Monthly Archives: September 2012

True Love

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also.”

I John 4 ♥

Thank you Jesus

Above all powers, above all kings

Above all nature and all created things

Above all wisdom and all the ways of man

You were here, before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones

Above all wonders the world has ever known

Above all wealth and treasures of the earth

There’s no way to measure what you’re worth

Crucified, laid behind a stone

You lived to die, rejected and alone

Like a rose, trampled on the ground

You took the fall and thought of me

Above all ♥

Michael W. Smith

Awesome!!!

God is AWESOME!!!

Go On…

“Sometimes I feel like I can’t go on.Then I look  to God and realize that because He is with me,

I can.”

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, neither be afraid…., for the LORD thy God, He it is that goes with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“… for He has said, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you,”

 Hebrews 13:5-6

Power and Peace

Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the LORD is upon many waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.

The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.

The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

Psalm 29

Bright Path

“You show me the path of  life and in your presence there is fullness of joy…

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. “

Psalm 16:1

Desert Spring

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;… I will even make a way in the the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Isaiah 43:19

Golden

“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.” Charles Spurgeon

“But He knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

Job 23:10

It’s a Beautiful Day!

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice  and be glad in it!”

Psalm 118:24

He Understands Scars

This touched me and helped me so much, I had to share it with you… You’ll be blessed too, I’m sure. – Faith ♥

It's a God thing...

In a group discussion recently we touched on the topic of scars.

One person described them as beautiful (emotional or physical), not because of the past pain, but because they gave an illustration of redemption or salvation. Healing has taken place. All was not lost. We survived – and we have the scars to prove it.

What are some of the scars from your life so far? Unkind words from your school days that have left their mark? Emotional abuse you feel only you truly understand? Real-life scars from painful surgery? Only you know how deep the pain has been and what it’s taken to heal. Maybe the restoration process has just begun.

I’m comforted by the fact that Jesus knows all about scars. I imagine that in heaven we might see them still on his hands and feet to show what he went through for us. The death he…

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Better Than Life

 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

 

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Psalm 63

Wow! What a Woman! Part III

              God is forever faithful to “the faithful.”

It’s been an amazing journey and, this is the third and final post on the Shunnamite woman. The first two posts were paraphrased from II Kings chapter 4, and today’s story can be found in II Kings chapter 8. Thanks for following along! :)

Sometime after God raised her son back to life, the Shunnamite woman was advised by Elisha, the prophet, to pack up her belongings, and leave her home.  He warned her of how the LORD had called for a famine, and that it would last for seven years. So, the woman did as the prophet said, and traveled to the land of the Philistines, where she lived for seven years.

When the famine was over, she decided to return to her home, and she went to see the King about getting her land back. On the very same day that she was to present her appeal to the king, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant just happened to be in a meeting with the king, because the king wanted to hear more about all the great things that Elisha had done. Just as he began to tell the king about the woman whose son Elisha had raised from the dead, behold, the woman whose son was restored to life, came in to make her appeal to the king, and Gehazi said in excitement, “O king! This is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life!!” And when the king asked her, she told him her story and the king said to his officer, “Restore all that was her’s, and all that she would have earned from her land since the day she left until now.”

The Lord went before her, prepared the king to hear her case, and then gave her back not only her land, but all of the profits that she would have made from her fields over the seven years that she was gone! Wow!! I told you that this story was exciting!  What a great testimony of faith!

God is forever faithful to “the faithful.”

Wow! What a Woman! Part II

Just when her faith had risen to a new level, it would be tested…

A few years later, her son was out in the field with his father, when he began complaining of a severe headache. His father told one of the servants to take the young boy to his mother. The child laid his head on his mother’s lap until around noon, and then  died…

The woman took her son up to the room that she had made for Elisha, and laid him on the bed. She closed the door, went out, and called for her husband. Then she asked him to send her one of the servants and a donkey, so that she could go and see the man of God. She said she would hurry and return soon. Her husband asked  why she was going to see the man of God.. She didn’t say anything except, “It shall be well.”  She quickly saddled her donkey, and  left to see the prophet.

As she approached Mount Carmel, the man of God saw her coming and sent his servant, Gehazi, to meet her and ask what was wrong. He told him to ask if it was well with her husband, and if it was well with the child. When Gehazi asked her these questions she replied, “It is well.”  When she approached the prophet, she got off her donkey, and fell at his feet. She cried out, “Did I ask you, my lord, for a son?.. Did I not say, do not lie to me?”  Elisha sent his servant away immediately to go and see about the child, but the woman would not leave without him, so he returned with her.

When Elisha arrived at the house, the boy was dead and lying on his bed. He stretched himself out on the child, and the child became warm… He got up and walked around a bit, and then stretched himself out on the child again, and this time the boy sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes!

Gehazi called for his mother, and when she came into the room, she fell at Elisha’s feet, and bowed herself to the ground. She picked up her son,…. And walked out.

Wow! What a woman of faith! Fear and faith cannot operate at the same time… This woman showed incredible faith in the face of a situation which could have  invoked the most horrible fear. She knew that her son was a miraculous gift from God, and that God had blessed her and done what she thought was impossible… Faced with the sudden death of her son, her response was one of faith, and although I’m sure her heart was pounding, she made the immediate decision to hold her tongue, and trust God. She told her husband, “It shall be well”  and said to the prophet, “It is well.” and because of her faith, God made it so…It was well!

Stay tuned,..Part 3 next time. :)

Wow! What a Woman!

This week for Throwback Thursday, I’m sharing a 3 part story about an amazing woman with amazing faith!

Here it is…

This is one of my absolute favorites because it has every thing a great story needs. Interesting characters, a great plot with problems to be solved, and lots of surprises. I’ll be paraphrasing, but you can find this first part of the story in the book of II Kings chapter 4.

“One day there was a woman who invited the prophet Elisha to have dinner with her. He accepted and after Elisha left, the woman, convinced that Elisha was a holy man, asked her husband if they could add a room on to their house, especially for him, with a bed, a stool, and a table with  a candlestick, so that if ever he passed their way again, he  would have a comfortable place to stay. Her husband agreed. It was done, and the next time the prophet came there, he spent the night. He was moved by her kindness and hospitality, so he asked her if there was anything that she wanted him to do for her.

She asked for nothing in return, and when she left the room, Elisha asked his servant, Gehazi, what could be done for her. Gehazi mentioned that the woman was childless and that her husband was  old.  Elisha called the woman and told her that she would give birth to a son and he told her  when her son would be born. She relied, “Don’t lie to me…” but  miraculously, she gave birth to a baby boy,  at precisely the same time that Elisha had predicted.”

Let’s take a closer look at what has just happened. First of all, this woman had a very kind and hospitable spirit. She invited Elisha to have dinner with her, and then added a room to her house just for him. In scripture she is called a “great” woman, so perhaps she was wealthy, and adding a room to her house was something that she could easily afford to do. Next, she had respect for the man of God, evidence that she embraced a level of faith,… a limited level of faith, that would soon increase, and later be tested.

I refer to her faith as limited because, when Elisha asked her what he could do for her, she asked for nothing…She believed in God, but her faith appears to have its limits… Was it really true that she didn’t want anything… He was a prophet after all… She knew that he was a man of God, a holy man.  She had said so herself.. What was it that she really wanted? Could it be that she had given up on the hope of ever having a child?… Did it seem to be too impossible of a request? Whatever the case.She didn’t ask… It was Elisha’s servant who mentioned that she was childless, and even when Elisha told her that she’d have a son, her reply was, “Do not lie to me”… Because to her, it seemed to good to be true..

Her faith would soon increase to a whole new level, throughout the months in which she carried her son in pregnancy, gave birth to him, and delightfully embraced him in her arms.

Tomorrow, Part 2 :)

The Deepest Love

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

S. Trevor Francis

Shine On

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.”

Isaiah 60:1

Thank you!!

https://faithrises.wordpress.com/wp-admin/widgets.php#available-widgets

I’m so excited!! I began blogging in January of this year, and  I’m happy to say that as of yesterday, there are now 500 fellow bloggers who subscribe to Faithrises. Wow! :)

 I can’t stop smiling about it!

Special thanks to all of you. You are truly a blessing to me, and I’m  honored and humbled by your support.

 God Bless You. – Smiles and Blessings as Always!

Faith♥

God Is Good

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100

Recipe for Happiness

And most importantly,

” Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.”

Psalm 144:15

Invisible Evidence

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…”

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,

so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. “

Hebrews 11:1,3

I’ve Still Got It!

It’s “Throwback Thursday” and here’s a story that I posted back in the Spring. I hope that it puts a “spring in your step” and a smile on your face today! – Faith  

One day last week, my daughter told me that right in the middle of class, her teacher, “thirty-something”, mother of two, did a cartwheel right in the middle of a lesson, and cartwheeled right back to her original position and said, with a great big smile on her face, ” I’ve still got it!“ and the whole class just roared with laughter! I thought to myself, “Wow! How great it must feel to be so free at heart, even in the midst of a busy workday, right in front of a  class full of fifth-graders, turning cartwheels!”

For me, this teacher’s exclamation of  “I’ve still got it!” implies so much more… It not only speaks of her impressive physical capabilities, but also of her ability to seize the day, enjoy the moment, and keep the “kid” inside alive!

Refreshing…  :)

Hope, Joy, and Peace

 “The hope of the righteous brings joy.”  

Proverbs 10:28

 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace…”

Romans 15:13

Seasons of Life

Through the different seasons
In life that we go through,
God still walks there with us
Through good and bad times too

We don’t need to stop
And ponder why we’re here,
We just need to trust in God
That He won’t leave us there

It is but for a season
That we are in this place,
We need not sit and question it
Just receive His loving grace

Don’t look around at others,
They can’t give you what you need
Let’s turn our eyes toward heaven

“Lord we put our trust in Thee”

Hard times that you are facing,
The Lord will see you through
To bring you to a better place
That He has planned for you

We may only call on Him
When going through bad times,
But when things are going well,
He’s seldom on our minds

But even in the good times,
We need to look to Him,
Let’s not become complacent
Or let our love grow dim

Just trust Him in the times ahead
Even when you do not know
That He is there beside you,
For He does love you so.

Š By M.S.Lowndes

Sweet Blogging Award!!

Thank you PC Zick, @ pczick.wordpress.com, for nominating me for the Super Sweet Blogging Award! I think that this award is so cute and it’s so nice for my blog to be considered “Sweet!” I’m honored to have been nominated by such a popular writer. I admire her blog and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too, so treat yourself to a visit!

Thanks Patricia. :)

Guidelines:

1. Give credit to the person who chose to nominate you.

2. Answer the “Super Sweet” questions.

3. Nominate a “Baker’s Dozen (13) blogs.

 

“Super Sweet” Questions:

1. Cookies or Cake? 

Right now I’m not eating sugar, but if I were, it would be… CAKE!!! Plain cake and plain cookies,like pound cake and shortbread.  :)

2. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla.

    3. What is your favorite sweet treat?

Lemon Pound Cake

    4. When do you crave sweet things the most?

I don’t have a big sweet tooth, so I don’t usually crave sweets.

   5.   If you had a sweet nickname, what would it be?

I checked with my hubby, and he said “Sweetheart” ♥

A Baker’s Dozen of  “Sweet” Nominees:

collinesblog.wordpress.com

awinsomejourney.wordpress.com

tastythumb.wordpress.com

francineinretirement.wordpress.com

reflectionsintheword.org

auntieemsguide.wordpress.com

frommyfrontstep.wordpress.com

jpdaily.wordpress.com

lettersfromlilies.wordpress.com

homeandtherange.wordpress.com

rantingchef.com

feedthepiglet.wordpress.com

alotonyourplate.wordpress.com

Surfing through these blogs will be “sweet” so pay them a visit and enjoy!!!

Special thanks to everyone who visits, follows, “likes”, or comments on this blog! Smiles and Blessings to you all. – Faith :)

The Traffic Raiser Award!

Traffic is usually something we try to avoid, right?… But not here!!!  :)

Thank you Nizy, @ nackynice.wordpress.com for nominating me for The Traffic Raiser Award!  It’s an honor, and I greatly appreciate it. I love your photos, poetry, and delightful posts!  Stop by and pay her blog a visit. You’ll be glad you did!

Thanks Nizy.

Guidelines

  • Link back to the blogger who nominated you
  • Paste the award image anywhere in your blog
  • Tell us 7 facts about yourself
  • Nominate 15 other bloggers.
  • Post a comment on your nominees’ blogs telling them of their nomination
  • Leave a comment here, vote for your own and one other.

Seven Facts About Me

  • I am a Christian.♥
  • I’m a wife and mother, with three children, a son and two daughters. This is a great blessing for me.
  • Being a mom is my all time favorite job. :)
  • My son is the one who introduced me to blogging. He initially set up my account, and bought me a ” How To” book on blogging, and I’ve been hooked ever since!
  • I love music. A few years back, our oldest daughter introduced me to the ipod. It’s  my favorite toy!
  • I enjoy visiting gardens and museums.
  • I have fun with words and writing!  “Words with Friends” and Scrabble are my favorite games, and I play a little everyday.

And The  Nominees Are… :)

pczick.wordpress.com

simplyjuliana.wordpress.com

waltbrite.wordpress.com

foreverpoetic.me

iwasthinking.me

ioan17.wordpress.com

tracielouisephotography.net

pbus1.wordpress.com

lesleycarter.wordpress.com

brianwilliamsen.wordpress.com

artbycamila.wordpress.com

habwwe.wordpress.com

pureglory.net

harpoftenstrings.wordpress.com

www.phrayz.com

 

Please stop by and visit these great blogs! I enjoy them and I’m sure you will too.

A great big “thanks” to everyone who follows, “likes”, or comments on this blog. You’re the best! – Faith :)

 

 

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T’was grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear…
the hour I first believed.

The Lord has promised good to me…
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be…
as long as life endures

Through many dangers, toils and snares…
I have already come.
T’was grace that brought me safe thus far…
and grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years…
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise…
then when we’ve first begun.

John Newton