Tag Archives: Christian

Like Jabez

The bible says that Jabez, a descendant of Judah, was “more honorable than his brothers”and even though his mother named him Jabez (which means pain), he called out to the LORD and God heard him and gave him what he requested. 

This is not a story about getting everything we want, it’s actually an example that there’s always hope when we pray because no matter what we’ve been through, or what we’ve been called, as children of God, we have His eye.

 Jabez may not be as well known as Abraham or Moses but that’s just the point!  God’s love is there for the “little guys”too and the story of Jabez  reminds us that in Christ, each of us is special and uniquely significant. He cares for us and will answer when we pray.

“Jabez  called out to the God of Israel, saying,

“If only You would greatly bless me, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me,

and keep me from harm, so that I might not suffer pain.”

And God granted what he asked.” 

 I Chronicles 4:10-TLV

The Garden

garden
I come to the garden alone.

While the dew is still on the roses.

And the voice I hear,

Falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses.

He speaks and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing.

And the melody that He gives to me

Within my heart is ringing!

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.

-Charles Austin Miles

A Time of Reckoning

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

To reckon, is to establish by counting or calculation, and today, as I struggle with  pain and limitations as I recover from surgery, I am reminded that, in calculating the number of difficulties and painful events that have occurred in my life, I am encouraged and inspired to think of what God has in store for those who love Him, those who are called according to his purpose. Paul, in reckoning all of his pain and suffering, just lays it out there for us in II Corinthians 11:24-27; “… five times received I forty stripes save one. I was beaten three times with rods, stoned once, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, (that’s me today, lol ), in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”

I don’t suppose that many of us can say that we’ve suffered to this extent, and I’m in no way trying to belittle anyone else’s experience, yet Paul kept moving forward and I’m so glad that he did because during these tremendous hardships, He wrote most of the epistles of the New Testament. Most of them from prison. In light of all of this, and considering the hardships that we may be facing, we too can reckon that none of it compares to the glory that shall be revealed in us, as we, like Paul, keep moving forward and looking up…

Elected

“Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.” Ephesians 1:4

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”  I Peter 2:9

“You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it to you.” John 15:16

Double For Your Trouble

There isn’t anything that we go through, that hasn’t first been permitted by God. This may be a little hard to accept sometimes, but it’s true, and in the end we’ll see that it was only allowed for our good
 And that’s not all.

When it’s all over, the Lord will bless you in such a way that you receive “double for your trouble”, and sometimes even more.

Remember when the LORD told Abraham, way back in the beginning before Sarah was even pregnant, that he would be the father of a huge nation and this nation would be slaves in a foreign land, and that they would be there for over 400 years, but He would deliver them with a mighty Hand and they would come out with great substance?( Meaning they would come out with great riches.) Well 400 years of slavery is a long time for people to spend working for no pay, and the bible says that the morning after the first Passover, the Egyptians just started giving the Hebrews anything they wanted and they “spoiled” the Egyptians. Psalm 105:37 says, “He brought them forth also (out of Egypt), with silver and gold.”  And we all know the story of Job who, after he had so tremendously suffered, received twice as much of all that he had before.

Think about it. Hasn’t God brought you out of trouble and then blessed you? It could be that He blessed you monetarily, or restored your health, or blessed your family, or even blessed you with wisdom, in preparation for the blessings yet to come.

In Isaiah 61:7, the LORD says, â€ For your shame you shall have double...” and if God says it, that settles it!

So if you’re going through a rough time right now, be encouraged


You’re gonna be blessed DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE!!!!

God of Angel Armies

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

You hear me when I call, You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night, It cannot hide the light

You crush the enemy, Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield, Though troubles linger still

Whom shall I fear?

My strength is in Your name, For You alone can save
You will deliver me, Yours is the victory

I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies, Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies, Is always by my side

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding on to Your promises… You are faithful

I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies, Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies, Is always by my side

The God of angel armies, Is always by my side.

From Chris Tomlin’s “Whom Shall I Fear”

In Oceans Deep

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You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise… My soul will rest in your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and you won’t start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

-Hillsong  “Oceans”


Love Is…

“Love is patient, Love is kind…

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way.

It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

 It does not rejoice about injustice

But rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

 Love never gives up, Never loses faith,

Is always hopeful, and endures

Through every circumstance…”

“Love never fails”

I Corinthians 13: 4-7

Trusting God

To trust in God means that He is our confidence; our minds are at rest, as we rely on His word, His integrity, His veracity, His faithfulness, and His unfailing love.

We don’t often hear stories about King Hezekiah, but he is one of my favorite examples of trusting in God. II Kings 18:5, says that Hezekiah trusted God like no other king before or after him.. What a wonderful way to be remembered, as someone who truly trusted in God. In the face of danger, at the threat of war from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and even after the prophet Isaiah warned him that he would soon die, Hezekiah prayed to God, trusted Him to hear and answer, and God delivered him every time!

King Hezekiah’s sincere, unshakable, trust in God, serves as a great encouragement and example for us today, as we face life’s trials and difficulties. Like him, we too can be assured, that God cares, He hears our prayers,He sees our tears, and will not fail to deliver us, as we place our trust in Him.

Good Medicine

Here’s a funny little story.

Once, our youngest daughter came home from school, and told me that her sixth-grade teacher has a very funny way of cheering herself up. She said that whenever her teacher is feeling low, she pops on a funny red clown nose, takes a drive in her car, and every time she stops at a red light, she turns and smiles at the driver next to her!

I burst out laughing when I heard this and said,” That’s hilarious!

She not only cheers herself up but others too, in the process! “

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…” Proverbs 17:22 ♄

Fountain of Every Blessing

  • Image result for living water Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount!I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I’m come; and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood. O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, LORD,take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
  • -Robert Robinson

The Barometer

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“Circumstances are not the barometer of God’s love and goodness – the cross is.”

“Do you feel as though God isn’t answering your prayers?  Are you tempted to doubt His love and goodness?

When I feel this way, I have to remind myself that my circumstances aren’t the barometer of God’s love and goodness—the cross is. He has shown His love and how good He is by giving His only Son Jesus to die for our sin. We can’t rely on our feelings. But day by day as we choose to trust Him more, we learn to believe with confidence that God is good—all the time.”♄

-Anne Cetas

When Hope is Frail and Candles Dim

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Oh, that I might have my request,

that God would grant what I hope for,

“What strength do I have, that I should still hope?

What prospects, that I should be patient?

I have been allotted months of futility,

and nights of misery have been assigned to me.

When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’

The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,

and they come to an end without hope.

Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;

my eyes will never see happiness again.

Job 6:8, 6:11, 7:4-7

Good Good Father

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Oh, I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone

Oh, and I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word

You’re a Good, Good Father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

Oh, it’s love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think

As you call me deeper still
Into love, love, love

You’re a Good, Good Father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

Chris Tomlin

Happy Father’s Day! ♄

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

I John 3:1

The High Place, I’ll Bring Down

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I will make the darkness light before you,
What is wrong I’ll make it right before you,
All your battles I will fight before you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.

When you walk by the way I’ll lead you,
On the fatness of the land I’ll feed you,
And a mansion in the sky I’ll deed you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.

With an everlasting love I’ll love you,
Though with trials deep and sore I’ll prove you,
But there’s nothing that can hurt or move you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.

Although satan in his rage would tear you,
And with all his scheming arts would snare you,
Even down to your old age I’ll bear you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.

I will make the darkness light before you,
I will make the crooked straight before you,
I will spread My wings protecting o’er you,
“And the high place I’ll bring down.”

Charles P. Jones

“…I will make the darkness light before them.”  Isaiah 42:16

Reaches To The Heavens

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Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
And Your faithfulness
Stretches to the skies

And Your righteousness
Is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows
Like the ocean’s tide

And I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
And I will find my strength
In the shadow of Your wings

Your Love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness
Stretches to the skies

-Third Day

 

Suffering

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Suffering may endure for a season

And we wonder when relief will come.
Is this for a time of testing
A really deep trial for some?

Day by day we endure our heartaches,
Often questioning why,
We don’t seem to fully understand
And we come before God with a sigh!

“Just quiet yourself in My presence,” He says,
“I have blessings for you in store,
This time with me will be precious,
Even more than ever before.”

The wonderful promises in God’s Holy Word
Bring comfort, encouragement and peace,
And as we nestle up close to Him.
Our Faith brings sweet release.

So let us joyfully praise the Lord,
If, through suffering we can learn,
Truths that will help to guide our way,
And His Word more clearly discern.

Elsie K. Young

Happy Mother’s Day!

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“She speaks wise words
    and teaches others to be kind.

 She watches over her family
    and never wastes her time.
 

Her children speak well of her.
    Her husband also praises her,

 saying, “There are many fine women,
    but you are better than all of them.”

 Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you,
    but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.
 

Give her the reward she has earned;
    she should be praised in public for what she has done.”

Proverbs 31:26-31 NCV

The Beauty of His Holiness

 

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“Worship The Lord in the Beauty of His Holiness”

“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Say among the heathen that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”

Psalm 96

Trust in God

To trust in God means that He is our confidence; our minds are at rest, as we rely on His word, His integrity, His veracity, His faithfulness, and His unfailing love.

We don’t often hear stories about King Hezekiah, but he is one of my favorite examples of trusting in God. II Kings 18:5, says that Hezekiah trusted God like no other king before or after him.. What a wonderful way to be remembered, as someone who truly trusted in God. In the face of danger, at the threat of war from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and even after the prophet Isaiah warned him that he would soon die, Hezekiah prayed to God, trusted Him to hear and answer, and God delivered him every time!

King Hezekiah’s sincere, unshakable, trust in God, serves as a great encouragement and example for us today, as we face life’s trials and difficulties. Like him, we too can be assured, that God cares, He hears our prayers,He sees our tears, and will not fail to deliver us, as we place our trust in Him.

New Morning, New Mercies

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

Lamentations 3: 21- 26

Crazy Faith

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There was a time when, my family, friends, and neighbors would have thought that “Crazy Faith” would be a perfect title for my autobiography! :)

I know that this is true, because once, when I was in the final months of my pregnancy, (you know, the pregnancy that I prayed 10 years for), I overheard my husband talking to a neighbor, saying; “We all thought that Faith was losing her mind!… While she was struggling with her health and praying for another baby, her mother and sister would call and say, “We’re really concerned about Faith..”  They thought that I was going crazy!!! He had never told me this before, so when I heard it, I laughed, and said, “That’s OK… They thought that Noah was crazy too, but it sure did rain didn’t it? So, I’m in good company!”

It all began 15 years earlier, when I read Luke 8:48,  “Daughter, your faith has made you whole…”, and from that moment on,  there was no turning back for me… I believed it.

Of course, I myself, don’t think it’s “crazy”, but lots of people might consider it crazy to believe for something that seems impossible. Reading those words as a 24-year-old, and believing that God had spoken to my heart, “fueled” me to move forward in faith, convinced and certain, that God would bless me, despite my physical circumstances.

Is there something that you would like for God to do for you, but you think that it’s impossible, or not important enough, or too big, to ask for?..  Ephesians 3:20 says that God is “…able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,..”  The power at work in us includes our faith!  Many times when Jesus healed someone, he said, “according to your faith be it unto you”, or “your faith has made you whole.”

Even if it makes you look “crazy” to those around you, or, if it’s just a secret request that you haven’t mentioned to anyone else, ask God what you will, and believe with “crazy” or unexplainable faith that, “with God… nothing is impossible.”

Smiles and Blessings,

Faith ♄

You Know Better Than I

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I put up a fight
And told You how to help me
And just when I had given up
The truth is coming clear

You know…Better Than I
You know…The way
I’ve let go…the need to know why
‘Cause You know Better Than I

If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe not knowing
Is part of getting thru

I tried to do what’s best,

and faith has made it easy 

I see the best thing I can do

Is put my faith in You, for

You know…Better Than I
You know…The way
I’ve let go…the need to know why
‘Cause You know Better Than I.

Joy Williams

Spring Training

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Get Ready…

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?” Isaiah 43:19

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.”  Isaiah 58:8

Good Friday

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:

and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised,

and we esteemed Him not.

Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:

yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But…

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;

and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:3-6

My Help Comes From You

“My help comes from the LORD which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2

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When confusion’s my companion
And despair holds me for ransom
I will feel no fear
I know that You are near
When I’m caught deep in the valley
With chaos for my company
I’ll find my comfort here
‘Cause I know that You are near
My help comes from You
You’re right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness,
my brokenness all on Your shoulders

My help comes from You
You are my rest, my rescue
I don’t have to see to believe that

You’re lifting me up on Your shoulders
You mend what once was shattered
And You turn my tears to laughter
Your forgiveness is my fortress
Your mercy is relentless

My help is from You…

Lyrics of “Shoulders” –  by For King and Country

God is in Control

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This is no time for fear
This is the time for faith and determination
Don’t lose the vision here, carried away by the motion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together

There is one that will always be true,

It will be true forever.

God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control

He has never let you down
Why start to worry now?
Why start to worry now?
He is still the Lord of all we see
And He is still the loving Father
Watching over you and me

God is in control.

Twila Paris

 

On The Sunny Side

 

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Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

The Optimist Creed

You Can Change

Image result for butterfly coming from cocoon
…Sometimes pain’s the only way that we can learn
You can never fall too hard, so fast, so far
That you can’t get back when you’re lost, where you are,
It’s never too late, so bad, so much,

That you can’t change
Who you are, you can change who you are,

You believe in freedom,
But you don’t know how to choose
You gotta step out of your feelings

That you’re so afraid to lose, and everyday,
You put your feet on the floor…got to walk through door

Its never going to be easy
But its all worth fighting for

You can never fall
Too hard, so fast, so far,
That you can’t get back

When you’re lost where you are,
Its never too late, so bad, so much
That you can’t change who you are

You can change who you are.

So let the ashes fall where ever they land
Come back from wherever you been
To the foot of the cross
To the feet of Jesus
To the feet of Jesus

You can never fall too hard, so fast, so far
That you can’t get back when you’re lost
Where you are

It’s never too late, so bad, so much

That you can’t change

At the foot of the cross
It changes who you are
At the foot of the cross you can change
Who you are.

You can never fall
Too hard, so fast, so far,
That you can’t get back.

Lyrics- “Who You Are” by Unspoken

The Microwave Treatment

Sometimes it’s hard to wait when you’re praying for something special to happen, and I know what that feels like…

Once, while I was waiting for my miracle, I had a dream. It had been about 6 months since I had surgery and I was growing more and more impatient about having a baby. I thought I’d get pregnant right away. But that’s not what happened.

One night, I had a very interesting dream

There were two parts to this dream. First, I dreamt that  my husband and I were visiting some friends for dinner and as the men talked in the living room, I sat in the kitchen while the food was being prepared. I was shocked to see that my friend was spooning raw, runny, red, hamburger meat, into taco shells and placing them in the microwave to be cooked. “YUCK!” I thought to myself, and when she had finished cooking, she topped them with all the trimmings, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat any, because I saw the way that they were prepared with raw meat, and this really grossed me out!

In the second part of my dream, I was in a meat shop, and I was trying to buy a beef roast which was turning slowly on a spit. I was in a hurry, and I told the man cooking the meat that I had been waiting a long time, and was ready to go. He looked at me and said “I’m sorry ma’am but it’s not ready yet. I said  “Are you sure? It looks like it’s done.” then he pulled out a long sharp-pointed thing, and pierced through the meat, and all of this red, runny, gook came pouring out. He was right. The meat was not ready… It was as if both parts of the dream had the same meaning.

When I woke up, I thought that maybe this dream had something to do with my healing from surgery, and  how  I was not yet healed up enough on the inside.

A few days later, I was sitting in the park, watching  my son and daughter at soccer practice, when I saw a friend from church. She asked me how I was recovering from the surgery.  I told her that I was doing fine, but that I was really ready to have another baby, “After all”, I said “I’m 35 years old!”…She was nearly 50, and told me that I was still young enough to have another baby.  “God’s timing is perfect… Just be patient!..I had my last baby when I was 40 years old. ” she said. I smiled, shrugged my shoulders, and said, “But I’ve been waiting so long already.”  Then she said, ” Faith, you just had surgery… You need time to heal.”  She laughed and said jokingly, .. “What you want is the Microwave Treatment!!”

When she said this, I knew that it was a confirmation of the dream that I’d had a few days earlier… “The Microwave Treatment”… It was true! I didn’t want to wait any longer.. I wanted my miracle,and I wanted it now! This instant… In fact, I wanted it yesterday!!

I was reminded by this incident, that God is in control, and I accepted that He knows best. I would just have to be patient and wait…

Three years later, I realized my miracle, and was expecting our little girl.

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage…”

Psalm 27:14

My Sheep Hear My Voice

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“…He calls his own sheep by name,

and leads them out….

He goes before them,

and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice.

And a stranger they will not follow…”

 My sheep hear my voice,…

 I know them, and they follow me:… 

 I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all;

and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  

I and my Father are one.”

John 10:1-5 ,27-30

Precious

“Look at the birds of the air;

They do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

And yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?

And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

Fear you not therefore,

You are of more value than many sparrows.”

Matthew 6:26 , 10:29-31

Taking Flight

“Grace is what picks me up and lifts my wings high… and I fly!” – Joybell

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Monarch butterflies take to the air on a 2 month, 2,000-mile flight over fields, forests, cities, plains, open water, deserts, and mountains to a tiny region of central Mexico where they’ve never been before, arriving at the exact same time each year!

“Until you spread your wings you’ll have no idea how far you can fly.”

– Unknown

Unquenchable, Inseparable

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it ” 

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“For I am persuaded

that neither death nor life,

nor angels nor demons,

nor things present nor things to come,

nor principalities nor powers,

nor height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Song of Solomon 8:7

Romans 8:38-39

Psalm 138

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“I will praise Thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee.

I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

 

In the day when I cried Thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength

in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.

Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly:

but the proud He knoweth afar off.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:

Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands.”

Psalm 138

My Time Will Come

 “…The race is not to the swift

 New Living Translation
“I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It…all (happens) by chance, … being in the right place at the right time.”

“Time and chance happens to them all”  NKJV

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Blood Moon

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”

Joel 2:31-32

 

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Acts 2:20-21

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood…“

Revelation 6:12

I Believe

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“I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church,

the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.”
Amen

St. Patrick’s Day

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The true story of St. Patrick’s Day, is about a simple man of prayer, perseverance, faith, and  a genuine concern for others. I  really like this story, and I hope that you will too!

Patrick, whose real name was Maewyn Succat, was not Irish, but English. He was born to a wealthy Christian family,  and as an early teen, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to become a slave. His name was changed to Patrick. As a slave in Ireland, he witnessed the pagan practices of the Irish, but remained true to his Christian faith, and it is said that he prayed up to a 100 times a day.

One day Maewyn escaped and took the long journey back to his home in England. After many years,  he developed a deep desire to return to Ireland as a missionary. He taught the people about God and advised them not trust in pagan superstitions. He used the three leafed clover, the shamrock, to explain the Trinity,” Three in One”, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland, and after 30 years of evangelism, he died on March 17,  461 AD. After his death he became known as St. Patrick and March 17th has been named a holiday in honor of him.

  St. Patrick’s Day is about the faith and sacrifice of a man who shared his faith, and the love of God, with a nation…

and for that we remember him today. ♣

Love That Will Not Let Go

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O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Joy that seeks me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O light that follows all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

George Matheson

Make Your Appeal, Present Your Case

“…If I were you, I would appeal to God, and would present my case to Him.

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He does great  and unsearchable things, wonders without number. 

He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.

He sets the lowly on high, and mourners are lifted to safety.

He frustrates the schemes of the crafty so that they achieve no success.

He traps the wise in their craftiness so that the plans of the deceptive

Are quickly brought to an end.

They encounter darkness by day, and they grope at noon as if it were night.

He saves the needy from their sharp words  and from the clutches of the powerful.

So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

See how happy the man is God corrects;

So do not reject the discipline of the ‱Almighty. For He crushes but also binds up;

He strikes, but His hands also heal.

He will rescue you from six calamities; No harm will touch you in seven.

In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle, from the power of the sword.

You will be safe from slander  and not fear destruction when it comes.

You will laugh at destruction and hunger and not fear the animals of the earth.

For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

You will know that your tent is secure,

And nothing will be missing when you inspect your home.

You will also know that your offspring will be many

And your descendants like the grass of the earth.

You will approach the grave  in full vigor, as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season.

We have investigated this, and it is true! Hear it and understand it for yourself.”

Job 5:8-27

Avenged

“They spread a net for my feet, I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path,

but they have fallen into it themselves.. Stop and think of that”  Psalm 57:6

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“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

Isaiah 59:19

and

“So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.”

Esther 7:10

 

 

Garment of Praise

“Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”

Isaiah 61:3

Put on the garment of praise
For the spirit of heaviness
Lift up your voice to God
Praise with the Spirit
And with understanding
O magnify the Lord

Lift up the hands that hang down
Lift up the voice now still
Give unto God continuous praise
Sing forth from Zion’s hill

Sing to Yahweh, alleluia
Worship and praise our God
Love and adore Him
Bow down before Him
O magnify the Lord!

David Ingles

 

 

 

 

Seems Like Only Yesterday…

500 PostsMy how time flies!

Just wanted to share my good news with you. Yesterday I blogged my 500th post at Faithrises and this is my award!

So happy to have been blogging and sharing here and a special thank you to all of you who have visited, liked or followed Faithrises.

God Bless you!

Love,  Faith♄

In Due Time, In Due Season

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you

in due time…”  I Peter 5:6

 

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  Galatians 6:9

“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”  Leviticus 26:4

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Emily Dickinson

 

 

 

You Are God Alone

You are not a god
Created by human hands
You are not a god
Dependent on any mortal man
You are not a god
In need of anything we can give
You are God alone, that’s just the way it is
From before time began
You were on Your throne
And right now
In the good times and the bad
You are God alone
You’re the only God
Whose power none can contend
You’re the only God
Whose Name will never end
You’re the only God
Who’s worthy of all we can give
You are God alone
And that’s just the way it is
–Phillips, Craig, and Dean

Path of Life

“Preserve me, O God: for in You do I put my trust…

I will bless the LORD, who has given me counsel: my heart also instructs me

in the night seasons.

I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also shall rest in hope…

You will show me the path of life:

In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

From Psalm 16

How Long?

O LORD, how long will You forget me? Forever?

How long will You look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,

With sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

,,,I trust in Your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because You have rescued me.

I will sing to the LORD because

He is good to me.”

Psalm 13