“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.” Isaiah 53:5
âEarth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.â
Thomas Moore
“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.” Isaiah 53:5
âEarth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.â
Thomas Moore
There is nothing sweeter than the Word of God
.
 âSon of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.â
So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.”
Ezekiel 3:3
Double Rainbow
“Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.”
Isaiah 61:7
“Remember the former days
When, after you were enlightened,
You endured a great struggle with sufferings.
Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten,
Sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.
You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail,
And when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy.
You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.
Remember the great reward it brings you!
Patient endurance is what you need now,
So that you will continue to do Godâs will.
Then you will receive all that He has promised.”
Hebrews 10:32-35
Tree of Life Version and New Living Translation
If life seems at its lowest ebb, because a day’s gone wrong,
Let not your heart be troubled, for a new day soon will dawn.
And we can never be quite sure, just what it has in store,
Since each one is so different, than the one just gone before.
As it penetrates the darkness, with its soft and tranquil beams,
It calms even the most restless soul, and brings new hopes and dreams.
So when a day’s been troubled, and the night is dark and long,
Lift up your fallen spirits, for a new day soon will dawn.
-Anonymous
“Why carry the weight of the world on our shoulders,
when the Lord our God carries us on His.”
– Faith Carr
“Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you.”
I Peter 5:7
*Photo- Google Images
ADONAI is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of ADONAI forever.”
Psalm 23- TLV
“Come by yourselves apart into a quiet place, and rest a while…”
Mark 6:31
“… I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing;
and I will cause the shower to come down in his season;
there shall be
Showers of Blessing.”
Ezekiel 34:26
“Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, Perfect peace and rest”
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3
“Remember the wonders He has performed,
His miracles…”
I Chronicles 16:11
“Valentine’s Day is almost here, so here’s a “Post from the Past” just for you!”
I met the man who was to become my husband when I was nineteen years old. At first no one took me seriously, because I had never been serious about anyone before. My closest friends teased me and joked that this new relationship would probably only last for about two weeks and then it would be over, because that’s how it had been for me up until then. But this time was different.
My friends soon became aware of the difference in me as I lit up whenever I talked about him, and talked about him constantly. I began spending less and less time with them, and wanted to spend more and more time with him. When we left campus, for our hometowns in different cities during holiday breaks , I would miss him terribly and couldn’t wait to be with him again. While at home on break, I would curl up in bed with my mother, like two girls at a slumber party, and tell her all about him, talking all night long…
In Revelation 2:4-5, Â Jesus says to the church at Ephesus, “
... You have left your first love…repent and do the first works…”Â
I think about the first works or actions of a person experiencing a first love, and I ask myself,
“Am I still doing the first works?” Do I still light up whenever I talk about my Savior? Do I still speak of Him constantly? Am I spending more time with Him than I do with less important activities? If I haven’t read my Bible in a while, do I miss it? Could I stay up all night, talking and sharing about His love and His faithfulness? Asking these questions stirs the heart, generates enthusiasm, and awakens a fresh start.
“May the Lord reignite the spark that fueled our first works, and may we continue
to rekindle our love for Him Who first loved us.”âĽ
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,
âLetâs cross to the other side of the lake.â
So they took Jesus in the boat and started out,
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea,
Insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves:
But Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat…
 His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying,
Lord,… “Carest thou not that we perish?”
And He saith unto them,
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea;
And there was a great calm.
But the men marveled, saying,
What manner of man is this,
That even the winds and the sea obey Him!”
Matthew 8:25 and Mark 4:38
-As we “cross to the other side”, through the storms and trials of life,
Jesus cares.
He is “in the boat” with us.
He cares
and He will calm the sea.”
“Let all that I am
wait quietly before God,
for my expectation
is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, âOn the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.â
Genesis 22:14
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last.
Well, neither does bathing – that’s why it’s recommended daily.”
– Zig Ziglar
“O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home,” -Isaac Watts
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
“You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand, I stand in awe of You.”
-Hillsong
Because Jesus said so;
“Let not your heart be troubled:
Ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions:
If it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
That where I am, there ye may be also,”
John 14:1-3
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
A request for healing is brought to Jesus. “…A certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha… Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
Jesus responds with a delay. ” 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 raises Lazarus from the dead. ” He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”
And he who had died came out,,.. “
“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!” :)
“He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”
Psalm 91
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,”
                      “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
     Luke 2:8-14
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed…
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.”
 Luke 2:1-6
Â
“Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born king!”
Charles Wesley
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religious holidays like Christmas. His wife however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and, His Son, Jesus, The Christ, despite her husband’s disparaging comments…
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused. “That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese.
Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a breadcrumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn’t catch on.
Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them,” he said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn–and one by one the other geese followed it to safety.
He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!”
Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese–blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son Jesus, to become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized.
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ, the Messiah had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: “Thank You, Jesus, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!”
Author Unknown
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
Bundle up: Wednesday marks the winter solstice, the first day of winter and the day with the fewest hours of sunlight for the whole year. And in a few days, two holidays celebrating light will take place during the darkest time of year, when Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve. The last time that this exactâŚ
via What to Know About This Yearâs Overlapping Christmas and Hanukkah Holidays â TIME
“…Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:…and His Name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
You may not realize
You will often forget
That I have a plan for you
Between now and not yet
I have so much more for you
You focus so much on debt
I have plans for you to prosper
Between now and not yet
Youâll walk through the valleys
And fear to take your next step
My plans are not to harm you
Between the now and the not yet
If youâll slow down and take a breath
Take time to watch My sun set
Itâs My plan to give you hope and a future
Between the now and the not yet
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been,Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
-Thomas Chisholm
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experiences of trial and suffering
Can the soul be strengthened,
Vision cleared,
ambition inspired,
and success achieved.”
Helen Keller
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth:
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, and He made it: and His Hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
Psalm 95:1-6
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever.”
Psalm 136:10
” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing:
You have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
Psalm 30:11-12
“Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” -Psalm 37:4
“The key is not in chasing the desires of your heart. The key is in chasing the Lord.”
-Charles Spurgeon
Proverbs 28:1 says,  “… the righteous are bold as a lion.”  and in Hebrews 4:16 we’re told to come boldly before God’s throne in prayer. This is what Caleb did.
You can read about Caleb in Joshua chapter 14 verses 7-14 , and interestingly enough, the name Caleb means “bold”. Here’s his story…
Caleb was 85 years old when the Israelites reached the promised land. He was one of only two men who had survived the 40 year wanderings in the desert. After being freed from slavery in Egypt, he and Joshua were chosen by Moses to spy out the land that God had promised them. There were 12 men in all, one for each tribe. When they returned from their travels, 10 of the spies were terrified, and reported that it would be impossible to defeat these cities because they considered themselves and  their own people to be too small in comparison.  But Joshua and Caleb believed that God had led them to this good land and had faith that He would give them the victory.
The people believed the 10 spies. God was angry with them and because of their unbelief, they would have to spend the next 40 years walking around the desert until they all died off, leaving only their children and grandchildren to be the ones who would inherit the promised land. But God honored the faith of Caleb and Joshua.
Joshua became the leader of his people after the death of Moses, leading them into the promised land, dividing the Jordan River, and marching onto victory in the battle of Jericho. Caleb now 85 years old had remained strong in faith, and courageous in battle. In the face of battle over the land that Moses had promised would be his inheritance, Caleb boldly responded, saying:
“… the LORD hath kept me alive, as He said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake His word to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now lo, I am now eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: As my strength was then, even so is my strength now… Now therefore give me this mountain,… the LORD will be with me, then I will be able to drive (the inhabitants) out, as the LORD said…Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb.”
He got what he wanted. Caleb was bold in his faith as a young man, and even as an old man. He knew that there was nothing too big to ask God for, and his boldness is evidence of that faith.
By faith, we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and “the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
“This is love:
Not that we loved God, but that He loved us,
and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
I John 4:10
A few days ago, a friend of mine encouraged me with these words…
She said, “When a pilot is flying and sees turbulence ahead, he approaches it head on. He does not go around it, over it, or under it; he goes right through it. The pilot can’t see beyond the limited view of his cockpit, so he must rely totally on the instrument panel for guidance. He goes right through the turbulence, difficult as it may be, and presses through until he reaches the beautiful clear sky on the other side.”
This life, as we know, can bring us to turbulent times that cannot be avoided. We’d rather go around them, but we must press through. As we rely on and put our complete trust in the LORD, even when it gets rocky, He will lead us through to the beautiful clear skies on the other side.
“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.”
‘The best of it is, God is with us.”
– John Wesley
“…Whosoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.”
Proverbs 16:20
“I am poured out like water, … all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.”
“Trust in Him at all times; …
Pour out your heart before Him:
God is a refuge for us.”
Selah.
Psalm 22:14 and 62:8
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
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
“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…
“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
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 itâs true, and in the end weâll see that it was only allowed for our good⌠And that’s not all.
When itâs all over, the Lord will bless you in such a way that you receive âdouble for your troubleâ, 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 âspoiledâ the Egyptians. Psalm 105:37 says, âHe brought them forth also (out of Egypt), with silver and gold.â 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. Hasnât 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...â and if God says it, that settles it!
So if youâre going through a rough time right now, be encouragedâŚ
Youâre gonna be blessed DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE!!!!
“Turn you to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will restore double unto you;”
Zechariah 9:12
“And… the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Job 42:10
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”
God is AWESOME!!!
“You never know how
STRONG
you are until
being strong is the only choice you have. “
– Bob Marley
“Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou surround him
As with a shield.”
Psalm 5:11-12
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
“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
A Reflection of Him…
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
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.
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 âĽ
“In the world ye shall have tribulation…”
“But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while,
He Himself will restore, establish, strengthen, settle you.”
John 16:33 and I Peter 5:10
“Circumstances are not the barometer of God’s love and goodness – the cross is.”
“Do you feel as though God isnât answering your prayers? Â Are you tempted to doubt His love and goodness?
When I feel this way, I have to remind myself that my circumstances arenât the barometer of Godâs love and goodnessâthe cross is. He has shown His love and how good He is by giving His only Son Jesus to die for our sin. We canât rely on our feelings. But day by day as we choose to trust Him more, we learn to believe with confidence that God is goodâall the time.”âĽ
-Anne Cetas
Jesus, You’re the center of my joy
All that’s good and perfect comes from You!
You’re the heart of my contentment.
Hope for all I do.
Jesus, You’re the center of my joy.
Richard Smallwood
“For God has said…
Hebrews 13:5
  Â
‘Two are better than one;…. For if they fall, the one will lift the other up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,
âWhat 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, âHow long before I get up?â
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.
âMy days are swifter than a weaverâs 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
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! âĽ
“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
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love lifted me. Love lifted me.
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
James Rowe
I will make the darkness light before you,
What is wrong Iâll make it right before you,
All your battles I will fight before you,
And the high place Iâll bring down.
When you walk by the way Iâll lead you,
On the fatness of the land Iâll feed you,
And a mansion in the sky Iâll deed you,
And the high place Iâll bring down.
With an everlasting love Iâll love you,
Though with trials deep and sore Iâll prove you,
But thereâs nothing that can hurt or move you,
And the high place Iâll 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 Iâll bear you,
And the high place Iâll bring down.
I will make the darkness light before you,
I will make the crooked straight before you,
I will spread My wings protecting oâer you,
“And the high place Iâll bring down.”
Charles P. Jones
“…I will make the darkness light before them.” Â Isaiah 42:16
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 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
“She speaks wise words
    and teaches others to be kind.
 She watches over her family
    and never wastes her time.
Â
Her children speak well of her.
    Her husband also praises her,
 saying, âThere are many fine women,
    but you are better than all of them.â
 Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you,
    but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.
Â
Give her the reward she has earned;
    she should be praised in public for what she has done.”
Proverbs 31:26-31 NCV
“Forget yesterday.
Don’t worry about tomorrow.
Trust God today.”
-F. Carr
“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
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.
“In quietness and confidence is your strength.” Â Isaiah 30:15
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence; and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation; and uphold me with Your free Spirit.
Psalm 51:1-12
“He cuts out rivers among the rocks; and His eye sees every precious thing.”
Job 28:10
“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
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 âĽ
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 easyÂ
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
…”Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,…”
“…Choose you this day whom ye will serve…”
Hebrews 3:15 and Joshua 24:15
âMy deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.â
“Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.”
-Brennan Manning
PURSUING THE GOAL
“Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the reward of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14
“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I have fallen— I will arise.
Though I sit in darkness. The Lord is my light.”
Micah 7:8
“You can fool all the people some of the time,
and some of the people all the time,
but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
 ~Abraham Lincoln
It’s said that the month of  March comes “in like a lion” and goes “out like a lamb,”
This picture reminds me of God’s wonderful promise that one day,
In the beauty and peace of a new heaven and a new earth,
“The lion will lie down with the lamb.“
Isaiah 11:6âĽ
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.” Â Isaiah 58:8
“God of second chances, Your mercies are new every morning, and by Your grace
we can begin again!”
“For behold the winter is passed…
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come.”
Song of Solomon 2:11-12
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
“He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds…
Great is our Lord, and of great power;
His understanding is infinite.”
Psalm 147: 3,5
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
I’m not going back, I’m moving ahead
Here to declare to you
My past is over in You
Things are made new,
Surrendered my life to Christ
I’m moving forward
You have risen with all power in Your hands
You have given me a second chance
Hallelujah!
You make all things new
And I will follow You forward.
Israel Houghton
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
…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
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
Happy New Year!
“…This one thing I do
Forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forward to
those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”
 Philippians 3:13-14
“…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:…Â
 I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Â
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all;
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Â
I and my Father are one.”
John 10:1-5 ,27-30
“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.Â
Fear you not therefore,
You are of more value than many sparrows.”
Matthew 6:26 , 10:29-31
Laughter is like a windshield wiper,
It doesn’t stop the rain but, allows us to keep going. :)
“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
âGrace is what picks me up and lifts my wings high… and I fly!” –Â Joybell
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
“Lord, I love the house where You live, the place where Your glory dwells.”
Psalm 26:8
“As for God, His way is perfect:” Psalm 18:30
“There is a time for everything:” Ecclesiastes 3:1
God’s timing is perfect!
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it ”Â
“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
“He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it…”
“Just as the earth brings forth her bud,
And as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth;
So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
To spring forth…”
Philippians 1:6 , Isaiah 61:11
We’ve come this far by faith,
Leaning on the Lord;
Trusting in his Holy Word.
He’s never failed us yet.
Oh! Oh-Oh-Oh! Oh-Oh-Oh!
Can’t turn around, Oh no!
We’ve come this far by faith.
Albert Goodson
“As for God, His way is perfect:” Psalm 18:30
“There is a time for everything:” Ecclesiastes 3:1
God’s timing is perfect!
“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