AGGRAVATION

One of my dad's favorite board games is called "AGGRAVATION".  It's fun to play it with him because he gets such a kick out of it.  But in real life, AGGRAVATION IS NO FUN!!  The hustle and bustle at this time of year tends to give me a ton of opportunities to become aggravated. However, I've found that allowing AGGRAVATION to play a part in my life makes me sick and miserable, not to mention adversely affecting those who get in on it. Allowing AGGRAVATION to manifest is like when we throw a stone into a pond and we see the ripple effect. The ripples multiply and spread across the water, seeming to never end.  In this same way,  exposed AGGRAVATION spreads and adversely effects those around us.  You and I have the amazing power to potentially bring another person down or make their day. We should all strive to make life more beautiful by keeping our frustrations to ourselves.  Therefore, I'm making every effort to respond in a better way and not react in AGGRAVATION. Every morning I prepare myself mentally and spiritually by praying and reading my Bible. I've decided to focus on thoughts of nostalgia, hope, love, and gratitude instead of frustration.
     The winding down of 2013 has made me think about how very fast this year has gone by and yet how truly blessed my life has been. As I read the news and hear about all of the horrific situations that so very many people must endure or succumb to,  I feel grateful and yet a tad odd about my little bubble that I've been living in. NOW, there's one thing I do need to clarify here. My world is not perfect, I deal with "issues" too!  But, in comparison to the trials of so many, I am humbled.
     I realize that no one's life will ever be perfect on this earth, yet I believe there are keys to living well.  God loves me and you!  He has a wonderful plan for our life. He has been so very good to me! Yet, I also realize that I'm not so good to myself sometimes.  His goodness + my bad = my bad.  You may have an equation that better illustrates my point.  But the fact of the matter is, my consistent bad trumps my experiencing God's goodness in my life.  The main challenge for me (as for most people), is to Focus on HOPE and  STAY CALM (KEY).  Just about everyday (unless I stay in bed) there are tons of opportunities to FREAK OUT>FALL OUT>QUIT> SCREAM and things like this!  (Yes,  I am TYPE A)  I don't know if it's because when it seems things are running pretty smooth, out of the blue a LITTLE something tries to step into my life and change things up a bit. For me it could be anything from a traffic aggravation, to getting into "the wrong line" at the store, to slipping on a wet floor (from dog pee),  to wondering "what in the world is wrong with him/her? IDIOT!"  Now you know how imperfect I am!  LOL!!  One thing I'm learning at my age is that life goes a whole lot better when I try to be loving, understanding, STAY CALM, AND MOVE ON.  I love that popular saying>STAY CALM AND MOVE ON!  It really has made a difference in my life. I've found that BY FOCUSING ON STAYING CALM, I DO MOVE ON and life is much better!!
    I hope you'll get on board with me to spread the good cheer and leave AGGRAVATION where it belongs...in no man's land.  I pray that peace, joy, and gratitude will be our response for this season.  I pray that we'll all take advantage of the Lord's good grace and presence by adapting ourselves to doing life His way
   I'll leave you with these two pieces of great advice.  One from the Apostle Paul (Phillippians 4:6-7), "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance...pray...and God's peace will be yours."  Second,  Jesus said in John 14:1 " (YOU) Do not let YOUR heart be troubled (distressed, agitated).  YOU believe in, adhere to, trust in, and rely on God...".
NOW HAVE AN AWESOME DAY!!

WILL YOU Have a Merry Christmas?

I went to see the movie, "TAKEN 2" last night.  I thought that is was great, but I especially liked "TAKEN"-Part 1. The whole thing started out with a loving dad, who is an exceptionally strong, spy kind of guy, rescuing his teen daughter from the sex slavery industry in Europe. Of course, the dad is always the hero! I love the dad's intense hatred of evil. The selflessness and determination he exhibits going after the bad guys is exhilarating! The purity of the love he has for his family is refreshing. The part I abhorred was the cold, wicked, and calculated evil that was exhibited by the sex slave operators.  It truly is disheartening to realize just how dark mankind can be. This world is in bad shape. We can look around us and see the atrocities on every hand.  Or, we can look around and see God. We can look for and see FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.  We must be determined to have a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Some of you reading this may ask, "HOW? Are you kidding me?"  Having A MERRY CHRISTMAS can be deterred by entertaining DISAPPOINTMENT, FEAR, ANGER, FRUSTRATION, BITTERNESS, DREAD, ANXIETY, and other such things. But, FOCUSING on the Lord will cause the bad "things of earth to grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace" (This is a line from one of my favorite hymns: "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"). One of my favorite Christmas carols is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".  The message in this song is simply amazing to me.  It's speaks of RESTING in God's PEACE and being MERRY or JOYFUL!  The writer exhorts, "LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY..." (alarm you or cause you to lose courage).  WHY?  "FOR JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, TO SAVE US ALL FROM SATAN'S POWER WHEN WE WERE GONE ASTRAY..."  Satan is the father of evil in this world. He works through many people.  BUT, GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT is also in this world.  He brings "TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY" through people.  We can choose to allow the devil to wreak havoc through us, OR we can choose to allow the PRINCE OF PEACE, the MIGHTY GOD, AND THE EVERLASTING FATHER to have His way in our heart and life.  I love the songs of the season.  I especially love "Handel's Messiah".    I went to UF last weekend to the "Songs of the Season" concert.  It was fantastic!  I'm brought to tears remembering the last song that they performed of the evening. It was the "Hallelujah Chorus" by Handel.  Immediately when this majestic song started, the audience rose to it's feet in reverence and awe. This was not in a church setting, nor was this a predominately "Christian" audience to my knowledge. But, you would've thought it to be at this point. When the song ended, the audience erupted into thunderous claps and exhilaration!  JESUS truly is the REASON FOR THE SEASON!  I so enjoy the fun that goes with Christmas, but I continue to be in awe every year at this time when I think about the love our Father God, exhibited in sending His only Son into this world to SAVE us all from Satan's power. Lastly, I want to encourage you with this: "HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS NOW"!

CHRISTIANS, WAKE UP!!

Whew!  I'm glad that the Chick-fil-A day is over.  Although I was completely on board with it and waited in a line for food 1 1/2 hrs., there was definitely a huge conflict that I encountered on Facebook. Who would've thought that friends and family members would basically hate you for siding with Biblical and American traditional Judeo/Christian values.  I tell you we are in a CULTURAL WAR!  I'm not advocating meanness or aggression, because I believe that we Christians should love and respect all people regardless!  BUT, when it comes down to being attacked, intimidated, and belittled for my beliefs, I WILL NOT BOW DOWN! Some of the reactions (attacks) I got were saturated with tones of hatred, inferences of stupidity, and accusations of not having Christian love for LGTB (lesbian, gays, transgenders, and bi-sexuals). This couldn't be farther from the truth!  God knows that I have some precious friends that fit into most of these "gay" categories. No, they don't profess to believe in Christ, but they respect and love me, as I also respect and love them.  They know where I stand and I know where they stand as well.  I think that this is the way we should relate to these groups.  BUT, when it comes down to their demanding that I, must condone and accept as TRUTH, their philosophy of life, I WILL NOT BOW DOWN!  I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!  I've decided that even as Esther, Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego, and so many others in the Bible, did not BOW DOWN and compromise with  the idolatry in the society of their day, I WILL NOT EITHER!  I want to challenge my Christian brothers and sisters to WAKE UP and understand the times that we are living in.  The days of just having loads of fun at our Christian prayer (gossip) meetings, ("meat market") concerts, (gluttonous) dinners, and (social climbing, prideful) Bible studies, (while so many go home to view porn) are OVER!  I really don't believe that the sleeping giant (the church of America) has smelled the coffee yet. There are still too many professing Christians in this country walking the fence by compromising their beliefs, and loving pleasures more than God.  I really believe that this is why our country is in the shape it is in today.  We have strayed so far away from the faith of our founding fathers with drug addiction, violence, immorality (pornography, adultery, fornication, etc.), alcoholism, speaking lies as sport, and so many other sins running rampant in the good ole God blessed (?)  USA. A Christian minister posted on FB that we shouldn't judge one sin over another. I agree with this.  Sin is sin and God is judge. BUT,  I'm calling for all Christians to stand up for GOD, IN THE NAME OF GOD,  LIVE THE LIFE!  Clean up your act!  And LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!  JESUS said for Christians to BE A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, DON'T HIDE IT UNDER A BASKET!  He also said that we are to be like A LIGHT THAT IS UPON A HILL FOR ALL TO SEE, and to BE LIKE SALT THAT IS SALTY (noticed) or else we are NO GOOD, BUT JUST TO BE TRAMPLED UNDER THE FOOT OF MEN!  I want to submit to you that if we are cowering behind the four walls of our churches, or the comforts of our cozy homes, and we are not letting those around us in our society know that we love them, but also Who and what we stand for, we are self-centered and selfish, ashamed of the GOSPEL!  AND...I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DOWN-FALL OF THE NOT SO GOD BLESSED USA! I read recently an article in CHARISMA"magazine that the 93 yr. old Dr. Billy Graham wrote a letter entitled, "My Heart Aches for America".  In the letter, he's calling "America and it's deceived people" to repentance>(turn from our wicked ways, to God's ways).  This letter was "one in a series of escalating warnings that the nation is in growing danger of God's judgement".  He also spoke of his late wife, Ruth's concern regarding the nation's "terrible downward spiral".  "He wondered what Ruth would think of the country today where SELF-CENTERED INDULGENCE, PRIDE, AND THE LACK OF SHAME OVER SIN are now emblems of the American lifestyle."  Mr. Graham stressed the fact that THERE IS HOPE!!  God is merciful and WILL FORGIVE US IF we REPENT of our sins and turn back to Him.  Many other respected ministers have expressed their concerns and warnings as well.  There you have it!  We all need to get on our face before God and sign up to "fight" for the battle that we are in today!  Please consider this CALL and do what your  COMMANDER requests.  After all, this is Christianity 101!

shalom

After my Bible study this morning, I went to the feed store to get some little ducklings.  I brought them home and put them into their new pen. I gave them some food and a pan of water to play in. It made me so happy to watch them enjoying their food and mini-pool.  I could've sat there watching them all day! All of a sudden, the Lord reminded me of my Bible study I had just finished. He had spoken to my heart that He so wants to bless His children.  Ps. 35:27 says, "God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant". The Hebrew translation for prosperity is SHALOM. It means safety, favor, welfare (God's, not govt. welfare), health, and financial prosperity.  It's important to know that if we are His loving and obedient children, then we can and should expect Him to take care of us.  In fact, He wants to shower us with abundant blessings. As a matter of fact, Jesus said that He came to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10)  Haggai 2:4-9 reveals some conditions for receiving the blessings of God. In this passage, God commands us to BE STRONG, ALERT, and COURAGEOUS. He says here that we must WORK (and be in expectation) BECAUSE HE IS WITH US!  He says that this is because of HIS COVENANT He made with us when we came out of Egypt (signifying our conversion), and because His Holy Spirit stands and abides with us. He goes on to mention here that the starry heavens, the earth, the dry land, and all nations will shake. Does this shaking nullify His covenant blessings?  On the contrary!  God warns us in this same passage to NOT FEAR!  He goes on to say some pretty amazing and encouraging things!   He tells us that the desirable and precious things of ALL NATIONS SHALL COME IN to us.  He says here that HE WILL FILL THIS HOUSE (His loving and trusting children's lives) with splendor and glory!  Wow! Now that's some good news! His Covenant makes a way for us to receive what He desires to give us. And if that's not enough, He goes on to declare that, "...THE SILVER AND GOLD ARE MINE, says the Lord of hosts...the latter GLORY SHALL BE GREATER THAN THE FORMER...AND IN THIS PLACE I WILL GIVE PEACE (HEBREW: SHALOM-safety; favor; welfare (God's, not govt.);  health; prosperity). I want to submit to you that if we entertain fear, we might just miss out on what God is offering us. He has promised and He will be faithful. Now we must believe and take possession of our inheritance.   There are so many scriptures that confirm the fact He wants us blessed.  In Genesis 12 we see God blessing Abram (Abraham).  Later on we see God telling him that he was blessed to be a blessing and would bless the nations of the earth through him because he obeyed God's voice. We see in Galatians that Christians can also have the Abrahamic blessing in our lives (Galatians 3:14; Heb. 6,12, etc).  Just from these passages, it is obvious to me that we can live in God's blessing regardless of the circumstances that surround us in this world. The most important thing to remember is why we're blessed.  #1.) Because our loving heavenly Father wants us to be.  #2.) He wants us to be a blessing to others.  In  Matthew, Jesus exhorts us to seek His kingdom first and to make sure our heart is for His kingdom's purpose, because our treasure ($) will be where our heart is. I've decided to be strong, alert, and courageous as I seek first His kingdom, expecting His blessings to be abundant in my life, and being sure to somehow bless others!  As a result, God will be thanked, praised, and glorified!!  How about you?

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Remember this old song, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"?  I remember singing this over and over in Sunday school as a child, not having an inkling of what this truly means.  Oh the depths and the riches of the fact that God is in control! Bill and I are on vacation and God's peace and presence have been so special for me. It has been like heaven on earth (on the Gulf for a few days and at the Atlantic beach since! PTL!)  As I opened my Bible this morning, God began to show me something amazing! I'll give you a little back ground first.  When I became a born-again Christian at age 22, I decided to live the rest of my life for God. At that point I made the decision to give everything I am or ever will be, all that I had or ever will have, to Jesus and His purpose for my life.  I decided that I would work for Him to the best of my ability. I do believe that although I'm not perfect, my heart has been steadfastly centered on that goal from that time and continues to be. Ironically, over the past 30 plus years, I've often felt like a hamster on a wheel going nowhere.  I've often felt overwhelmed by all the needs in the world, and despite my well meaning efforts, it doesn't appear to me that I've accomplished much for Him.  Yes, His presence and blessing have been there for me.  Yes, I've seen how I've help some individuals in some way come close to Him and experience His love. But has it been enough?  It seems that when most people hit mid-life, we many times want to evaluate our life's accomplishments.  We want to see if we need to make any changes to make our life count for something. Maybe it's because we realize more than ever how precious time is. Maybe we more than ever realize how amazing strength and physical ability is. In John 6:29, Jesus speaks about "the work of God".   Somehow when I read this passage this morning, I saw everything in a new and brighter light.  I saw how important it is to do the work of God more than ever before, but with a different perspective. The right perspective to have is to rest in the fact that He is a great God and He is sovereign. HE HAS THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS AND HE IS IN CONTROL! WE ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN HIS PLAN.  BUT, WE NEED TO WORK HIS WORKS, NOT OUR OWN WELL INTENTIONED WORKS! In John 6, we see a crowd of people following Jesus around because they had seen the miracle of the multiplied bread. In vs 26, He rebukes them for only being interested in Him because of His provision.  He exhorts them to "labor not for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures unto ever lasting life...".  They then asked, "What should we do that we might work the works of God?"  Jesus responded, "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He (God) has sent."  That's easy!  (or is it?) In other words, when we look at the Greek translation we find that it means to be loyal to, adhere to, and  trust in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. Notice that it's not just a mental belief. He doesn't give us a "to do list".  He wants our heart, the core of our being! He wants us close to Him, loving Him and cooperating with Him.  He says in another passage that "eternal life is to know Him". When we're walking and talking with Him, we naturally work His work. That's how we experience the depth of His rest and peace which He promises.  He works it all out.  We don't have to. His work is different for all of us. I have a friend, Lee Grady, who continuously travels all over the world and ministers to people. He seems to want to do this and enjoys it.  He is blessed in his work.  I have another friend, Judy Foster, who has given her life to the people of Haiti as a missionary.  I see both of their amazing works and could easily ask myself, "What in the world am I doing for God?" Anything that you and I do for God is between us and God. Only He knows what He created us for with our particular gifts, callings, and abilities. Only He knows how we fit into His plan for this world.  I see now more clearly than ever that we need to truly trust Him, love Him, and enjoy our life with Him. We must find confidence in the fact that our life is all that He wants it to be by hearing His voice each day telling us how much He loves us and that He's got us in the palm of His hand. I know that God is good and loves His children.  His grace is sufficient to do what we must, but He will never call us to work under a burdensome obligation.  I submit to you that He will always supply the ability, the heart, and the joy to do His work, even as far as laying our life down for Him, if it be that. I know God wants us free and happy in Him.  If we're struggling and oppressed, we need to reevaluate our works.  God has called us to peace.  Enjoy Him today and everyday!!  (2 Thessalonians 3:16), "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace, always, by all means.  The Lord be with you all."

A Beautiful Illusion

Our greatest dreams and desires can be forthcoming blessings or they can be trouble going somewhere to happen! I want to explain what I mean by this in sharing with you what was recently revealed to me while on a cruise with my daughter in the Caribbean.  First of all, anyone who knows me very well, knows that going somewhere in the Caribbean is always a thrill for me.  I love swimming in the beautifully colored water!  As I stood on my balcony one evening, our ship swiftly cruising to our first destination, I noticed the beautiful water churning below.  It was a combination of deep sapphire blue and a luminous turquoise.  My first thought was how delightful the water looked!  I would've jumped into those luscious waters had I not rationalized the horrible consequences of that choice!  I chose to stay on board, understanding and accepting the fact that jumping into the water at this time, in this place, and in this way would prove to be dangerous and most likely fatal! (Good thing I did! Ha! I ended up having a dream vacation!  Thanks Lord!!)  Was swimming in these waters my heart's desire?  Yes. Was swimming in the beautiful Caribbean part of the plan? Yes. Then what's wrong with this picture?  I submit to you that it was the wrong time, wrong place, and wrong way to go about it!  I believe that as we adhere to these following three keys, God's good plans and dreams for us will be activated and trouble will be evaded. In order for everything to go as God has planned, we must consider and infuse these very important keys continually into our life:  #1-WE MUST PATIENTLY WAIT ON GOD'S TIME>RIGHT TIMING (Phil. 4:6 "...be anxious for nothing..");  #2-WE NEED TO POSITION OURSELF IN THE PLAN OF GOD BY OBEDIENTLY STAYING WHERE HE WANTS US TO STAY AND BY FOLLOWING HIM TO WHERE HE WANTS US TO GO (Jn 10:1-14) THE RIGHT PLACE;  #3-WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LIVING WITHIN THE PERIMETERS OF A GODLY LIFESTYLE (Ps. 25:20-21) THE RIGHT WAY.  The children of Israel saw God's miraculous favor and blessing as they obediently exited Egypt (symbol of misery and lack) to go into the PROMISED LAND (symbol of abundance and blessing) that He had for them.  Did they all make it to the Promised Land?  No!  In the Exodus account, we find that many suffered and even died horrible deaths due to their disobedience and discontent. I have seen so many people come short of realizing their blessed destiny because of poor choices they've made. The Bible makes it very clear that our choices dictate our destiny>Deuteronomy 28-30. I believe God's grace and mercy carry us in our ignorance and imperfect faith, but intentional resistance and self-will gets us into trouble. Granted, this world is not perfect and there are many obstacles that we must overcome, but with total trust in and whole hearted  dependence on God, we can experience His good plan for our life!  There are countless beautiful illusions in this world that entice many wonderful and godly people down the hellish path of misery and disappointment.  To name a few illusions: vanity, greed, lust, self-sufficiency, bitterness, and pride.  They appear to be amazing and some are so convincing, but they all  leave their victims in a state of disillusionment and confusion.  I believe that this is why so many people question God's goodness. When we read in the Bible that God's plan is good and that He loves us,  but then we see so many people living a sad and bad life, we might be tempted to question the validity of this belief.  Humbling ourself and trusting God (James 4:10) is the only way to find out just how much He does love us! We must seek Him and stay with Him through the difficult times.  If we do, we will see the goodness of our God! Be encouraged with this verse>(Amp) Psalms 27:11-14 "Teach me Your way, O Lord and lead me in a plain path...what would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living...WAIT AND HOPE FOR AND EXPECT THE LORD, BE BRAVE AND LET YOUR HEART BE STOUT AND ENDURING.  YES, WAIT FOR, HOPE FOR AND EXPECT THE LORD."  I want to end with this declaration:  Ephesians 3:20-21 (Amp. version)  "Now to Him Who, by the power that is at work within us, is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hope, or dreams)-TO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS FOR EVER. AMEN."

Who do you want to look like?

After a somewhat grueling effort, I am back to writing my blogs. My blog account got hacked somehow and I'm bursting at the seams! I'm so excited to share with you some of the encouraging and amazing things the Lord has been speaking to me recently. Some girlfriends and I have decided to do a study on the book of James. So, I turned to James this morning to get the gist of the book again. I love this book!! The main thing that stood out to me in chapter 1 was the fact that if we Christians don't watch it, we can delude our heart into thinking that our relationship with God is just "hunky-dory" (just fine), when in actuality it isn't. James 1:22-26 says that we need to carefully look into the faultless law of liberty (the Bible), be faithful to it, persevere looking into it, and be an active doer of it. Otherwise we are like someone who looks into a mirror, walks away from it, and then forgets what he was like. When I'm going somewhere in my car, I catch myself checking my make-up and hair over and over before I arrive at my destination. (I sometimes need to tweak it!) When I arrive, I feel confident that I am presentable. This is how we should care for ourselves spiritually. We should examine our heart and life continually by comparing our thoughts and behaviors with what God's word says is acceptable and tweak as needed. THEN, we will see God's blessings in our life of obedience (vs 25 Amplified version). Every morning I lift up my day to the Lord. I ask Him to lead me in His path. Most mornings I spend some time reading the Bible and I pray about how the passage I read applies to me. I also try to spend the day thinking about it. I then consider and include Him in everything I do. I can truly say that this is why I'm so blessed! I know that as I emulate Him through His word and personal direction, I can enjoy my life. Who do I look like? I want to look like Jesus! I want to look like my Father in heaven! I want to be presentable to Him and I want Him to recognize me as His child when I come before Him in heaven someday. How about you? Who do you want to look like?

THE BOLD VENTURE

I just came back from Lee Grady's Bold Venture women's conference and I want to share with you the fact that my life has been transformed! I don't say this lightly. This conference was probably the most effective and productive conference that I have ever been to. The reason I believe this is because I saw with my own eyes a transformation, not only in myself, but in every one of those women. I saw a purity of transparency. I saw a hunger for God like never before. I saw godly humility. And most of all, we experienced the presence of God in such a magnificent way that I will never be the same again! I will never again be satisfied with the status quo. It truly was heavenly! I hope that I will be able to impart to you, in some way, this power of God that makes a person become radically and totally committed to His purposes for their life, less likely ever again to be discouraged, disheartened, or doubtful of God's amazing love and power! It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane things of life and forget what Christianity is all about. It's about having a relationship with God. It's about KNOWING GOD and getting close to Him. It's about developing the intimacy He so desires to have with His children. One of the speakers at the conference talked about having intimacy with Christ. She mentioned an old hymn that gives us a picture of what it can be like to be close to the Lord. It's called, "In The Garden" and it was written by a man named C. Austin Miles. He had a photographic dark room and would go in there to spend time with the Lord in prayer. One day, he had a vision of Mary Magdalene going to the garden with Jesus after leaving His tomb. Mr. Miles said that he was deeply and physically shaken. He immediately began writing down the lyrics as quickly as he could. The song goes like this: "I come to the garden alone; and the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share, as we tarry there, none other has ever known..." (google "hymn history" for more info.) Our walk with Jesus is acknowledging His presence in the everyday things that we do. It's in the place of desperation for intimacy with Him, that we find Him. It's when we spend time seeking the face of the Almighty, searching out His Word for truth, and clinging to Him for life, that we come into the fulness of His power to overcome in this world. We will then experience His presence and proceed in grace to fulfill His great plan for our life. The conference speaker emphasized the need for not only walking in an awareness of His presence all day long, but having a designated place to seek Him daily. We must wait faithfully on Him in expectation. I pray that this blog will help stir you up to press on and press deeper into intimacy with our creator, Father, and lover of our soul. I want to leave you with the lyrics of another old hymn that touches my heart and I pray will touch yours too! "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." Oh for more of the light of His glory and grace in my life! Have fun on your BOLD VENTURE! It will be the journey of a lifetime! I love you all and He does too!

TODAY IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

"The Best Day of My Life" is the title for a little poem I found on a piece of paper on my desk this morning. I don't remember where it came from. I love it and this is the state of my heart today! "Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I've had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger. I will go throughout this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice. Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile, I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me. Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is jut a waste of time because my faith in God and His divine plan ensures everything will be just fine. Tonight, before I got to bed , I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon , and I will praise God for the these magnificent treasures. As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be....the best day of my life!" Author unknown

GIVING UP?

On the Christian journey you can bet that there are going to be times of testings and trials. These are to prove you, to see whether or not you're genuine (1 Pet.1:7; 4:12). If you've done every thing you know how to, to be faithful, and yet you feel that it has been somewhat inconsequential, what then? One common temptation is to get discouraged. Another might be to question your convictions or even question God. The end result of unrestrained negative thoughts when in this "proving process" will always cause one to GIVE UP!!! Give up what? Give up the challenge that Jesus has given to follow Him at all costs. To follow Christ is to forget the path we want to take in life and take the path that He wants us to take (Matt 10:38; 16:34). He didn't say it would be easy. He likened it to our DEATH. We must know God's word and His specific will for our lives. We then commit ourselves to obey Him at some point in time and then retain that commitment forever. It's a daily decision (. This is what I call CHRISTIANITY 101.) When facing difficult circumstances, we all get attacked emotionally. It's what we do with those thoughts that matter. (Joyce Meyer's book called "The Battlefield of the Mind" is a good read to help you understand this). It is a great teaching on the fact that our thoughts are what make or break us. Agreement with and action on the thoughts that take us from the center of God's will, take us from Him. When we face what SEEMS to be overwhelming circumstances, do we question our previous stance? Do we instead STAND on the promises of God and stay on His path? Hebrews 13:5-6 says that God will never leave us without support. It says that we should be encouraged knowing this and boldly say, "The Lord is my Helper!" There is ALWAYS a breakthrough for the person that cries out to God from their heart for Him to help, waiting expectantly for Him. We may need to humble ourselves at that point and ask God to forgive us of our doubts, fears, anger, etc. Always remember Psalms 103:8, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving kindness." Since this is the case, I am counting on His love and shed blood for forgiveness and renewal (Rev. 1:5). When we cry out for His help, He will hear and deliver us from all of our distress and troubles; He is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves those who are crushed with sorrow for sin and thoroughly repentant; many evils confront the righteous, BUT the Lord delivers him out of them all (Ps. 34:17-19).

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS (the "today principle")

As I sat down this morning to read my Bible and pray, I looked up at the flip chart that was sitting in my office and read these words that were written on it, "POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS". I was praying about what to write in my blog when I noticed this and I felt that this would be my title for today. I asked the Lord what He was trying to convey to me, then the word "HOPE" came to my mind. As I thought about HOPE, I began to tear up thinking about some of the things that are "on my plate" right now. As I prayed, peace came flooding into my soul. I realized that I need to trust the Lord to continue leading me forward and just take it one day at a time. I have recently become a meeting facilitator and one of my objectives is to encourage my clients that we can find answers for the issues they face by considering the options and having HOPE. I decided to use some of that methodology for myself. After considering the "POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS", I then proceeded to evaluate the issues and prioritize them. (It helps to realize what is important to deal with today.) Taking on the weight of the future is more than we are able to bear. I know people who are on the edge of their sanity, basically killing themselves trying to cram a million and one things into their day to "accomplish" something. This is easy to do when we think that it is all up to us! Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 6:34, "...so, don't worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble". I'm going to call this thought the "today principle". We should plan and have hope for a bright tomorrow, but the balance is putting into our day what is doable and still retain God's peace. It is God's perfect will that we have His peace, not the peace that the world gives (John 14:27). God cares and wants to help us work everything out. We just have to humble ourselves and depend on Him (1 Peter 5:7). My husband makes this statement quiet often, "Everything always works out for me". This declaration is based on Romans 8:28 with the premise that this one loves God and is in alignment with His plan for their life. My new year challenge to you and to myself, is to find our peace and rest in Christ through faith and hope in Him everyday! (Please read Hebrews chapters 3 & 4 AMP). This is pleasing to God and it is what God wants from us (Read this AWESOME passage: Romans 5:3-5). Following His will for our life in this world ensures our hope for an eternity in heaven with Him. I'm going to leave you with these great verses taken from 2 Peter 3, "So beloved, since you are expecting these things >(looking for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise in which righteousness is to abide), be eager to be found by Him without spot or blemish (sins) and at peace (in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts)...let me warn you...be on your guard, lest you fall from your present firm condition (your own steadfastness of mind). But grow in grace and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and to the day of eternity. AMEN!"

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Since I was 22 years old (approx. 35 yrs. ago) I've tried my best to obey and follow the Lord in every way. I've been so very blessed! God has been amazingly wonderful to me and I will be forever grateful to Him! But, now I know that life in this world is not necessarily going to become progressively easier and perfect following Jesus. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've had that thought in the back of my mind. Yes, Jesus said that He came to give us life and life more abundantly and there are huge perks for obeying Him with a consecrated life style. But, sometimes in following His will for our life, we are asked of Him to live in a realm of faith that makes what He's asked of us seem impossible for us to do. I read in Luke 1 this morning about the angel Gabriel visiting Mary, the mother of Jesus. The angel was telling her that as a virgin, she was about to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God and would then deliver the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The implications of this is mind boggling and even astounding regarding the time period and society that she lived in. She didn't question the "why", but she did question the "how", denoting her acceptance of the mission. Mary's reply to Gabriel's declaration has certainly proved why God chose her to birth His Son. Her reply? "Behold, I am the handmaiden (servant) of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to what you have said." That's pure faith. It seems to me that when a mission from God seems impossible, pure faith is required. It could mean that we would encounter insufferable circumstances. My husband and I went to see the "Mission Impossible" movie the other night. It really was a great movie! The thing that always gets to me in these "Mission Impossible" movies is the commitment that Tom Cruise's character and his team have to their mission. The personal sacrifice, life endangerment, and passion. It puts most Christians to shame regarding their commitment to their calling from God. My friend, Sarah Fandler, her husband, and their three small children are going as missionaries to an impoverished city in South Africa, where HIV is epidemic and rape is rampant. I cried when I heard the news. Oh, but the whole family is eager to go! Even the little ones have enthusiastically stated themselves that they want to tell the little children about Jesus. Reminds me of the child like faith Jesus said that we must all have to enter into the Kingdom of God. This faith is pure. The Bible stresses over and over that we must have faith to do anything for God. I am challenged and I hope you are too. It's so easy to be spoiled in this country and complain about the "small" missions God asks of us on a daily basis. I'm ashamed to say that I've been guilty of self-centeredness, as many have. I pray that as I head into 2012, I will say from my heart everyday to God, "Be it done unto me as You have said. Look at me, I am Your servant." I challenge you to do the same and we will move forward in the Kingdom of our Lord and God, accomplishing His IMPOSSIBLE MISSIONS!

What's with the Christmas grinches?

Christmas day is drawing near! I find it amazing when walking through the mall or in a store somewhere, I hear carols telling of the birthday of the King like "Silent Night" or "Away in the Manger". There's a part in the song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" that stood out to me in the store the other day. With all of the people milling around, in the background I hear the sweet sounds of "...remember Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day, to save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray, O tidings of comfort and joy...". Wow! The gospel proclaimed through the carols in the stores! How can a Christian not rejoice at Christmas time? This "grinch" perspective is just wrong or maybe at best ignorance. My husband has been addressing this in his messages for the past few Sundays. (See victory church.us to hear the sermons). Christmas is a holy celebration! Let's make it big!! There are atheists who don't like the declarations of the Christmas story and then there are Christians who want to downplay the celebration. I can't understand this! This stumps (hillbilly vernacular) me! It makes me sad to hear of Christians or anyone for that matter who doesn't want to celebrate this holy day. I want to praise God for sending His only and beloved Son to this earth to die for our sins so that not only do we have hope now, but we who live for and with Him in this life will have the eternal bliss of heaven and be with Him forever! It makes me want to REJOICE! Here is the English and Latin meaning of MERRY CHRISTMAS>it's the joy-filled celebration of the anointed One and His yoke breaking, burden removing power. So...MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!

THE MYSTERY

Well, I'm back in force!! I've gotten a new lap top and life is so much easier!! You will now be hearing from me more regularly. I enjoy your comments and that you may have gotten something encouraging or challenging from my blogs. As I sat down in my office this morning with my Bible and coffee, I sensed a feeling of what seems to be a slippery snowy slope coming into the Christmas holidays. What about you? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE celebrating Christmas! I LOVE decorating, cooking, friends, and family time. I know that I am extremely blessed in so many ways and I'm truly grateful. The most wonderful thing for me about Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth. I was reading out of Ephesians 3 and I began to have the deepest feeling of gratitude for what Jesus did for us by coming to this earth and dying for our sins. The Apostle Paul shares his heart on the mystery of Christ. This mystery is revealed and it is that all people can now be children of God through their acceptance of the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus the Christ. Remember the angel that came to the shepherds at night, hailing the news of Christ's birth? He said that he was bringing good news of a great joy which will come to all people. (Luke 2) "For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord! Back in Ephesians, Paul states, "...this grace (favor, privilege) was granted to proclaim to all people the riches of Christ. Also, to enlighten all men and make plain to them the plan of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until now in God Who created all things by CHRIST JESUS." Let us celebrate the fact that it's not hidden or a mystery anymore! JESUS CHRIST HAS COME AND WITH THE FATHER HE HAS MADE US ONE!

Am I godly or wicked?

In Psalms 37 I've found that there are only two kinds of people: godly or wicked. Which am I? Which are you? I'm sorry if this bothers you, but just being a "good" person is not enough to make one godly. There are definitely conditions that make one godly and there are definitely benefits that come with godliness. There are fifteen amazing promises in this chapter, but they all come with 15 conditions to fulfill. The subtitle of this psalm is "The happy state of the godly (those who do things God's way) and the short-lived prosperity of the wicked (those who do things their way).

The following are the conditions with the promise:

#1.) vs 1,3,7-I must not fret (be angry or frustrated) because of the wicked (those who work unrighteousness)>

*Jesus will then be my good Shepherd and will provide well for my every need.

#2.) (vs 3,4,5) I must rely on the Lord (trust and hope in Him)>

*God will grant me the desires and dreams of my heart.

#3.) (vs 3,6) I must know God's will (the Bible with His specific and personal guidance) and do things His way>

*I'll shine like a light and my justice will shine like the noon day.

#4.) (vs 11) I must be easy going and flexible (meek) with the Lord (delight MYSELF in Him)>

*I'll have an abundance of peace and will inherit the earth.

#5.) (vs 4,5) I must trust God by rolling and reposing each care of my load on Him>

*He will answer my prayers.

#6.) (vs 7,34) I must be still and rest in the Lord, waiting PATIENTLY for Him to do it>

*I'll not be shamed.

#7.) (vs 7) I must not fret because evil doers prospering>

*I'll be satisfied or taken care of by God, in the days of famine.

#8.) (vs 18) I must be upright and blameless (honest and respectable)>

*My inheritance will abide forever.

#9.) (vs 21,24) If I borrow, I must pay it back>

*If I fall, God will always grab my hand and pick me up.

#10) (vs 21,25,28) I must be kind and generous>

*Me nor my children will be forsaken by God or ever have to beg for food.

#11.) (vs 26,29,34) I must be merciful and graciously lend>

*I'll inherit my "promised land" and will be able to live in it and enjoy it.

#12.) (vs 31) I must allow the word of God to be in my heart and my way of life>

*I will not back slide into evil.

#13.) (vs 13,27,33,39,40) I must run from any evil>

*I won't fall into traps set by the wicked.

#14.) (vs 30,31) I must speak words of wisdom and justice>

*I'll be secure and my steps will be sure.

#15.) (vs 39) I must be blameless and upright or consistently righteous>

*I'll have a happy ending.

I will always meditate on these things that I MUST DO in order to be right with God. All of the benefits that come with obedience to Him will just be the icing on the cake. Hope to see you in our promised land for this life and for the life to come!

I feel like I'm going to drop!

Once upon a time there were two sisters, they both loved Jesus, and were good friends with Him. The Bible says that one day, one sister was favored by the Lord and the other He corrected. The sister's names were Martha and Mary. On a certain day at their home, Jesus told Martha that Mary was doing what pleased Him, but she was not. Well, Martha was probably shaken and disillusioned since what she wasn't supposed to be doing, was the very thing that she thought Jesus wanted her to do. What Mary did right was sit at Jesus' feet in the midst of the chaos and she was listening to Him talk. Mean while, Martha was BUSY trying to take care of all the people coming into their home. As the old saying goes, she was running around "like a chicken with it's head cut off". (*Note: when one cuts off a chicken's head to prepare it for a meal, the body runs and runs around until it eventually drops dead!). Martha then took Jesus aside and in no uncertain terms told Him to make her sister Mary help her. That's when Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. There is NEED of only one or but for a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:38-42). What is my most recent revelation? "Help me Lord, I'm Martha's twin!" God knows or at least He's finding out I hope, that I love Him more than anything!! My weakness is that of Martha's. I find myself crying out to God in a tizzy and a wave of frustration asking the Lord this question, "Lord! You need to help me!! I need help!!" That's when I come to the point of where I feel like I'm going to drop! It's because I get too busy and neglect the more important thing: taking some quality time to sit at His feet. I simply need to stop what I'm trying so hard to accomplish and make some time for "us". I believe that this is where we choose to do things in our own strength or get down at His feet in prayer. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that there is a time to work and work hard. But, the first thing we must do is choose to go to Him, sit at His feet in His presence, and spend some quality time with Him each day and at the times we sense stress. The challenge is having the faith that if we make time with Him always our priority, He'll actually help us with the things in our life that we are working so hard for. We can accomplish everything we need to in His strength>Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then fearlessly draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in good time for every need." I pray that this blog will encourage you to run to Him when life gets overwhelming and you feel like you're going to just drop! He's waiting. He's patient and forgiving. He loves us and just wants the best for us!!

Deliver Us From Evil

My husband was teaching last Sunday on the fact that there is evil in this world. There is a devil. There are demons also, and the Bible speaks of this. The state of this world today confirms it. Even in the lives of many friends and acqaintances just this past week, I've noticed so much trouble and evil all around them. As I was reading in Matt. 6:9-13, I began to think about some things Jesus mentioned with regards to prayer and how we must pray to be spared. This passage is what is known as the Lord's prayer. He was telling some people how to pray. First of all, the prayer is directed to our Father in heaven. He mentions how His name is holy. He prays for God's kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven. He then asks for daily provision and the forgiveness of sins as we forgive others. Then, I read verse 13 and it stood out to me like never before! Jesus makes it a point to ask God to not bring us into temptation, but to DELIVER US FROM EVIL. Sometimes I feel that evil is all around me. What am I supposed to do? Jesus told me what to do in this passage and now I find myself doing it everyday. I've been praying for God to DELIVER ME (and my loved ones) FROM EVIL. Jesus asked the Father to deliver Him from evil in His "sample" prayer, and I'm going to also! I do feel as though I've been sort of floating in a bubble as I've asked Him daily for deliverance. I also make every effort to be led by the Lord in all my ways. I really believe that in these days of danger, God will deliver us miraculously as we pray this prayer and depend on Him, as Jesus instructed. I'm so glad that we do have a heavenly Father that is willing and well able to care for us. I'll leave you with a portion of my favorite chapter in the Bible, Psalms 91:14-16, "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him...he shall call upon Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation."

Playing the blame game?

A few years ago I got a painful revelation of something that I was doing. I suddenly saw that I was blaming others for my problems! Ouch! Why is it that my first inclination was to blame somebody else for my difficult situations? Don't look at me like that! YOU DO IT TOO sometimes! I believe it is part of the creepy side of human nature. We all take one of these two perspectives in life, the "I'm responsible" perspective or the "it's your fault" perspective. It's a fact that we cannot always control others or circumstances, but we can control our own choices. The Bible makes it very clear that we will all stand before God someday all by ourselves. We will not be able to hold on to any "apron strings". Nor will we be able to point our finger at anyone. Not even God! Romans 14:12-13 says that each of us will give an account of ourself before God and that we should no longer criticize, judge, or blame. We are, however, not to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of someone else. Philippians 2:14-15 says, "Do all things without faultfinding or complaining...THAT you may show yourselves to be blameless...". It all boils down to the fact that God will help us IF we rely upon Him in every situation and do things His way. As we call upon Him, trust Him, and wait for Him to work everything out, we will get His help just in time>Hebrews 4:16. We all need wisdom for every situation and God says that IF we ask it of Him, He will give it to us>James 1:5. For an amazing read, Proverbs 3 (Amplified version) reveals how one gets wisdom from God and how valuable it is. Our life can always take a turn for the worse, or for the better. Make your decision with me today, and every day, to go for the better! I'm reading a great book by Ivanka Trump, "Playing to Win in Work and Life". She shares a truth that I love and I want to share it with you, "We've all been dealt a winning hand, and it is up to each of us to play it right and smart." Since I surrendered my "right" to blame, and started doing things His way like never before, I've seen Him come through for me in remarkable ways! I'm so excited to see what He has for me everyday! Seek His wisdom and you'll be amazed at how God will bless you, now and throughout eternity!

My Loss Was Really My Gain

I want to share with you a very significant and personal dream that I had the other night. The next morning I awoke weeping with a strong sense of loss and fear. I'll tell you the dream, the meaning of it, and then the loss for me that was really gain. I dreamt that my family and I were at a beach resort enjoying life. All of a sudden we hear a community siren and it was announced that there had been a terrorist attack and a foreign army invasion. The attack caused panic and a frenzy all around the community. In the frenzy of my gathering some of our basic necessities and gas masks for myself and my family, I got separated from them. I remember being ushered into a place that was considered a safe area, but my family was out of my sight. I was crying uncontrollably because I wasn't sure that they were ok. Once I arrived at the safe area, there were some people from my church trying to comfort me. Then a friend's son, Michael Krames, said to me, "Put them into the hands of the Lord". I instantly awoke crying and sad, yet praying for the meaning. Here is what the Lord showed me the meaning is and maybe it will help you as it did me. First of all, everything seems great and then comes what appears to be difficult times. My first inclination is to be the protector and provider for my family. But, in the effort of trying to be "all that" for my family, I got separated from them. And because I couldn't take care (or control the circumstances) of my loved ones, my thoughts gravitated to worry and fear. Then, in the safe zone where faith is, Michael said. "Put them into the hands of the Lord". I have been convicted of the fact that I have tried to control the lives of my family from day one. Not for the reason that I'm on a power trip, or that I want things my way, but because I love them dearly and want only the best for them. But, for them to have what's best, I've got to have FAITH and TRUST God with their outcome. The fact of the matter is that God loves them more than I do and He is in the position of doing a better job of caring for them than I am. He wants to be their provider and caretaker and they must rely upon Him! In fact, I have tried to put myself in God's place. When I saw what the Lord was requiring of me, I decided then and there not to worry and be anxious, but to repent or change my ways. I've got to put my faith and trust in God Almighty, our creator, the all powerful King of the Universe, all knowing, wise, and loving heavenly Father. No, I GET to put my trust in Him and I KNOW that He will take care of us. My gain is peace that passes all understanding (1 Peter 5:7 -cast ALL your care on the Lord and you'll have peace). I'll also have what is called the full and complete Sabbath rest of God (Hebrews 4). God isn't happy with us when we aren't trusting Him or resting in His care. It's because resting in His care proves His Lordship in our lives and opens doors for the blessings of God. Resting in Him gets us out of His way so His work isn't hindered. The loss that I was mourning was my ability to try and control circumstances. In my mind, all I want is the best for our family, but my efforts to take control over a situation actually works against my good intentions. Romans 8 says that God works everything together for good for me because I'm hoping in Him and I'm trusting that He is working it all out according to His good plan and purpose. My gain is a peaceful and blessed life. Problem free? No, but as my husband says, "Everything always works out for me!" I love what Joyce Meyer says, "Rest is freedom from excessive reasoning, struggle, fear, inner turmoil, worry, and frustration, which develop because of our working to do what only God can do. Being in God's rest isn't necessarily resting from physical activity, but resting in confidence in the midst of everything that goes on in life. It is a rest of the soul where the mind, will, and emotions are at peace...If you are worn out, I urge you to enter into God's rest. I encourage you to quit trying to control everyone and everything around you and simply allow God to do for you what only He can do. No matter what you face, God wants to help you and give you rest."