riches cannot profit us, if we do not benefit others. Every man must labour to be a blessing to that place where the providence of God casts him....

After all it is written: HE WHO IS KIND TO THE POOR LENDS TO THE LORD, AND HE WILL REWARD HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE. PROVERBS 19:17   This is because, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE POOR PEOPLE IN THE LAND. THEREFORE I COMMAND YOU TO BE OPENHANDED TOWARD YOUR BROTHERS AND TOWARD THE POOR AND NEEDY IN YOUR LAND. DEUTERONOMY 15:11

 throwing bread on water seems careless and wasteful and that’s how open I felt God wanted us to be with our giving – whether we could see what it did or not – giving to “whoever asks”
 

The Gaither Vocal Band says it so well.......

And there are people who think they´re not receveing

Anything from God at all

Oh, They are shaken from their beliving

When they don´t see results they quickly fall

But don´t you waver and keep on living

In the way God wants you to

Don´t get discouraged and keep on giving

Soon it will come back to you

Keep on casting

Your bread upon the water

Soon it´s gonna come back home on everyway

Keep on casting

Your bread upon the water

Soon it´s gonna come back home on everyway

Good measure pressed down shaken together running over

Soon it´s gonna come back home on everyway

Oh, Keep on working seeking the kingdom

Instead of working for your needs

Just keep on sharing the love of Jesus

You know, growing comes from clemensies

2 Corinthians 9:7-12...7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful(hilarious) giver.8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.