Oil Change

Oil is the life blood of most countries…and most machinery. Everything runs better on some kind of oil…from cars to trucks…to Christians themselves. The Lord is pouring out new oil over His people. This oil gives deeper blessings and anoints the soul. It sets the soul on fire to receive more of Jesus.

The main purpose of oil is to keep machinery running smoothly. Our Heavenly Father’s oil does the same. His oil covers us with Holy peace…a peace that calms the savage beast. It is a beautiful peace that calms the sea and a peace that can change everything.

We need to go to Our Heavenly Father God Almighty (for our oil change) in prayer as He will bless us and shower us with His peace.

Psalm 29
A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his [a] holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion [b] like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks [c] and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!" 10 The LORD sits [d] enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. 11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father God Almighty, I pray that everyone would want new oil from heaven. It requires action in order to receive the oil, action to receive the blessing, and action to step out in faith to do what is asked of us. Your word tells us that time is short Heavenly Father God Almighty, so there is no time for sitting back. We need to get off the side lines in order to step up to receive the oil that is flowing out from our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that God’s oil would overflow you and change your life forever in Jesus’ name…Amen.

Praise To You Lord Jesus - God Our Father Almighty

Psalm 145
A Psalm of Praise of David
1 [a]” I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. 5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b] 6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. 11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, 12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. [c] 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made. 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever”.

What is the chief end of humankind? The answer, learned by us being taught in faith is, “To glorify God and prepare ourselves to live eternally with Him forever”. To glorify God is to give “God” glory, as we honor Him as “Glorious”. It is to fill our prayers with joyous remembrances of His goodness. There are over 200 passages alone in the New Testament that urge or describe praise and thanksgiving to God. The words themselves take on astonishing variety; in addition to glorify are bless, thank, worship magnify, and extol just to name a few. We can uncover a rich vocabulary of praise such as Psalm 145 that is in the Old Testament as fine examples as well.

In our praise to God we need to focus on God’s wonderful nature as we express our gratitude for all of our blessings. In doing so it will remind us that being joyful, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances fit together into God’s will for our lives.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father God Almighty, I pray that we will all give thanks to you Our Father… let our hearts stay opened to hear your voice and feel your touch. I pray that we will give thanks for prayers not answered yet…We have an awesome God…You have promised to move in all of our lives…but we have not seen anything yet…Thank You for Your promise…for we believe in Your miracles…We believe in you Father God…Thank you for a baby’s smile to a beautiful sunset touched with your glory…Everywhere we look we can see Your hand Father God walking with us each step of the way…I pray our hearts will stay humble so that we will always give you praise and say “thank you” Lord Jesus…Amen

Liberty Mississippi

For some reason the enemy attacked me and I had problems all morning trying to post this cross on the blog to go along with Solomon's pictures. However, in doing so I had the opportunity to look up the definition of the word "liberty". In reading it, I realized that it means "a state of being free". Death as experienced by humans and now Solomon, is a state of being free from the bondage of our infirmities. The Lord answered our prayer and it is not ironic that Solomon has found comfort and peace in his resting place in Liberty Mississippi.

Sincerely,
Bonnie

This One Is For Solomon

Jennie and I would like to thank everyone who stood and prayed for our dog Solomon’s health. I am sorry to say that he took his final breath on Tuesday September 22, 2009 at the age of six years old. We unfortunately had to put him down due to kidney failure which was completely unrelated to his injury in his leg. This took us by surprise. The good thing is that he is no longer suffering and we believe he is in a better place. We laid him to rest today, Saturday, September 26, 2009 on Jennie’s Daddy’s property in Liberty Mississippi. These Pictures show his grave within a few feet of a wooden cross in the yard. Again we thank you for your prayers.

Jerry & Jennie

Matthew 10:29-31 (Amplified Bible)
29Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave (consent) and notice. (Notice that God even cares about the smallest sparrow).

Dedicated to Solomon

Animals teach us so many things: to love unconditionally, to care about others rather than our possessions, to remember to be playful in life, and to snuggle with those we love as much as possible. They do not discriminate against others based on race, gender, religious affiliation, national identity, or sexual orientation. They allow us to see things the way they do -- with curiosity and enthusiasm, and to wake up knowing that each day is a new adventure. They remind us to take a walk and enjoy the sunshine from time to time, and to trust that the world will provide everything we need. They remind us with their wagging tail, their joyful whinnying, or their delicious purring, “Don’t worry. Be happy”. They allow us to be ourselves, as well as to let our hair down. We confide in them, and they do not judge us. They love us unconditionally. They are as much a part of our families as our husbands and wives, our parents and our children. They are fiercely loyal, and they will do anything for us in their power. From time to time, we hear of animals rescuing their people from burning buildings, approaching cars, and speeding bullets. They make it possible for people who cannot see or hear to live alone safely. One dog even learned to call 911 and saved someone’s life during a heart attack.
Because of our intense love and devotion for our pets, when they pass, there is a great deal of grief. We feel it in our bones, and we feel it with full intensity. The heart knows no difference between the loss of a human and the loss of an animal. To our hearts, there is only pain – pain caused by losing someone we love deeply and unreservedly.

When we tell our close friends and family about our loss they usually say some kind words. We shrug it off and say things like, “I know he was just a horse or a dog but it is really sad. We hate to say good-bye”. At times, the depth of our pain is so real, so intense, and so raw, we are embarrassed. In society bereavement and mourning are reserved for losing humans, not for our pets. We do not get "paid animal bereavement days" at work. No one would understand if we missed a business trip because our cat was dying. We are not allowed to grieve in a normal, healthful way and are left feeling alone, managing our pain privately.

As you express your emotions of grief for your (loved one or your pet) remember the following:

Although it hurts….there is no way to predict how you feel. The reactions of grief are not like recipes, with the given ingredients and certain results. As each person morns in a different way, you may cry hysterically or you may remain outwardly controlled showing little emotion. You may lash out in anger against your family and friends, or you may express your gratitude for their dedication. You may be calm one moment or in turmoil the next. Reactions are varied and contradictory. Grief is universal, at the same time it is very personal. Heal in your own way and know that you will experience in your grief “a tangled ball of emotions”. By: H. Norman Wright

Believing Prayer

Mark 11:22-24 (New International Version)
22"Have[a] faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Let every experience of the smallness of your faith in prayer encourage you to have and exercise more faith in the living God. A heart that is full of God has power for the prayer of faith. Faith in God gives birth to faith in the promises as well as the promise of answered prayer.

Take time to bow before the Our Heavenly Father God Almighty. Wait on Him to reveal Himself to you. Take the time to let your soul exercise and express its faith in God the all powerful. As He imparts Himself to you and take possession of you, the prayer of faith will emerge.

My prayer: Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, teach us to take time to wait and worship in your Holy presence until our faith appropriates all there is in You for us. Let us see Your fountain of life working with Your mighty strength to accomplish Your will in the world around us. Let us see Your love that is longing to take possession of our heart and life that through faith we will know You dwelling in us. Lord, Jesus, help us that with our whole heart we will believe in You. Let our faith in You fill our every moment. Amen.

Job's Spirit And Faith

We need to humble ourselves as we hold onto our faith through our trials. As with Job, God will reward us if not in this life He will surely do so with Him in eternity. Our Lord Jesus is a sovereign God.

Luke 18:29-30 states that if we give up something for the kingdom of God we will be repaid.

Luke 18:29-30 (New International Version)
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

Our total restoration may not be the same as Job’s which was spiritual and material but it will take place either in our lifetime or eternally. God will not only restore to us what was taken away from us unjustly but He will give us more than we can imagine as we serve Him here on earth and live with Him in eternally.

Job 42:10-16 (New International Version)
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver [a] and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

Those who trust in the Lord will be rewarded.

Our Mission Is To Please God

You don’t have to allow yourself to be used by, be an enabler, or be a people pleaser to those around you.

Mark 6:14-29 (New International Version) John the Baptist Beheaded
14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying,[a] "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." 15Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago." 16But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!" 17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[b]; yet he liked to listen to him. 21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." 24She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered. 25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter." 26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
One of the tragedies of this story is that this young girl allowed herself to be the enabler of those who did not have her best interests at heart.
• If you have anything at all going for you, someone will try to use your good fortune, or your good name, or your hard work, or your talent, or your looks, or your money for their own selfish purposes. You don’t have to allow yourself to be used by those around you. You are not an object. People become enablers when they allow their self-esteem to be wrapped up in someone else’s opinion of them. If you don’t want to go through life being an enabler “STOP”. You have to develop an attitude that says, “I have self-worth as I am a human being, and I deserve to be treated with respect.” Enablers try to bargain for love. Decide once and for all that “your purpose is not to please people”; “your purpose is to please God”.
Galatians 1:10 (New International Version)
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
• As quoted by Bill Cosby: “I don’t know what the secret to success is, but I know the secret to failure is trying to please everybody.”
A sense of direction is your best weapon. If the daughter of Herodius had a sense of direction in life and if her purpose in life had been to serve God, she never would have listened to such bad advice. She never would have allowed herself to be used in such a dreadful way. People become enablers when they see themselves as second-class human beings. However, when you have a God-given vision about who you are and God-given direction about what you can accomplish, no one can touch you.

If you have a problem with this issue or know someone who is experiencing it, the best way to end it once and for all is to admit you have a problem and seek professional help. Don’t be afraid to tell someone if you are being abused or feel threatened. God gave you a free will and you do not have to succumb to these vicious and outrageous attacks. You are worth so much more to our Heavenly Father God Almighty than to allow yourself to get caught up in this type of bondage.

An abuser does things to please him/herself and doesn’t care if it hurts others. His/her desire is to “control” others. An enabler does things to please others while allowing others to control him/her without thinking about his/herself. His/her desire is to be a people pleaser by pleasing others.

An abuser or an enabler is not discriminatory and can be male or female.

Jehovah Rohi the Lord our Shepherd

Luke 15:3-7
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The shepherd lives with his flock. He protects his sheep from animals and dangers that would harm or prey on them. In fact, he will daily risk his life to take care of his sheep. He guides them by day and sleeps with them at night. They are totally dependent on their shepherd; he provides for all their needs. Sometimes if the shepherd has an unruly lamb, he will break its legs so it cannot run off anymore. Then he will lovingly place the lamb on his shoulders and carry it at all times until it is well. In this way, the lamb experiences intimate love and contact with his shepherd. The lamb learns that it can and should trust the shepherd in every aspect of its life. It must break the shepherd’s heart to have to discipline the lamb in such a way, but with his love he is actively seeking the highest good of the lamb. He can only protect and guide the lamb when it stays in the flock. The lamb faces all kinds of dangers when it wanders away from the shepherd’s care. How much more pain would there be if the lamb wandered off and was attacked by a wolf?

We trust God because we know Him from experience. We are called to trust God because He has demonstrated His power to us through miracles. What greater miracle can we ask for than to see God’s hand on our life over time? When we look back, how can we not trust Him with everything? When we worry, it is because we don’t trust God with the situation or the person. To truly trust Him, we must trust Him with both the problem and the solution, or we don’t really trust Him. There is no room for disclaimers in our walk with the Lord. “We need to be confident, as well as say and believe that we trust God, period!” Not just with lip service, but truly believe it in our heart. He alone is “worthy” of our trust. He is Jehovah Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd.

God's Eyes See Love, Grace and Mercy

We need to know that can give over our hurts, our insecurities and our fears because we can entrust them to the care of Our Heavenly Father, God Almighty. We can rest in His perfect love, knowing all the voids of our life will be filled by Him because He is sufficient. God knows who we are and He loves us anyway.

Often the fear of not “measuring up”, or fear of not “fitting in” come across to others as being unfriendly and standoffish.

1 John 4:18 (New International Version)
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Jesus is our hope of healing and restoration. God’s love is perfect and it makes us complete. Understanding His love is what we need in order to be full and not wanting for anything or anyone. Trust God to take the problem and really heal it. Believe that you can walk boldly into His throne room because He loves you.

When we approach the throne of grace with confidence we receive mercy and find grace.

Hebrews 4:16 (New International Version)
16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

With our eyes upon our Lord, we see though His view or opinion. That completely changes how we perceive things. We no longer look through the stronghold of criticism. We look through the eyes of love, grace and mercy. This changes our whole demeanor, our accessibility to the body of Christ as well a being able to receive reconciliation. When we take refuge or trust in the Lord instead of our feelings, circumstances or the opinions of other, we can have confidence in His love, His protection, and His trustworthiness. Only our Lord God Almighty is worthy of our trust because He will never disappoint us.

So many of us put up walls and become distant because we are afraid of being hurt or exposed. We think that if they really know who I am, or what I think or do, I will be condemned.

God knows and He loves us anyway and accepts us completely into His family as His children. We have the rights and privileges of children of the King not because of what we did, but because of what Jesus did. We are called to testify of the Lord through our lives. We must focus and look through His eyes of love, grace, and mercy so that we become opened to others.

In Times Of Darkness

During the dark days of life we must choose how we will respond. We can sink even more deeply into our sadness or do the difficult work of pulling ourselves out. Light is brought to darkness when we “run to God” and then to trusted family members on those dark occasions. When we go to work solving the problems instead of letting them confront us the clouds will eventually part and the sun will shine once again upon our souls.

We all go through pain and sorrow, but the presence of God, like a warm comforting blanket can shield us and protect us and allow the deep inner joy to surface, in the most devastating circumstances.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (New International Version)
8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

John 5:4 (New International Version)
4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Isaiah 55:8-12 (New International Version)
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, on those dark days when we are troubled, You comfort us if we turn our thoughts and prayers to You. When we are afraid, You protect us, when we are discouraged You lift us up. You are our unending source of strength Lord. In every circumstance let us trust Your plan and Your will for our lives. Amen

What Is Your Focus?

Colossians 3:17 (New International Version)
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What Is Your Focus?

What impression do people have when they see or talk to you? As a Christian do you represent Christ at all times in what you say and do? “Your focus determines your reality.”

My family loves the movie Star Wars and seeing it was a must. There was a scene where a Jedi knight tells young Anakin Skywalker to focus, because “your focus determines your reality.” What a truth this is!

When we focus on ourselves, our reality is self-righteousness and self-centeredness. When we focus on our circumstances our reality can become hopelessness and depression. When we focus on the Lord, our reality is hope, joy, and peace in the midst of the circumstances.

Who Am I?

Above is a picture that my son Jerry drew for me as a Christmas gift a few years ago. As you can see it is of Jesus as he was dying on the cross to save mankind. It depicts the horrible state of the agony and pain that He suffered for us so that we might have life and live with God Almighty eternally.

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:5)

This is God’s gift of salvation to us not because we earned it but because of His compassion for us. Just like the song says below, “Who am I that that eyes that see my sin would look on me with love and watch me rise again’. For it is not God’s desire for us to slip and fall away from Him. He wants us to gain eternal life to live with Him forever.

Casting Crowns – “Who Am I”

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

A Vessel Containing God's Life

Christians are unique people. God chooses them for His service. He could use His angels, but that was not His will.

Health floods into us as we open our hearts to the Lord. The human being, almost by definition, is a vessel containing God's life. Praise removes the blockages, the evils for which we ourselves are responsible, allowing life to flow in unhindered, filling us with gifts and pleasures and beauties too wonderful to be expressed in thanks.

We cannot develop faith in God by any kind of logic or intellectual effort. It must be an exercise of the heart, not the head. The prophet Habakkuk is the fine example of someone who reached the stage of maturity and development. He lived surrounded by appalling horrors as the Babylonian hordes swept through the land, killing and devouring everything, leaving pestilence and famine behind. To add to the disaster, there was a prolonged drought. Animals and people who survived the Babylonians were dying on every side; the fruit was withering on the trees and the wheat in the fields. It seemed that there was nothing much to praise God would you imagine?

Yet Habakkuk, as he struggled with his inner thoughts, worked his way to the realization that God's love was somehow behind and within even these terrible things that seemed to be bringing life to an end. After the end there would surely be another beginning. Regardless, God was in complete control, and God was good, and God was to be praised.

So the prophet voiced that glorious affirmation which has echoed down through the ages: "Although the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; although the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation!" (Habakkuk 3:17, 18.) He would continue to praise God in spite of all. By this, he achieved a relationship with God, opening his soul to receive a deeper blessing from Him than could have come from the greatest possible worldly prosperity and affluence.

Praise for what God is, in spite of what he may seem to be doing, brings us into that place of holiness that is heaven, and opens up our inward soul to receive untold blessings from Him.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Above is tiny baby Tyler's blanket. "God is faithful" as Tyler has gained two pounds in just a few short weeks. He now weighs 4lbs and they are hoping he will go home to be with his family in October.

From the Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness

These words are very powerful. “Great is thy faithfulness, oh God our father. There is not shadow of turning with thee. Thou changes not, thy compassions they fail not. All thou has been, thou forever will be.” “All I needed, thy hand hast provided.”
These are wonderful words to remind us of the faithfulness of God. The hymn is based on a biblical text found in Lamentations.

Jeremiah, the author of these words says this in Chapter 3, “I’m the man who’s seen affliction under the rod of God’s love. He’s driven and brought me into darkness without any light.” Verse 4, “He’s made my flesh and my skin waste away and broken my bones. He has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation.” Verse 7, “He’s walled me about, so I cannot escape. He’s put heavy chains on me.” Verse 10, “He’s to me like a bear, lying in wait or like a lion in hiding, he led me off the road and tore me to pieces. He bent his bow and set me up as a target for his arrows. He drove into my heart the arrows of his quiver and I’ve become a laughing stalk of all the people.” Verse 16, “He’s made my teeth grind on gravel, he made me cower in ashes, my soul is bereft of peace.” “I have forgotten what happiness is.” Well after all that description of misery he comes to verse 41 and there is that transitional, constructive word, “but.” After all of this suffering, “but” is called to mind and therefore, we hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.”

Jeremiah is in deep trouble. “This chapter does for happiness what Britney Spears does for modesty.” It just about destroys it; it is a very sad, sad chapter. If you think you’ve got problems, just listen to these complaints of this prophet from the early centuries. The highlight of the verse, the passage, is there in verse 21. The good news, “God is a faithful God.” And it’s that reminder that we have for us today.

We know what faithfulness is, we’re expected to be faithful—God expects us to have those qualities of faithfulness, dependability, reliability. We are to tell the truth, we’re to keep our word; we’re to be dependable and reliable. The good news is we can take all of those qualities of faithfulness expected in us and others and apply them to God perfectly. He is faithful, He is reliable, He is dependable. He keeps his word, He never breaks His promise. He is consistent. That’s good news; the God we worship is a faithful God.

In the hymn that Thomas Chisholm wrote he says faithfulness of God is expressed in several ways. It is expressed in the fact that God’s love never ends. He is faithful, in the third chapter in verse 22 it says, “His compassions never fail.” God loves us so much that He sent his son. Scripture says God loved us so much that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That means His love is immeasurable, it cannot be described adequately. It certainly cannot be presented in human terms as to its limitations.

David said it this way, “God’s love reaches to the heavens.” He may not have known about light years of measurement, but he did know as he looked up that even the sky at night and in the daylight could not contain the love of God. It can’t be measured.

God doesn’t change, we can trust Him, He is faithful. Some of us have experienced some type of trouble, disappointments or tragedies in our life because somebody changed, somebody we trusted, maybe a husband or a wife, maybe a devoted friend we thought we could depend on. Something happened they changed, they betrayed us, they turned on us, their faithfulness was gone and we were crushed cause somebody changed, faithful friend, faithful loved one, they changed—but “not God”.
The truth of this passage is that “God will never let us down”, “He will never change”, “we can always depend on Him”. “We can anchor our life in Him, we can trust Him”—“He does not change”.

Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving

I Love You Lord

I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, Oh my soul rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what you hear may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

I love you, Lord, and I lift my hands t o worship you as my soul demands
Take joy, my King, in what you see may I be a sweet, sweet child on your knee

I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, Oh my soul rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what you hear make it a sweet, sweet sound in your ear

Make it a sweet, sweet sound in your ear

Psalm 100 (New International Version)
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
5 For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations

Through living in the center of their own world of greed many people begin to think that they are the creator. When things go wrong or they are taken away from them the feeling of loss of hope sets in. We need to give thanks as we live and realize that God created everything. He gave us all that we have. If all is lost, we still have God and all “He gives”. The Lord is our Sheppard and He is “faithful” as He looks after His pasture.

Act On Faith To Move Mountains

In Luke 17:5 the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. They felt that if they had more faith, they could do what Jesus did. So they decided to go the easy route and ask Jesus to increase their faith. What better person to ask! Jesus was full of faith—just look at all He did! Nothing—or no one—not even Satan stood in His way. He just spoke a word with such assurance and authority that what He said would be done! Jesus knew what lies Satan told and how he tried to deceive people. Jesus also knew the truth—Satan had no power whatsoever. God backed Jesus up—every time!
When the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, His response shocked them. He told them they didn’t need a large amount of faith. A mustard seed size would do! Well OK they thought, Jesus won’t increase our faith. But how do we get mustard seed size faith? A mustard seed is so tiny, isn’t it? You can barely feel it, it is so small. If you don’t have a mustard seed, then look at a point on the end of a pencil. That’s about the size of a mustard seed. Now, let us imagine what a mountain looks like. It is Huge, isn’t it? In man’s eyes mustard seed faith could never remove this mountain. But God back’s up His promises to us. God is so simple—He will not make things difficult for us, or make something out of our reach. Matthew 17:20 says, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Mark 9:23 says everything is possible for him who believes. Mark 10:27 says that all things are possible for God. So, how do we obtain Mustard Seed Faith? God gives us the measure of faith (Romans 12:3). OK so now we have mustard size seed faith. What do we do with it? How do we use it? When we are praying for others or ourselves: We need to get our minds off ourselves, off the other person, off the situation and focus completely on God. We need to see what Jesus has already done for us by His stripes and the cross, and look to the power of the Holy Spirit. Focus on building your own faith. The gift God gives you is enough, but you can build upon what you have. You can’t read or hear the Word then put it on a bookshelf. What happens when you do that? Well, what happens when you quit exercising and eating too much? You gain weight and loose your muscle. What happens when you don’t focus on giving in your marriage and focus on the getting part? The marriage suffers. What happens when you let you garden go? The weeds come in and overtake the plants. The same thing happens when you stay out of the Word. You forget what the Word says and how to apply it to situations in your life. By reading the Word of God is how you increase your faith. Keep in the Word, by reading, listening to tapes, listening to others teach and preach until the Word is in your heart and you live, breathe, speak, walk and act on God’s Word at all times. Act on your mustard seed of faith and move any mountains standing in your way.

Sage's Faith (Childlike Faith)

Psalm 8:2 (New International Version)
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2 (New Living Version)
2 You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength,silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

Children are able to trust and praise God without doubt or uncertainties As we grow older…many of us find it more and more difficult to do so. I ask God Almighty to give you childlike faith, removing any barriers that may prevent you from having a closer walk with Him. It is good to get in touch with our childlike quality that is within ourselves in order to become more opened in believing the promises from the Lord.


Sage’s Faith

Sage was chosen to be on the cover of a cancer magazine for “Kourageous” kids. He gave a speech in front of 200 people yesterday and said that Jesus died and rose again and now he lives in his heart...evangelist in the making! If you look at the picture of him and Makayla you can see how much better he is! PRAISE HIM!!! GLORY

Sage was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago. When my sister told me the news she was a complete mess. I told her that Jesus had already paid the price for him to be healed and I told her that I had peace and knew that he would be fine. She in turn told Sage that he was diagnosed with cancer and he would be in the hospital a lot but that Jesus was healing him.

This kid went through chemo, radiation, and was in and out of the hospital with infections and blood transfusions for the entire year. Too much for anyone to go through but especially a 3-4 yr old.

Through the entire ordeal he had faith in what his mother told him. He KNEW that Jesus was healing him. He confessed the entire year that "Jesus is in my heart and he is healing me". So full of faith! This is the childlike faith that the bible teaches us. He never doubted or questioned it, He just knew that he was healed and confessed it to family, friends, doctors and nurses.

I can only imagine what my nephew will accomplish for the glory of God in his lifetime. I pray that God will continue to put people in his life that will sow God's Word into his heart and pray that the Word will grow and produce fruit in his life.

By: Beverly for Sage

Jesus Looks At Our Heart

1 Samuel 16:7 (New International Version)
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."


But You
Written by Ruth Graham

It isn’t your gold or silver,
your talents great or small,
your voice, or your gift of drawing,
or the crowd you go with at all.

It isn’t your friends or your pastimes,
your looks or your clothes so gay.
It isn’t your home or your family,
or even the things you say.

It isn’t your choice of amusements,
It isn’t the life you lead.
It isn’t the thing you prize the most,
or the books you like to read.

No it isn’t the things you have dear,
or the things you like to do.
The Master is searching deeper…
He seeks not yours but you.

It’s your heart that Jesus longs for,
your will to be made His own,
with self on the cross forever,
and Jesus alone on the throne.

I Lift My Eyes

Lift My Eyes (Kutless)

I lift my eyes up unto the mountains,
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from You, Maker of Heaven,
Creator of the earth.

O how I need You Lord, You are my only hope;
You are my only prayer.
So I will wait for You to come and rescue me,
To come and give me life.

(Repeat Verse)

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Knit Together

I said a prayer for you today
and know God must have heard.

I felt the answer in my heart
although He spoke not a word.

I didn’t ask for wealth or fame
I know you wouldn’t mind.

I asked for priceless treasures
of a more lasting kind.

I prayed that He’d be near you
at the start of each new day.

To grant you health and blessings fair
and friends to share your way.

I asked for happiness for you
in all things great and small,
but that you’d know His lasting care
I prayed for most of all.

Author: Unknown

One of my favorite movies is Steel Magnolias. I love the way the women in that movie stick together through good times and bad. Although they are very different they love and care for each other. The Bible expresses friendship as a special and sacred covenant relationship. They should be relationships that we are in one heart and one mind since they are relationships that we choose unlike the relationships in our family.

Jesus had twelve close friends. Of these twelve there was one who betrayed Him, three that He was closest, and one who He referred to as the “one” He “loved”.

Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at “all” times”. (Genuine friendship consists of loyalty and love).

A Blessing Is On The Way!

The shawl above was created and inspired by God as a mantle of prayer for Laurie Schwartz as she is having surgery today to remove a lump in her breast. Bright pink is for our boldness as we stand against the enemy and his attack on her body, and white is for her pure heart.

A Blessing Is On The Way!

When you get lost in the darkness,
when you feel dismay.
Open the windows of your soul and wait,
a blessing is on the way!

Deep within there is a guide,
a Spirit deep inside.
Jesus will not leave us,
no matter how hard the day,
just close your eyes and pray.
Don’t loose your mind, just wait the time,
a blessing is on the way!

When you feel your energy start to drain,
close your eyes and call His name.
He hung on the cross in order for us to survive.
Somehow, someway we’ve got to keep the faith alive.
He will breathe in us and show up right on time.

The battle makes us weary,
but we’ve got to keep Him in mind.
If we draw near to Him,
He will shine light into our day.
There is no need to worry,
a blessing is on the way!

Verse by: Terry Moore

A Listening Heart

Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

A Listening Heart

C.S. Lewis “The moment you wake up each morning…all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other; larger, stronger quieter life come flowing in.”

Let us not forget that prayer is like talking. It involves a relaxed sense of quiet. Often we need to wait in the Lord’s presence for His comfort, insight or guiding word. Psalm 46:10 reminds us to pause long enough to reflect on the Lord. Fruitful prayer relies not just on an active mind or a busy tongue but on a quiet heart that listens for God.

Weaving The Habit Of Prayer Into Our Lives

When we weave the habit of prayer into the fabric of our days, we invite God to become a partner in every aspect of our lives. When we consult God we benefit from His wisdom, His strength, and His love. Instead of turning things over in our mind we need to turn them over to God in our prayers. Instead of worrying about our next decision, we need to decide to allow God to lead the way. We shouldn’t limit our prayers to meals or to bedtime. We should pray constantly about things that are great or small. Our Heavenly Father, God Almighty is listening, and He wants to hear from us.

Don’t be overwhelmed…take it one day at a time and one prayer at a time. (Stormie Omartian)

My Prayer: Lord, Your Holy Word commands us to pray without ceasing. When we are discouraged, let us pray. When we are lonely, let us take our tears to you, Lord in prayer. When we are joyful let us offer our prayers of thanksgiving to you. In all things great and small, at all times, whether happy or sad let us seek Your wisdom and Your Grace…in prayer. Amen

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New International Version)
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Majesty

Majesty, worship His Majesty,
Unto Jesus, be all glory, honor and praise!
Majesty, kingdom authority, flows from His throne,
Unto His own, His anthem raise.

So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus.
Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King.
Majesty, worship His Majesty,
Jesus who died, now glorified,
King of all kings.

As Christians, isn’t it comforting to know that we have “One God” to bring our petitions and prayers to?

Saturday when I was getting my nails done by the owner of one of the local nail salons located in the Concord area as I looked around I noticed an altar that had two statues in particular. While the nail expert had my hand in his, I casually looked up into his eyes as I said to him “I notice you have an altar here with several statues. When you pray, do you pray to “One God” for many things or to many Gods for many things?” His reply to me in his broken English was “I pray to “many Gods” for many things”. As the Lord was leading me to search within this mans heart, I began to ask him to explain why he prayed this way. He told me that he prays to one God for money, another for his business, another for health, and repeated in his broken English that there are many God’s for many things. I began to tell him that I was a Christian and explained to him how I pray to “One God” our Heavenly Father because He supplies all my needs. I felt the warmth of the Holy Spirit tugging at his heart as he kept looking at me and smiling while he had my hands in his and while he was putting hand cream on them. Shortly afterwards when he was finished we had eye contact once again and I paid and tipped him. Wow, what a testimony to see how my obedience as I listened to God’s gentle voice touched this man’s soul. When I was leaving he gazed into my eyes and took my hands into his once more and said, “Ms Bonnie, your God sounds like a nice God and you are a very kind lady to me”. I looked back at him and replied that now I know why in April when I moved here to North Carolina that God sent me to him to get my nails done.

Deuteronomy 5:7-9 (New Living Translation)
7 “You must not have any other god but me.
8 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

The Power Of Prayer

No ocean can hold back
No river can over take it
No whirlwind can go faster
No army can defeat it
No law can stop it
No distance can slow it
No disease can cripple it
No force on earth is more powerful than
The power of Prayer!


Romans 8:37 (King James Version)
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us".

Father You Are With Us Every Step Of The Way

Where is God? He is everywhere you have ever been and everywhere you will ever go. His is with you night and day; He knows your every thought; He hears your every heartbeat. When you earnestly seek Him, you will find Him because He is here, waiting patiently for you to reach out to Him…right here…right now.

God is everything. Our focus should be on Him, seeking to know Him more completely and allowing Him full possession of our life. When He is center in our lives everything else will follow according to His plan.

My Prayer: How comforting it is, Dear Lord to know that if we seek You, we will find You. You are with us, Father, every step that we take. Let us reach out to You, and let us praise You for revealing Your Word, Your way, and Your love to us.

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul”. Deut 4:29 NIV

“I seek you with all of my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Ps 119:10 NIV

Knock And The Door Will Open

Prayer has mostly to do with God – His grace, His willingness, His invitation. What we say in our devotional time is our response. Prayer is our answering more than it is our initiating or inventing. In prayer we may knock on the door, but we do so having being invited to come in the first place. In Jesus Christ, God opened the door of possibility of communication with Him in the first place. Prayer is where we begin to walk through.

Matt 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”.

Ordinary Days

Everyday life is the only setting most of us have to grow into a life of prayer. While getting ready for our daily activities we can also pray about the day and on how God wants to use us. In this way God can prepare us both physically and spiritually. As we put on our cloths for the day it can remind us that we are clothed in spiritual readiness. We can pray underneath and during our activities, and not just apart from them. God’s presence should be meditated through our daily work, and not destroyed by it. Since Christ was a carpenter most of His life; surely He sanctified those decades of labor with loving attention to God.

“I keep myself in His presence,” Wrote Bother Lawrence, “by simple attentiveness and loving gaze upon God…or to put it more clearly, a habitual, silent and secret conversation of the soul with God. “

For most of us making more room for the spiritual life is not a matter of changing our daily lives but of reorienting our hearts. Growing in prayer is simply a matter of cultivating the garden plate we already have.

Let Us Turn The Ear Of Our Soul Toward God

Thanks Linda so much the donation of yarn I received from you unexpectly yesterday. It is appreciated and will help make blankets for all those little babies who enter NICU located at one of the hopsitals nearby. Presently there are 12 babies out of the 20 beds the units holds. I can't thank you enough. - Love - Bonnie

Dan Rather asked Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “What do you say to God when you pray?” Mother Teresa looked at him and said quietly, “I listen”. Slightly flustered, Mr. Rather tried to ask the question again. “Well, then, what does God say?” Mother Teresa smiled and said, “He listens”. Profound communication can often take place in the most subtle way, through a still small voice, or in loving silence.

Times spent in listening prayer keeps us coming back to God who is eager to communicate through every means imaginable. We need to try to turn the ear of our soul toward God who is full of wisdom, and who is eager to speak to us.

Speak, Lord for your servant hears. Grant us ears to hear, Eyes to see, Wills to obey, and Hearts to love.
---Cynthia Rossetti, Nineteenth Century

My prayer: Lord, help us to not talk over you. Deliver us from chatter. Help us to hear you when you speak to us. Help us to see Jesus Christ, and enable us to follow all that your Holy Spirits leads us to. Amen

Word of God Speak So We Can Listen To Your Voice

Word of God Speak

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

[CHORUS]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

[REPEAT CHORUS 2x]

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay

We might not be able to see God, but we can feel His presence and are able to see the affects of our prayers when we pray to Him.

When we feel overwhelmed with our trials we are encouraged to pray and listen to Our Heavenly Father as we "cast our anxiety" (sometimes translated "cares") on Him. He's not a stern judge waiting for us to break down under our worries; He actively wants to listen to us and help carry our burdens.

“Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you’. 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)