“As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you.”
Isaiah 66:13
Monthly Archives: August 2012
A Balm in Gilead
“Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?”
*”There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul”
Jeremiah 8:22
*Lyrics- African-American Spiritual
Wings As Eagles
“Have you not known? have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary?...
He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
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: 28-31
Blessing in Surprise
Once, several years back, I took my Jeep in to have my brakes checked, and as I sat in the waiting area, an elderly man sat, quietly, a few chairs down,waiting for his vehicle and reading a newspaper. I smiled at him as I sat down, and began leafing through one of the magazines on the table next to me.
When the mechanic came out to give me the news about my Jeep, I stood up and walked over to the counter to meet him. He basically told me that my brakes were in worse condition than I thought, and that I was going to cost much more than I had expected. I asked how much it would cost to do part of the job now and the rest later on, and he said he’d go back and check with his manager. I went back to my seat and the older gentleman, leaned over and quietly said that he would like to pay the difference, so that I could get the whole job done today. I was totally surprised at this and responded by saying, “Thank you sir. That is very kind of you but I can’t accept, thank you though. That’s very nice of you to offer.”
He answered by saying that he would really like to do this for me and my family, and this is just the type of thing that he and his wife try to do for others whenever they have the opportunity. So he asked that I please accept his offer. I thought for a minute and then asked if I could have his name and address in order to repay him, and he said no. He said that this would be a gift, and that he did not want to be repaid. I realized that this was a blessing, so I graciously accepted. ( I did manage to get his name and address anyway, so that I could send him and his wife a thank you note. I also included a gift card for he and his wife to go out to dinner.) :)
That day, when I drove off, I felt so much gratitude, as I had thanked this gentleman several times, and was doubly blessed to have experienced true generosity and a “blessing in surprise!”
Election
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16 ♥
Happy!
“…Whosoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.”
Proverbs 16:20
Seize The Day
Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called “the present!”
“Lord… teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
Kindness
“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:32
O Magnify the Lord With Me!
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”
Psalm 34
Contagious
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
― Charles Dickens
Jesus Cares
“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained, too deeply for mirth or song
As the burdens press and the cares distress, and the way grows weary and long?
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed, to resist some temptation strong
When for my deep grief there is no relief, though my tears flow all the night long?
Does Jesus care when I’ve said, “Goodbye” to the dearest on earth to me
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks, is it aught to Him? Does He see?
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary
I know my Savior cares.”
Sonny James
Just One Drop
It’s Throwback Thursday and here’s a story that I posted several months ago. I love to think back on this story, and I hope that it will be a blessing, as I share it with you today!
My youngest sister was getting married, and the wedding took place just before I was scheduled to have surgery. It was a beautiful wedding, and one of the special moments was watching my sister’s soon-to-be mother in law, walk down the aisle to be seated. She entered gingerly, because she had been very ill, and had traveled a long way in order to attend. I’m not sure what her illness was but you could see in her eyes the love that she had for her son, and how determined she was to be a part of this very special day. She leaned heavily on the arm of the usher who was escorting her in, and slowly made it to her seat. After the wedding, I had a chance to sit and talk with her.
It was my very first time meeting her, so I introduced myself and told her that I was so glad that she was able to come. I asked her how she was feeling and she told me a little about her condition. She mentioned how the Lord had blessed her, and that without Him she couldn’t have made it. She spoke of some sort of blood disorder, I’m not sure of the details, but what she said next would have a great impact on me. She said that she prayed that Jesus would bless her with” just one drop of His blood”, because she knew that by His stripes we were healed. “Just one drop” she said, and she would be fine. I told her about my upcoming surgery and, being a woman of great faith, she encouraged me, and told me to trust in the sacrifice that Jesus has already paid for us.
The day of surgery arrived and I got up early to spent some time in prayer. I rehearsed in my mind all of the verses which had given me peace as this day approached, and I asked the Lord for something specific… I knew that there was a good chance that I would lose a lot of blood during this surgery, and my doctor had ordered me to donate my own blood in advance as he was prepared to give me a blood transfusion, but I didn’t want to have a blood transfusion, so this is what I prayed,” Lord, I ask that You would bless me with just one drop of Your blood, so that I would not have to have a blood transfusion.” After this I felt very calm and at peace. We left for the hospital.
My children didn’t want me to have surgery and were very worried. As we drove to the hospital, I started happily singing praise worship songs and they listened in. Their faces brightened slightly, but they couldn’t bring themselves to sing along with me. I felt their love and concern for me, it warmed my heart, and I understood.
The surgery went well. I awakened to see my family all looking down at me in anticipation, I smiled and thought that this was kind of funny. I was also relieved and happy that the surgery was over! The doctor came in and said that there were 18 tumors instead of 2 or 3, and that I had lost a lot of blood. “Eighteen tumors?” I said. “No wonder I was in so much pain!” Then he said that although I had lost a lot of blood, he decided not to give me a transfusion, but waited until afterwards to see if it was still necessary. He said that my blood count was now back up, so I didn’t need one after all… I thought to myself “Thank you Jesus!” because I hadn’t mentioned to my family or my doctor that I didn’t want a transfusion. This was just between me and the Lord, and He did it! Just like I asked.
I exhaled, and felt a great big smile, deep down inside… :)
Sweet!
“Kind words are like honey…
Sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
Proverbs 16:24
Delay Does Not Mean Denied
Delay Does Not Mean Denied…
Waiting for an answer to prayer can be hard sometimes, but I’d just like to share that although it seems that there may be a delay, it doesn’t mean that your request has been denied.
In fact, it has been my experience that after what seemed to be a great delay, I was blessed far and away more than I was asking for in the first place!
Here’s an example from John 11:1-44, where Jesus raises Lazarus from the Dead:
First, a request is brought to Jesus.
“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
Next, Jesus responds with a delay.
“When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”
Then, after finally arriving in Bethany, Lazarus having been dead 3 days, Jesus comforts Martha with these words, “I am the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in me shall never die… Do you believe this?”
And then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
(Answering their prayer in a greater way than they ever expected!)
“…They took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
“Are you praying for something, and there seems to be a delay in receiving your answer? Just remember that God is working all things together for your good, and He is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that you may ask or think… So hold on, the answer’s on its way, and it promises to exceed your expectations!” :)
The Commenter Award
Thank you, Juliana, simplyjuliana.wordpress.com, for nominating me for the Commenter Award. It’s been a pleasure to read and comment on your posts, and I’m happy to be among those who enjoy your blog. This is a new award for me, and the guidelines are a little different this time which makes it fun! So, here we go:
Find your Top Recent Commenters on your site stats page on the bottom, right corner. If you do not see this, click on the Screen Options in the top, right corner and be sure that “Comments” is checked. If you are good about responding to every comment, then you will be the first one in the list.
Pass this award on to the next six commenters on the list.
Nominate one more person who is either:
A brand new commenter on your blog,
The very last comment you have received (most recent), or
The one who has posted your most favourite comments.
The seventh nomination is your choice, so please let us know why you chose them.
And now, I’m happy to introduce my Top Six Commenters!
1.Francine @ francineinretirement,wordpress,com
2.Beatrix Mana @ babydogogos.wordpress.com
3.Terry @ terry1954.wordpress.com
4.Misty Maples Farm @ awinsomejourney.wordpress.com
5.Mike @ emmock.com
6.Florence @ harpoftenstrings.wordpress.com
And for number 7, I’d like to nominate the very first blogger to ever “like” and comment on my blog. She’s always on the go, cycling to new and exciting places, as she passes on her experiences through her pictures and her posts. It was so exciting to see a little picture pop up on my screen for the very first time, and to read her comment when I first began blogging. It was so encouraging and I’ll always appreciate it!
7. Thanks Anita @ traveldestinationbucketlist.com
Finally, a Special Thank You to everyone who has ever “liked” or commented on this blog. Your encouragement and input are greatly appreciated!
Smiles and Blessings. -Faith :)
Prayer
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock and the door shall be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7
Twilight
The period of the evening which takes place, between daylight and darkness is called twilight…
In the days of Elisha, there was a severe famine. Outside the city gates there were four men who were lepers. These four men reasoned among themselves, “Why should we just sit here until we die? If we go into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there, and if we just sit here, we will die also. Let’s go to the camp of the Syrians. Maybe they will save us alive, or if they kill us, we shall but die… And so they rose up in the twilight, to go to the camp of the Syrians.
When they got to the camp of the Syrians, there was no one there because the Lord had made the entire Syrian army to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, and the noise of a great army approaching, and they thought that the king of Israel had hired other foreign armies to join with him to fight them...So they arose and fled in the twilight... When the lepers arrived they found an abundance of food, silver and gold. They sent word back to the king and the starving people were satisfied.
I love this story… You can find it in II Kings chapter 7. I am always amazed that at precisely the same moment that the lepers decided to step out in faith, God began working on their behalf. As soon as they arose to go at twilight, God allowed the Syrians to hear an illusion at twilight, which scared them out of their wits and caused them to leave their treasures. The lepers were on their way, had probably walked all night, but God had already fought the battle for them, He had already solved their problem, and He had begun at precisely the moment that they believed… At twilight.
The next morning, with the rising of the sun, came long-awaited joy and deliverance…
Glory to God
“All the Glory goes up to God, and then the blessings come down on me.”
– Gabby Douglas
2012 Olympian Champion Gymnastics
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is filled with twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
– Author unknown
Iron Sharpens Iron
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Henry Ford
Faithrises 