A prayer

I had an emotionally rough day yesterday. My sister-in-law, Joy sent me an e-mail that contained a similar prayer that I am posting today. This prayer touched me and made me feel better. So...if you are in need of prayer this is for YOU. I pray it makes you feel better too.
May God Bless You,
Debbie

Dear God:
The person reading this is beautiful, classy and strong, and you love them.
Help them to live their life to the fullest.
Please promote them and cause them to excel above their expectations.
Help them shine in the darkest places where it may seem impossible to love.
Protect them at all times, and let them know when they walk with you, they will always be safe.
In Jesus name
Amen


James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Your Feelings are not the Facts

Today I took a mental break by watching people who made me laugh with good, clean humor. As an adult I am on the look out for things that give me a giggle or better yet a full belly laugh.
With the stresses of everyday life it is easy to give over to feeling over-whelmed. And yet God has gifted us with laughter and situations and people who stir up joy within us.
Pay attention to opportunities around you to rejoice. It is a blessing to observe the small things and yet sometimes it is the small stuff that drives us into depression. Did you know that smiling, even if it is not sincere still creates a positive effect in your body. If you observe yourself smiling in a mirror sometimes the absurdity of it will make you start laughing! Try it. Who knows you just might feel better. I have found personally that anytime I am growing in an area my feelings usually freak me out. This has caused me to pray with quiet desperation at times. O.K. not so quiet at times. During some of these tearful rants between me and the Lord, in which I was ranting and He was patiently listening I would tell Him how I FELT!
When you are upset or depressed your feelings are screaming for attention. After, repeatedly stressing to the Lord about....but I feel... He reminded me through His word to trust His word, not my feelings. It was stressed to me that my feelings were not the facts.

Remember.......A feeling is an emotional statement not the truth.

You may feel unloved, yet you are loved.

John 3:16
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.
Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Remember God does Love YOU.

THAT IS A FACT.

Debbie

Hope

Have you ever been in a situation that looked hopeless? I have many times, and yet each time God delivered me in an extraordinary way. At times, He changed me and sometimes He changed the situation or the other people involved. But in all ways He worked it for my good. During what appears to be a hopeless time it is easy to give up, yet only those who persevere will receive the prize. The prize is many things to many people, only you can determine what the prize is to you. Prize is price if you drop the z and add a c!

A bit of a pun on ZZZZZZ,(sleeping) in other words be alert to the danger of hopelessness.

Throughout scripture it states that Jesus Christ is our hope. Therefore I am not hopeless.
I remind myself of this when I feel overwhelmed by anything. I want to encourage you to trust in God with the things you can not change, yet be on the offensive in areas that you can change.
Trusting God is not an opportunity to get lazy with your hope. It is an opportunity for you to allow the Lord to show Himself mighty through your effort. Sometimes the biggest effort is trusting Him to do His part. Remember, He sees the whole picture and we only behold a small fraction of what is really here. So today and every day there after banish your hopelessness and trust God to do for you what you can not do.


Debbie

Rom 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.


Psalm 42:11
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Tears

There are times when you weep and it seems as though no ones knows or cares. But they do notice. As mere mortals there are some things that with the best intentions that a hug or a kind word will not fix. The Lord will certainly use our arms and voice to minister His love to others, so continue to reach out. Yet there is still a vacuum in our souls that only God can fill. Your pain can not be relieved by others, quit looking around, quit wandering and look up.

God notices you and your sore affliction. And He has the answer....Peace which passes all understanding and a love for you that will not fade. So today if something within you cries out for something more...Look up for your redemption draweth nigh. Open the door of your heart and let Him in. Jesus stands there waiting, waiting to be your friend, to break bread with you, fill you with joy unspeakable. What are you waiting for? Jesus is knocking. Open your door.

Psalm 56:8
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

A Prepared Garden

With Spring weather quickly approaching my thoughts have turned toward my garden. I spend a great amount of time in preparation toward the planting. Now is the time that I start day dreaming about the plants that I will plant. I envision the ripe, beautiful fruit that will be the reward of my labor. There will be much work to do, amending of the soil(fertilizing), plowing, seeding, watering and then the wait for the first small green shoots to appear. And with much attention to detail....proper watering, sunshine, and weeding I will finally be able to harvest the first of many delicious meals from the vine.

And as I think along these lines, I realize that we are a garden also. As all things have a season of preparation....so do we. The Lord has not forgotten us, we are not an abandoned garden. Spring always comes and then the harvest. The Lord looks at you and I and thinks of the beautiful, ripe fruit that He will see in our lives as He prepares our soil. Winter will be over and the singing of the birds will come. With preparation and patience we too will have fruit in our garden to present to the Lord. He is the vine, we are the branches.


John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.




Looking forward to Spring,

Debbie

Rhythm

Rhythm is something that occurs naturally yet we usually ignore the process. Everyday life has a rhythm. Most of us feel a sense of uneasiness when our rhythm is disturbed. Yet life constantly throws a few bumps in our path to interrupt the rhythm of our life. To everything there is a season and a time... so adjust your rhythm. Have you ever tried to dance with someone who was slighty out of beat. It is awkward at best, but with a few adjustments you can find the flow to move through life gracefully again.
There is a popular country song that says "I Hope You Dance".
At times situations in life can have you waltzing and then a Tango. Whatever the beat....remember.... you can dance and the Lord is singing over you with joy.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.


I hope YOU dance,
Debbie

Bitter or Better

Plain and simple.....it is hard to forgive someone. But one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and to someone else is forgiveness. It is not that you forget but you make a decision to forgive.

I heard Joyce Meyer say in a sermon a long time ago that she could be bitter or better, but she could not be both. Sometimes the greatest act of love is one which cost you something.

Not money, but the laying down of your pain so you can be better not bitter. Unforgiveness doesn't repair a wrong done, it will not put the spilled milk back in the bottle. We forgive so we can be healed from the wrong done to us. Forgiveness is like water quenching a fire. Fire is without discrimination it will destroy everything in its path.
If there is a person or a situation in which you were wronged, please make a decision right now to forgive.


Matthew 6:14
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Matthew 6:15
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.


Debbie

His Voice

There have been times in my life when I have thought that I had to have an answer or "else"!
"Else' could be any act that I thought would bring some kind of answer even if it was the wrong answer. Action..... this is what I thought was desperately needed. Surely I would not be left to wait and wait......indefinitely. There are times when prayer is an act of desperation instead of trust in the one who will answer. My one is God. I thank God that he is a kind and patient Father who looks at my child-like faith with joy and mercy. With joy because He said to come to Him as a little child and with mercy because at times I am not an obedient or patient child. It was during one of my or "Else" moments that He gently reminded me.....

When you are ready to listen.
You will hear my voice.

I have never forgotten His gentle wisdom and I have taken it to heart. I still have my "moments" but I am always brought back by His still, small voice that comforts me in the midst of my storm.
When I am ready.....I do hear His voice.
Ready means I am willing to hear His word concerning my attitude and my actions in the light of His love and instruction.

Are you ready?

Debbie

The Last Word

Have you ever been in an argument that seemed to have no end? Well, I have and there is never an easy fix. It seems at times the more one talks the worse the misunderstanding develops. Most people want to feel accepted if not loved and therefore dialogs develops and develops. In the past I have been a person who wanted to talk "about it" flesh it out and try to understand. In hind sight I have found that at times some things should be left alone. In other words......let sleeping dogs lie. At this time in my life having the last word...means saying...

I am sorry.


Debbie