I want to thank the LORD for HIS HAND OF SAVING GRACE!!! On Sunday morning, the Lord swept in and swept our church off its feet. Almost 40 people came to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Many had believed in Jesus (Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19), but never believed ON HIM! (more have come to know Him this week as well)
What is so wonderful for our family is that our girls Am & Sis were in that number! Sis had been struggling for a couple months over her salvation. She was 11 and remembered some, but just didn't have complete peace over it. She looked back at me and I knew she had to get to that altar to make things RIGHT...... Unknown to us, Am had been questioning her's for a time. She came down the aisle, headed straight for her Daddy, and couldn't get to the altar quick enough.
I cannot explain the service, nor will I even try. All I know is the SUPERNATURAL HAND OF GOD was on WGBC that morning. I am sharing the service with you. You can make your own conclusions of what happened by watching the service. I will tell you that it is long...almost 2 hours. (although, it didn't feel long at all!) (Sis speaks at about 1:05 - and Am goes down about 1:35) FYI - Am was in the back nursery with Baby M....she could hear the service from the speaker, but she couldn't see what was going on in the service.....all she knew was she had to get to that altar.
Have you ever struggled with your salvation? Have you ever trusted the Lord as your personal Savior? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Please take the time to watch this service if you don't KNOW HIM ....maybe you will once this service is over. Praying God will bless you through watching this. GOD IS ALIVE and HE is STILL in the MIRACLE BUSINESS!!!
Life can just be full of stuff, I can get so worked up over things....
I become overwhelmed
I become tired
I become anxious
I become a mess
So thankful the Lord knows my heart and He knows all these things and more about me than I do. So thankful He has delivered me before and HE WILL deliver me again!
Listen and be reminded what HE has done for you and will do again.....
Love these words......"I spoke to the wind, it hushed and I gave you peace"
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
The book of James is one that I have visited, yet never studied. There is something about going thru a study, pretty much verse by verse. James is a straight-forward character. NO beating around the bush. He says exactly what he means....and means what he says. With my children, they tend to nag, pick and put each other down from time to time. I tell them all the time, we need to encourage each other. Not tear one another down. Life & death is in words we speak to one another. With Chapter 3 James makes no bones about it ....our tongue can set a fire! True....huh? Harsh words can rip your heart out....or they can make you so angry that you can't see straight. (Well, maybe not you.....but that happens to me sometimes) The verse below is one that I use a lot with my children...but not until I used it on myself. I was convicted of my words over a year ago and I still have to repeat this to myself A LOT!
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23
Well, once again I have been convicted of my words through this study. Below is words from The Message..... as I dug deeper into this passage of scripture the words in the message just penetrated my mind and my heart.
A bit in the
mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship
in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the
strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it
can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!It
only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or
wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can
ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send
the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from
the pit of hell.This
is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never
been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we
bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and
women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! James 3: 3-10(msg)
Father, please help me to chose my words carefully, and to speak life!
Ever had one of those days that just seem to drag you down? How about weeks or maybe you have experienced months? One thing after another? Lately that has been the case in our family. I like roller coasters, but only the kind you get on, scream as you get the thrill and then BAM! Just that that the ride is over and you step off!.
Well, I am not liking this ride at all. It seems something new and unexpected at each and every turn. Some days it seems as if I am barely hanging on. Other days, I seem to straighten myself out and go along with the ups and the downs. As long as I am hanging onto God's promises I am pretty steady. But those days that I take my eyes off of HIS WORD and put them on my circumstances.........
A big ol' MESS happens. I scream, I kick, I seriously WANT OFF THIS RIDE.
And then it happens. Without a warning....the Holy Spirit reminds me -
"you know that you are not alone."
"God's got this."
"Trust in His Promises"
I then turn to the Word that comforts me...
"Be strong and of a good courage"
"God is MY refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
"God is in the midst of ME, I shall not be moved, God will help me early in this trial" Psalm 45:5
He loves me and He is with me.... He is not surprised by this. He will hold me with His right hand of righteousness. He alone is my portion.
And a sweet peace stills my soul. I am reminded of His presence a few months back when we had a health scare with my sweet husband. During a gall bladder attack they found a cyst on his kidney. Once he had his gall bladder removed, we had to follow up with an MRI on his kidney. The results sent him to a Urologist which put us sort of in a panic. With a daughter and son-in-law being nurses, we found out way more than we needed to know. Oh, and you know the internet..... it is full of useful and SCARY, DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT, OVER THE TOP INFORMATION. When I got to the C word. I FROZE! I could not breathe!! So, do yourself a favor. Don't be a surfing doctor. It leads to even more worry, more what ifs.......during the 2 week wait to see the real doctor.
I began to seek the Lord with all my might!! I immediately went to Psalm 46 sitting in that MRI waiting room. One of my go-tos in times of distress..... when I got to verse 5 it was as if it were lit up. "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved, God will help her and that right early" Psalm 45:5
I felt His peace and His presence at that moment.
The days were long and some nights were even longer. When darkness begin to shadow over the situation, we went to His word to bring light back into it. Everyday God gave us verses to cling to. It was if we were hanging on for dear life. The appointment came and once again we had to wait over a weekend for the dr to consult with another dr. When B called me with the news that it was just a "blood-filled cyst" again I was frozen. I didn't know what to say. The presence of God was so real that I was just in awe of Him. All I could do was thank Him. Praise Him.
That night, I was folding my umteenth load of laundry, and still praising Him with the radio on K-Love. This song came on a month of pure emotion, and praise began to fall from my eyes and my heart.
We got the kids together and we told them the good news, how our prayers had been answered. We shared a lot of things about how God works in our lives and how much He love us! How HE is always with us, even when we think maybe He isn't . We shared this song and immediately. Bub got his guitar and started learning it. Precious time for our family.
Last week my prayer list on Worship Wednesday - now some PRAISE for those requests
Please pray..... B's test results- PRAISE THE LORD! He has a cyst on his kidneys that they are monitoring every 3 months. Results from a recent Ultrasound - no change in cyst - THANK YOU LORD!! MRI in 3 months Am's surgery - went well, she is recovering well. Still has some discomfort. Praying that this worked for her stomach problems. My Brother & his family in Venezuela -please continue to pray. This country needs the Lord and our prayers. God protect and provide.... as they share the news of Jesus with the lost. Sis & school - LOTS of prayers were answered last week. May GOD continue to show her who HE is My mother - hurt her back during the snow a few weeks back. Slowly on the mend.
and many other unspoken that the Lord knows all about.God knows my heart about these situations and He will get GLORY for them.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Psalm 91: 4
Father...you know my heart today. Our family has much to pray about this week. I am so thankful that you have us covered and under your wings we will trust your promises. I want to thank you for loving me, thank you for holding us close and for giving us victory in Jesus!! Please pray..... B's test results Am's surgery My Brother & his family in Venezuela Sis & school My mother and many other unspoken that the Lord knows all about. Thanks :) (Visit Raising Future Esthers for the final days of God's love devotions - missed the rest of the month?? Go back to Feb 1 and begin - you will be blessed)
The next video is a little long, but so worth listening to.....take a moment to focus on God's love for you.
Sometimes I struggle.
Sometimes I fail to understand God's love for me.
Sometimes I forget He loves me just as I am.
Sometimes I try to earn His love.
Sometimes I feel as I am just not worthy.
But, all those thoughts are nothing compared to HIS love for me....and for you!!! Are you struggling with trying to earn His love? Maybe you don't really understand His love. For His love is like NO other. Dig deeper into God's Redeeming Love at my real-life friend's blog during the month of February....you won't want to miss a post.
I want to wish my wonderful husband a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I thank God for you every day!! You are my best
friend, love of my life, the best Dad, an awesome "Pop", and so much
more!!! You mean the world to me!! I am so thankful that God created you
and that He made you for me. I know that God worked in our hearts as we
were growing up to bring us together and bless our lives together.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Father, we know that your WORD is true, and that while we are waiting YOU will renew our strength, you will help us to run this race and not be weary. YOU say you WILL and I know YOU WILL!!!
Please pray for my husband, B. We are in WAIT mode for a health situation. Thanks for praying!
So thankful for a Savior that hears my cries for help, gives me strength to just keep breathing, holds me up, lifts my head and so much, so much more!
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I
will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
Oh Heavenly Father, I come to you today, the words of this song are exactly what I have been feeling yet have been unable to put to words. I am so thankful that even when the words won't come, you know the groaning of my heart. Lord, the main problem I see with the words is, the word "I". I have been trying to do it all by myself, and I fail so many time to seek you in everything. I need to surrender it all to you and let You work in my life. I am tired, I am weary, and you are aware of my needs more than I. I am so thankful you love me, even in my mess. Lord, you know me, you know my heart, and I want you to help me, just be me.....nothing more......
Thank you for your grace and your mercy that saved me!
I Can Just Be Me - Laura StoryI've been doing all that I can To hold it all together Piece by piece I've been feeling like a failure Trying to be braver Than I could ever be It's just not me
So be my healer Be my comfort Be my peace ‘Cause I can be broken I can be needy Lord, I need You now to be Be my God So I can just be me
I've been living like an orphan Trying to belong here But it's just not my home I've been holding on so tightly To all the things that I think That satisfy my soul But I'm letting go
So be my Father My mighty Warrior Be my King ‘Cause I can be scattered, frail, and shattered Lord, I need You now to be Be my God So I can just be me
‘Cause I was lost in this dark world Until I was finally found in you So now I'm needing, desperately pleading Oh Lord, be all to me
Be my Savior Be my lifeline Won't you be my everything ‘Cause I'm so tired of trying to be someone I was never meant to be Be my God Please be my God Be my God So I can just be me
Once again months have gone by without posting at all.... This post is in Worship & Praise to the Lord! Once I get off the roller coaster called October, maybe I will post again. And maybe we can talk about the word ENOUGH.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Ephesians 3:20
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Focusing on the one that Loves me with an Everlasting LOVE!!!
This song spoke to me the first time I ever heard it. Those of you that know me or read this, and actually read to the section about my son turning 16, you know that I was a sobbing mess as that boy drove off. When I finally got myself together and got in the van to go to work, this song came on the radio!!!
God used this song to speak to me that morning. I still have my days when I am struggling through this season in my life, but this song comes back to my mind. I can't do this season of my life without Him and I am so thankful that He is STRONG WHEN I AM WEAK. I just love this:
I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
This past weekend we went on a Youth Retreat and our Youth Praise Band sang this song! Once again I was reminded of how He has blessed me in my life! There that same little boy young man that drove out of the driveway that day was playing (drums, of course) and singing unto the Lord!
Once again, my eyes are sweating!!! Told you I wasn't handling this season very well!!
Thank you Lord for your hands for mercy, for being my strength when I have none. Help me to turn to you when I feel like giving up! I can do all things through YOU!!!
Our family has been involved in our church's Easter Drama for 15 years. It is challenging with all the practices and juggling everything else in our lives. But, it is a blessing to be able to be a part of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord!!
I am doing my best to focus on HIM and to pray for everyone involved in it, as well as those that will be coming. May God be glorified and may the lost come to know the ONE that died for them.
So thankful that the Lord sent HIM! He knew I'd Need a Savior! Worship with me today!
Has He ever set your feet on a rock and gave you a firm place to stand?
Has He put a new song in your mouth?
I can answer yes to all the above.
I can also say that it has happened more than once.
I can say that I am not in a pit right now, but I will be honest and tell you that there are days that feel as if I am slipping.....
BUT NOT TODAY!! These words reminded me of where I have been on several occasions and that GOD never left me in that pit! Even though I am the one that is responsible for getting there in the first place, I PRAISE HIM that He didn't leave me there. When I had nowhere to look but to HIM, HE WAS THERE! And Praise HIM that HE IS CONSTANT!
So, if you are feeling as if you are in a pit, or you are slipping every so slowly, LOOK UP!! HE IS THERE! Be reminded today that HE loves you more that you know! He is CONSTANT! He will not forsake you, not for a moment!
Focus on HIM today instead of your circumstances, worship HIM....HE IS SOVEREIGN!
This week has been a struggle, with sickness, doctor's visits, change of routine, to-do list, and the most difficult is the fight against the wiles of the devil! Being physically tired is one thing, but spiritually exhausted from battle is something that can drain in ways that nothing else can.
In past posts I have mentioned that I have to choose to act differently than I feel. And today one of those days. For some reason Wednesdays are harder for me than other days. I have sort of adopted doing Worship Wednesdays on my blog to turn to HIM, to take a moment to focus on the one that loves me with an Everlasting Love, to rest in Him to re-energize the remainder of my week, and to hopefully share some encouragement to my blog friends.
Today, when I opened this email post from Good Morning Girls (click to read the entire post!) With the struggles and challenges that I have been facing, the portion of the post (below) made me slow down and read again, letting every promise sink in. I was so drawn to it that I asked the author, Whitney if I could share this with you (so sweet, she said YES!!!! Thanks Whitney!) I plan to dig even deeper into each scripture so that I can soak up His promises and the FACT that I am not alone in my battles!
God, would you remind me that I’m not alone in this battle?
And like a flood, His words of compassion battled their way into the forefront of my mind:
My grace is sufficient… (2 Cor. 12:9) I am close to the brokenhearted… (Psalm 34:18) Draw near to me and I will draw near to you… (James 4:8) I gently lead those that have young… (Isaiah 40:11) Be strong and courageous, for I am with you… (Joshua 1:9) I will never leave you nor forsake you… (Hebrews 13:5) I am mighty to save… (Zephaniah 3:17) Nothing is too hard for Me… (Jer. 32:17) I am the One who sustains you… (Psalm 54:4) The battle is mine… (2 Chronicles 20:15) Do not fear, for I am with you… (Isaiah 41:10) My compassions never fail… (Lam 3:22) You may weep in the night, but joy comes in the morning… (Psalm 30:5)
My daughter, you are not alone in this battle. What a compassionate, loving Savior!
(from Good Morning Girls )
Dear Sister, are you in a battle? Are you struggling? Are you weary? Or do you just need a fresh WORD from the Lord? He is right there with you, even when you feel He is far away!
A comment on the same post led me to this song (perfect for this post!!)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: Proverbs 18:21
Let
no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is
good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the
hearers. Ephesians 4:29
Father let my words be pleasing unto you! May what I say and do glorify you!
When I woke this morning, I really, really, really wished it was Friday. It seems as if I have had a week! And it's just Wednesday. So waking to it being Wednesday, wasn't very joyful. In keeping with my "choosing to have joy" I began to think of the blessings in my life. I won't list them all... seriously I wouldn't have time this morning..... But thinking of those things did change my attitude a bit!
On my way into work, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was amazing!!! Then this song came on....I said, "thank you Lord!! What JOY for my morning!!" (I know I have shared it before) I turned up the volume and danced, sang and praised the Lord as I drove down the interstate.
Those behind me and driving by me were probably thinking I had lost my mind..... but that's fine. I am a "peculiar" person! You were dancin' too, weren't ya??
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this day! Thank you for the many blessings in my life. So many times I take for granted the fact you allow me to wake up, get out of bed, wake my sleepy head children, see my wonderful husband off to work, see my in laws when I drop Kea off (they are a HUGE blessing in our lives!) take Bub to school (which will only happen for a few more months :( he is turning 16!!!!) and then head to work. I know I complain about my job, but I am thankful that I have one, considering some people do not. Lord, I know I fail to thank you for so many things in my life.... Thank you for reminding me how blessed I am this morning!!!
