Day 144 - New beginnings

2013 is almost over.  2014 is going to be a great year.  New job. New attitude.  New love for God. New friends. I came across a website. 365promises.com. It contains a daily verse of a promise of God and a short devotion.  I want to challenge you to go deeper in your walk with God.  He wants a relationship with you.  Not a "hi how are you, fine thanks" passing relationship. A jump off the cliff, peal back the layers kind of relationship.  The kind that will challenge you.  Change you. Fix you. Make you reach up to be the person God created you to be.  Are you scared?  Can you let go?  It would be a kind of experience you have never imagined.  One more thrilling than anything you have experienced so far.  This is my challenge to you.  If you don't know what to do, write me.  We can go through this together to get you in with God.  Nothing else in life will compare to this new way of life.

Ready.  Set  Go!    

Peace........

Day 140 - Merry Christmas!🎄🎄🎄

My family had a wonderful Christmas.  There wasn't any toy to put together the night before.  We didn't have a child waking us up all night because they couldn't sleep.  Cliff and I woke up first. We had to wake up the kids.  So the timing was perfect.  I made the easiest cinnamon rolls out of biscuits courtesy of Pinterest.  The opening of presents was very relaxing.  Everyone got what they wanted but it wasn't overdone.   The real joy of the day came when we went with friends to three different nursing homes and sang carols to the residents.  We met the nicest people in the world today.  Many sang along with us.  We mixed jingle bells and frosty with O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night.  Nicole sang solos and sounded like an Angel.  The mother of our friends spent months making little Rudolph's filled with chocolate kisses that was given out to the residents. The last gentleman we sang to cried at the end of silent night.  Another gentleman's daughter came up and told our friend what a great thing we did.  He father's first day was today.  He loved the singing and sang with us during all of the songs.  We thought he had to have sung in a choir but he said he just liked to sing.  His daughter said it helped him a lot to feel more at home.  They all welcomed hugs, smiles, and love.

Jesus came as a gift to us.  The best gift we could ever get.  He came to help the weak, the poor, and the needy.  We are called to be like Jesus and love God and love others.  Both Cliff and I agree today that this Christmas is one of the most meaniful of all because of the joy we got while sharing the love of Christ with others today.  

My prayer for you today and everyday is that you know the love of Christ.  That this love will fill your heart mind and soul so that it overflows toward those around you.  Give yourself away.  Be kind to those around you.  Go out of your comfort zone.  Be God's hands and feet.  In Jesus name.  Amen

Day 137 - Inner Joy

Do you have inner joy?  It is the knowing that no matter what is going on,  you have the confidence that God is with you, protecting you and taking care of your life.  Will you have struggles and sorrow?  Yes. Life happens.  The world around us continues. We experience ups and downs.  We get sick.  We loose jobs.  We experience losses of loved ones.  But God loves us so much.  We celebrate his love by the birth of Jesus.  He came down to be the sacrificial lamb for our sin.  God is with us now in this life.  His promises tell us what he will do.  Because of this we can be at peace and have an inner joy so filled with love that we are protected and free within the trials of this world.  Take a moment this Christmas to find your inner joy.  Rest in God's promises from his word.  Share your joy with those around you.  

I have a fun song for you to celebrate your joy.  It is for kids, but says it so clearly why we have 

J to the O to the Y!!!  

Peace....

http://youtu.be/uY03LAOc1ro.  ( paste into you tube)

Day 134 - Plans

I have a new job.  God worked out an amazing timeline for me to transition to my next job.  It was an awesome experience.  My last job was not going to be able to accommodate my needs.  The new job came up out of the blue with a recruiter who did not know I was looking for a job.  It was so perfectly timed that God could have only been the one to do this.  Everyone I work with are Christians.  The  job is so closely related to my skills.  It is just so amazing.  I love the way God works things out in our lives. 

Take time to know how God can make things happen in your life.  It changes everything.  

Peace

Day 123 - Healing

I wanted to share scripture for healing.  We all know people in our lives we can pray for.  Lift your hearts and prayer requests up to The Lord.  He hears our requests.  

May your heart rest in the faith he has placed in your heart.

Romans 10 tells us that faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ. To help us believe God for healing oursleves, our friends and our families it helps to have a good grasp of the Scriptures concerning healing. These Scriptures are small enough to be written on a business card sized bit of paper, carried around and memorised. 1. (Exodus 15:26 NKJV) and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." 2. (Deuteronomy 32:39 NKJV) 'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. 3. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 4. (Psalms 30:2 NKJV) O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. 5. (Psalms 6:2 NKJV) Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 6. (Psalms 103:1-4 NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! {2} Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: {3} Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, {4} Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 7. (Psalms 107:20 NKJV) He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. 8. (Psalms 147:3 NKJV) He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 9. (Proverbs 3:7-8 NKJV) Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. {8} It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 10. (Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV) My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. {21} Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; {22} For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 11. (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 12. (Isaiah 58:8 NKJV) Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 13. (Isaiah 61:1 NKJV) "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 14. (Jeremiah 3:22 NKJV) "Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You, For You are the LORD our God. 15. (Jeremiah 17:14 NKJV) Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. 16. (Jeremiah 30:17 NKJV) For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,' says the LORD, 'Because they called you an outcast saying: "This is Zion; No one seeks her."' 17. (Jeremiah 33:6 NKJV) 'Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 18. (Hosea 6:1 NKJV) Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 19. (Hosea 14:4 NKJV) "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. 20. (Malachi 4:2 NKJV) But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. 21. (Matthew 4:23 NKJV) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 22. (Matthew 8:13 NKJV) Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. 23. (Matthew 8:16 NKJV) When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 24. (Matthew 9:35 NKJV) Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 25. (Matthew 10:1 NKJV) And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 26. (Matthew 10:8 NKJV) "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 27. (Matthew 12:22 NKJV) Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 28. (Matthew 14:14 NKJV) And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 29. (Luke 6:19 NKJV) And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. 30. (Luke 9:6 NKJV) So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.(The twelve are sent out) 31. (Luke 10:8-9 NKJV) "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. {9} "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'(The seventy are sent out) 32. (Luke 17:15 NKJV) And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,(The story of the ten lepers) 33. (Acts 3:12 NKJV) So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 34. (Healing of the lame man at the Gate Beautiful) (Acts 4:29-31 NKJV) "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, {30} "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." {31} And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. 35. (1 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 36. (James 5:14-16 NKJV) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. {15} And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. {16} Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 37. (Revelation 22:2 NKJV) In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 38. (Luke 8:47 NKJV) Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 39. (Luke 8:48 NKJV) And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." 40. (Luke 5:17 NKJV) Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Day 121 - Jehovah Jireh

God is our provider.  I am blessed to say that both my husband and I are living proof of this.  We are both starting new jobs in the next few weeks.  Cliff's job is unique. He is a jewelry appraiser.  He knew he wanted to seek something he could utilize his skill full time.  He got his graduate gemologist a few years back.  Out of the blue he found a company doing full time appraisals within established jewelry stores.  He did not contact them for several months. He finally made the call and found out the owner was working on getting stores set up in Georgia and would need an appraiser for this territory.  He met with him and was offered the job that day.  God is our provider.

With me, if you have been reading I chose to step down from my position because of the hours and time involved in the position.  I knew my company would move me into another position.  But the planned ending date was fast approaching with no job.  On my way to work I asked God to show me very clearly where I should go and what will be done.  That day a recruiter called out of the blue and let me know of position almost identical to mine but withou travel and international.  During the interview I was amazed at the company and knew my skills would fit well.  I was offered the job.  God is our provider.  I know how awesome and amazing it is for us to both get jobs after only pursuing one interview.  God is our provider.  We have many friends and family who have prayed with us during this time.

We know the power of God and that his promises are true.  Thanks God.  You are so amazing.

Day 120 - John 21

I was listening to Joseph Prince this morning.  I don't believe he is from the south because he doesn't speak as slow as us southerners.  After your brain adjusts to his rate of speech I really love the message God has put in his heart.  

In our small group we have been studying about the Holy Spirit and have been challenged to fully surrendering to Christ.  Some if not most of us discuss openly about how hard we find this to be.  The author, Francis Chan, challenges us to do more and dive in more and fully receive all that God has for us.  We all keep using the example, what if God calls you to drop everything and go to Africa.  Would we all do this?  Do we fear so much that God will do something we believe we cannot do?

Joseph Prince revealed the scripture in John 21 this morning.  Read this passage.  Jesus has returned several times after his resurection. In this passage Jesus is on the shore and some of his disciples are fishing.  Jesus could have come back and done anything in power and might.  But Jesus cooked breakfast for them.  Did you hear that?  Jesus is doing something very simple and ordinary.  Joseph Prince notes in his sermon, that it is the normal, small, daily, things we doing that is so significant for the kingdom.  God needs us everywhere and has placed us here and now in a place to reveal Jesus to the world.  

The other thing Joseph discusses is when Jesus asks Simon Peter if he loves him.  Again,  Jesus asked this to the one disciple that denied him three times.  What a blessing that Jesus will forgive and use us when we fail or do not feel worthy to be used.

God wants us for ordinary daily things within our group of influence so God can take this and do the extra-ordinary.

God will use us even when we fall.  He loves us too much to loose us.

Make the commitment to God today.  

     Pray that you can be used in the ordinary.  

           Ask for him to reveal in your heart his love and forgiveness.  

                  Expect a miracle.  Make a difference.

John 21:1-19 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas also known as Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him for he had taken it off and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” 

May the Holy Spirit be revealed in your heart today.  Peace.......

Day 119 - You

Life is such an amazing journey.  Life is to be lived and loved.  Sometimes our journey takes us down a different road.  But whatever road you end up on, you can live with love and happiness and peace.  Where we are is not what defines us.  It is our heart and mind and our belief in ourselves.  God has made us all super amazing.  No one may believe this about you, but you have to believe it about your self.  Do you realize how much God loves you and the creation and uniqueness of your spirit?  We are all made to love.  We are all created in God's image.  We are all created to have a beautiful real relationship with God.  Life is very short in our world.  We can become bitter and focused on what went wrong or why things happen.  Or....we can release the worldly issues and give the rest of your time to living as God created us to become.  Jesus came so that we may have life.  Life eternally and beautiful life right now in spite of our current circumstances.  Do you believe you can live a beautiful life?  Is there something you need to change in order to do this?  Everyone, no matter how old or how far away from God can be changed.  Make this Christmas your time to change.  Make a difference and believe in yourself.  Love yourself enough to change.  

Day 118 - Emmanuel

Emmanuel means God with us.  One of my all time favorite Christmas carols is "O Come O Come Emmanuel".  One of the reasons I like it so much is because of it's haunting melody in a minor key. This led me to download a 1998 album called Irish Christmas.  I went crazy last year downloading Christmas music on ITunes.  I didn't really listen to this album other than my favorite song.  Tonight, on the treadmill I listened to the songs from Irish Christmas.  They were so refreshingly different and beautiful.  But also so different that I heard the message of Emmanuel in the music.  In Silent Night, instead of singing Christ the savior is born, they sang Christ the redeemer is here.  Two words changed my perception.  Christ is here. God with us.  Emmanuel.  I love the music and got the decorating itch from my mother.  It is such a fun time and so enjoy this season.  But I pray that you know the meaning of Emmanuel this Christmas.  Another Song is called Crying For The World.  Here are a few lines from this song.

O, my child you cry so many tears

Seems like you've been crying for the world

O, my child you seem so full of fear

Seems like you've been crying for the world

God loves you so much that he not only wept for you but died to save you.

He hears you and is with you at this very moment.

If you are hurting, Emmanuel

If you lost your job, Emmanuel 

If you suffer from illness, Emmanuel

If you are lonely, Emmanuel

If you are broke, Emmanuel

If you lost a loved one, Emmanuel

Get to know God a little bit more this season.  May you be filled with His everlasting love and presence.

Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.