His Name is Holy Spirit

His name is "HOLY SPIRIT" third person of the Trinity Godhead, all three in one! Helper, Comforter, Teacher, and Friend! Knowing the time was nearing for Him to ascend back to His Father, Jesus began preparing his followers about the Holy Spirit He would send back to abide within them in John 14:26,"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name; He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you;" while continuing to teach them in John 15:16-17 "And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you" and again in John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

Repeatedly Jesus tried to prepare His followers that He was about to ascend back to the Father but would not leave them comfortless. He was sending Holy Spirit to lead and guide them in all truths. Jesus knew Holy Spirit could be inside them bringing all things to mind while empowering them to become more than over comers in all things pertaining to Godliness. He knew they would need someone to walk with, someone to talk with, and someone to guide them in all truth; and Jesus knew Holy Spirit would do all that and so much more; because He was going to the Father where He would be interceding on our behalf.

We all need reassurance that God is with us wherever we go and is in whatever we are doing. Jesus knew that when we are weak, He is our strength; when we are sad, He is our comforter; when we are troubled, He is our peace! He supplies everything we need to maintain abundant lives with Holy Spirit living within us becoming our closest and dearest friend. While Holy Spirit is commonly known as the third party of the Godhead; God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; there is never One without the other! None is the greater nor the lesser of the trinity Godhead, and will never work against the other but will testify and glorify as ONE Almighty God!

We are all spirits in human bodies and It is Holy Spirit that draws us to Jesus. As we repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, He takes up residence deep within and becomes the power needed as we walk along the pathway of righteousness. Jesus knew it was vitally important to have Holy Spirit in our lives as our Comforter, our Adviser, our Guide, and our Helper while becoming our dearest Friend, so He ascended back into Heaven and sent Holy Spirit to live within each believer. He did not leave us alone but actually sent a part of Him back to each of His believers; a most precious gift in Holy Spirit to walk and talk with us forevermore.

So often in life we receive gifts; but if we leave them unopened we never know what was given. So let's open up this precious gift from Above of Holy Spirit and come to know Him and all He has to offer us in this world. There is no greater joy, no greater peace, no greater power than feeling Holy Spirit stir within us, reminding us that He is forever with us and we are never alone. Isn't it amazing how God created this world and all therein and has even made every provision necessary for each of us to walk through this life empowered with His strength and wisdom, if only we come to acknowledge Him in all His glory.

Today can be the start of a brand new walk in Him if you acknowledge Him in all your ways. This is the day the Lord has made, so let's rejoice and be glad in it! Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friend; God loves you and so do I~~~

LEARNING TO SEE THROUGH HIS EYES

I FIND IT AMAZING HOW AS HUMANS, WE SEE PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING OF THE PHASE OF LIFE WE ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH,  AND EVEN THEN,  ARE WE SEEING THE REAL PERSON, OR SIMPLY SEEING THEM AS WE MAKE THEM OUT TO BE? TRY THIS EXPERIMENT..... LOOK AT SOMEONE CLOSE BY AND LOOK AT THEM REAL GOOD!  WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DID YOU NOTICE FIRST ABOUT THEM? THEIR HAIR - THEIR EYES - THEIR WRINKLES - THEIR TEETH - THEIR SMILE; WHAT DID YOU SEE?  NOW LOOK AT THEM AGAIN AND REALLY MAKE A MENTAL NOTE OF WHAT YOU SAW FIRST AND THEN WHAT YOU NOTICED THE SECOND TIME AROUND.  IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE NOTICE AT FIRST GLANCE VS. WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE PURPOSELY SEE THEM AGAIN. 

EACH MORNING WE STAND BEFORE OUR MIRROR AND ASSESS HOW WE LOOK BEFORE LEAVING HOME! WHEN WE'RE IN A HURRY, WE QUICKLY GLANCE TO ASSURE THAT OUR APPEARANCE IS OKAY, BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE TIME, WE LOOK CLOSER CHECKING OUT WHAT WE DEEM AS FLAWS, AND WHEN TIME PERMITS, WE GIVE THEM EXTRA ATTENTION WHERE NEEDED. BUT DO WE REALLY SEE OURSELVES THE WAY OTHERS SEE US? WHAT WILL THEY SEE AT FIRST GLANCE; AND IF GIVEN TIME WHAT WILL THEY SEE IN OUR OVERALL APPEARANCE? AND A QUICK QUESTION: ARE WE PEOPLE-PLEASERS OR GOD-PLEASERS? ARE WE ONLY LOOKING AT OUR OUTWARD APPEARANCE TO ASSURE WE LOOK SUITABLE BY MAN'S STANDARDS, OR DO WE DRESS OUR SPIRITUAL MAN AS WELL, SO WE ARE INWARDLY PREPARED AS WELL AS OUTWARD FOR WHATEVER THE DAY MAY HOLD?

I WONDER WHAT WE WOULD SEE IF WE COULD SEE OUR SELF THROUGH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER'S EYES? WOULD WE WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT OUR OUTWARD FLAWS AND HURRY TO FIX UP SOMETHING LACKING; OR WOULD WE SMILE AND APPROVE OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THIS PHASE OF OUR LIFE AS WE WALK IN HIS LIGHT TO THE VERY BEST OF OUR ABILITY? 

REMEMBER WHEN YOUR FIRST CHILD WAS BORN AND YOU HELD THEM IN YOUR HANDS? OH THE JOY THAT RADIATED THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE BODY! THE PRIDE AND THRILL OF KNOWING THIS CHILD WAS YOURS AND NO ONE ELSE COULD CREATE ANOTHER BEING JUST LIKE HIM. THIS LITTLE MIRACLE FROM GOD WE HELD IN OUR HANDS BLESSED OUR HEART AS WE NOURISHED HIM THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF LIFE; WATCHING HIM ADVANCE FROM ONE LEVEL TO ANOTHER, UNTIL HE MATURED INTO ADULTHOOD; AND WE CONTINUED TO BE BLESSED WATCHING HIM CONTINUE THE CYCLES OF LIFE.

WELL, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEELS THE SAME PRIDE AND JOY IN YOU! HE LOVES YOU AND TAKES PRIDE IN EVERY PHASE OF YOUR LIFE, WATCHING YOU GROW AND ADJUST FROM ONE LEVEL TO ANOTHER. WHEN YOU ACCEPTED JESUS AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR, YOU WERE REBORN IN HIS SON JESUS, AND HE SMILED OVER YOU AS YOU BEGAN TAKING IN THE MILK OF HIS WORD AND GROWING IN SPIRIT. THE MORE NOURISHMENT OF HIS WORD YOU TOOK IN, THE MORE YOU BEGAN TO GROW FROM ONE LEVEL TO ANOTHER, INCREASING IN WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AS YOU WALK IN THE LIGHT OF HIS WORD. HE CONTINUES TO WATCH OVER YOU, CHEERING YOU ON, MAKING INTERCESSIONS FOR YOU AS NEEDED.

LEARNING TO SEE OUR SELF AS GOD SEES US, IS WHEN WE LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SEE THE REFLECTION GOD SEES. WE BEGIN TO SMILE WITH A NEW SOURCE OF SELF ESTEEM; KNOWING WE ARE GOD'S CHILD AND THAT HE LOVES US JUST AS WE ARE! NOT THROUGH MAN'S EYES, BUT THROUGH OUR FATHER'S EYES.THROUGH HIS SPIRIT WORKING WITHIN US, WE BEGIN TO REFLECT CHRIST JESUS FROM DEEP WITHIN AND WE BEGIN TO SEE OUR SELF AS GOD SEES US: HAPPY AND FREE, HEALTHY AND WHOLE, AN OVERCOMER CELEBRATING THE FULLNESS OF LIFE, BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED, THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL, WONDERFULLY AND BEAUTIFULLY MADE, THE APPLE OF HIS EYE, DELIGHTING IN HIS PRESENCE; AND WE SMILE AND WE SMILE AGAIN JUST BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS AND WHOSE WE ARE! 

REFLECT ON THIS THROUGH YOUR DAY AND SMILE, DEAR FRIEND. GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I~~~

Willing To Be Used

As the Spirit of God hovers over America, searching for willing vessels He can use, I wonder how many people will surrender to God's will and allow Him to touch others through them today; whether by words of inspiration and encouragement spoken, or a gentle touch or a caring hug, or by helping someone in financial need, or by offering a labor of love to accomplish a task needing completion. 
A willing vessel is all God needs to accomplish many needs in our world today, and all we have to do is to purposely listen for His direction. You could be the answer to someone feeling hopeless and in need of an answer today- not tomorrow or next week- but who needs to be shown today that God really cares and is using others to meet their need. Someone's life could be hanging in the balance and you could be that one little act of kindness that can turn their life around.
So I pray that as you go through this day, you will purposely look for ways to extend a helping hand or to offer an act of kindness along your way. We can make a difference in this world just by purposely being kind one to another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, even as God in Christ, has forgiven us; as Paul taught in Ephesians 4:32. Let's go out and have a rewarding day for the kingdom of God and be all we can be for His glory sake! Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends, God loves you and so do I~~~

Thinking On His Goodness

I love how David, a "man after God's own heart" knew God's love and faithfulness well enough that no matter what was present in his life, was totally convinced that God would hear as long as he came before Him with a repentant and honest heart such as displayed in Psalm 24:1-5 as he proclaims "The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein; for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

David shows clear understanding of God, the Creator, and that is only with clean hands and a pure heart that we come before Him with thanksgiving as proclaimed in Psalm 100, " Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD, He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name; For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."

In reading his Psalms, the Spirit impressed upon me the last verse in chapter 100, "For the Lord is good" [and isn't He tho; so loving, so caring, and so giving], "His mercy is everlasting" [daily continually pouring out fresh mercies upon us], "and His truth endureth to all generations." [His Word is Truth, never changing/never deviating; whatever It says is so; if God said it, He'll perform it just as He said; His Word endures forever and ever, Amen]!

WOW!!! What an Awesome and Mighty God we serve. He knows each of us by name and loves each of us the same. Good or bad, there is no difference in His love for us. He forgives All our sins when we come before Him with a repentant heart, no matter how small or how great; a sin is a sin and each one is measured the same. No matter how much we sin, He loves us none the less; and no matter how great our service is to Him, He loves us none the more. We are His Children, His Creation, and He loves each and every one of us the same, Unconditionally. That is what sets Him apart from all we can ever comprehend. God Loves us just the way we are right now! He is Forevermore merciful, and Forevermore Loving, and Forevermore Faithful- WOW!!!

This is the God we serve. Think on these things and Be blessed today, dear friends, God loves you and so do I~~

Learning to Shine Light In Darkness

Ever find your self out at night when it's pitch dark and wonder what it was like in the beginning before God created light? Back when darkness covered the deep and nothing had yet been created; with only the Spirit of God hovering over the deep as noted in Genesis 1:2 NKJV,"The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." I wonder what it was like, no light anywhere, just total darkness as the Spirit was hovering over the darkness.

I wonder if He anticipated what was about to happen? It reminds me that we were once covered in the darkness of our sins as the Spirit of God hovered over us, stirring us within; how He must have been anxiously waiting, lingering so close at hand, anticipating the second we would finally realize His presence and ask Him to shine forth His light in the midst of our darkness! I can only imagine how excited He was when we finally welcomed Jesus into our heart as Lord and Savior and our darkness suddenly became Light. What a celebration began in the heavenly realms as even the angels rejoiced! So amazing to consider the love He has for us!

He loves me so much that I would never want to live life without Him in it; to feel His eyes watching over me, anxiously waiting for the perfect time to bring His plans to pass in my life. He cares about every little thing I do; and even when I mess things up and things look really bad, He has a way of turning it around for my good; performing incredible works needed within my life to make me the best that I can be. What an amazing God we serve that He even sent His Spirit to abide within us. I am forever amazed at how He encourages me, empowers me, teaches me, and comforts me; bringing such peace to my soul with full assurance that I am never alone!

While darkness may attempt to keep us from seeing clearly and temporarily diminish our view, Holy Spirit rises up from deep within and shines His light around us and the darkness is gone. You see there is no darkness in Him at all (1 John 1:5), and when He abides within us we walk no longer in darkness but in the fullness of His Light. Jesus tried to express the importance of Holy Spirit to His followers, but it was difficult for them to understand because The Light was right there talking with them. How could the Spirit do all Jesus said It would do with Him still present in this world? But in reality, from the very beginning when God spoke the Word, the Spirit performed whatsoever Word was Spoken! God the Father, Jesus the Word, and Holy Spirit; The Godhead-All three in One, forever and ever! Such a mystery and yet So True! Jesus is the Light!

I pray you will allow Him to light your pathway so you can enjoy the beauty of all God has created just for you. Holy Spirit is hovering over your darkness and anxiously waits to meet your needs any time of day or night. If you will ask Him in, He can make a way where there seems to be no way! Trust Him to shine His light upon your darkness so you can enjoy a wonderfully blessed life. God loves you and so do I~~~

His Unconditional Love

What an awesome Savior we have in our Lord Jesus Christ! While hanging on the cross in the final seconds of His earthly life; knowing He had completed all things necessary for mankind's eternal salvation, Jesus cried out, "It Is Finished!"(John 19:28-30). He had fulfilled everything required for us to be redeemed through His own sacrifice, lovingly surrendered upon that old rugged cross. When we repent and ask Jesus into our heart to be our Lord and Savior, our sin debt is "Paid In Full" once and forevermore, because of Him, Praise The Lord! There is nothing else for us to do; nothing we need to clean up; no words left to be spoken; we need only to believe upon Him and in His works as we receive the righteousness given by God through the Savior of all mankind, Jesus!

So let's stop trying to make our self and others good enough to be His child and learn to just relax in Him and in His works that brought about His amazing grace. God loves each one of us with an unconditional love that goes far beyond our human comprehension. No matter how far we have fallen, No matter what we have done, No matter where we are in life, young or old, no matter the circumstances that surround us; when we repent of our sins and call upon the name of JESUS, He is right there to wash away EVERY sin and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. As Paul taught in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast;" that's God's Unconditional Love.

When we become children of the Most High God we have His assurance that He will be with us always and nothing we do or any thing can ever separate us from His love as noted in Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us form the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  NOTHING will ever be able to separate us from the Love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when He died for us!"

What blessed assurance of His Amazing Grace and Unconditional Love where we can of a surety proclaim, "I am His and He is mine forevermore. " Enjoy a wonderfully blessed day, dear friend. God loves you and so do I~~~

Walking In Newness

In Isaiah 43:19 we are told, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness."....... and surely today, God continues to do new things all around us. Can you not see it? Can you not hear His plea to come up a little closer; to come up a little higher? He cries out for us to move in a little closer; to trust Him more completely; to seek Him in the face of trouble surrounding us; and to lay aside the "norms" as we gather to worship Him while His Spirit hovers in our midst; as we lift up the Holy name of Jesus! It's when our minds are surrendered to Him, that He brings us into higher realms of praise and worship and miracles are performed within us. 

God seeks a personal relationship with each and every one of His children. We were all created to be His family; not just creatures who are distant and don't know Him personally! He desires to bestow His love upon us so we can feel how truly loved we are and enjoy a Father-child relationship one on one. The closer we draw to God, the more our spirit rises up from the depths of our soul and songs of praise come forth, "Because of who You are I give you glory; Because of who You are I give you praise; Because of who You are, I will lift my voice and say, Lord, I worship You because of who You are; I worship You because of who You are. Jehovah Jireh, my provider; Jehovah Nissi, you reign in victory; Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace and I worship You because of who You are; I worship You because of who You are!"

God is surely our Provider, our Strength, our Healer, our Refuge, and our Peace, and so much more; "a very present help in time of trouble"(Psalm 46:1). Where can you hide that He is not there? (Jeremiah 23:24). What can you think about, speak about, or do that He doesn't know about it already? (Psalm 139:1-5). His ways and His thoughts are far above ours (Isaiah 55:8) and He loves us so unconditionally that He would move heaven and earth to give us His Best! God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world; but that through Him all who would believe might be saved(John 3:16,17). We are assured continuously throughout His Word that He is quick to hear, slow to anger, and always gives perfect guidance. Through the darkest of times, He assures us that "Weeping may endure for the moment, but Joy comes in the morning"(Psalm 30:5). He is Forever Faithful and hears our faintest cry; and is ready to wrap us in His comforting arms bringing peace as we call upon Him.

I think about the eagle and its unusual large eyes compared to the size of its head, allowing it to have extremely keen eyesight. Eagles are admired the world over as living symbols of power, of freedom, and transcendence. They are so graceful as they fly high into the heavens over-riding storms that may arise. Psalm 91:1 tells us, "He that dwelleth in the Secret Place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." and in verse 4 "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be thy strength and buckler." 

I Peter 2:9 declares, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession; that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." It is our Father's will that we walk not in darkness but as children of Light; reflecting His Love throughout the world. His Light shines in the darkness and only those who choose not to comprehend Him are left in darkness (John 3:19). Moment by moment as we walk with Him, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus, Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. As we walk in His light to the best of our ability, others will see the change within us and want to know the Hope we have found, so they can walk in the light in return; and this glorifies our Father in Heaven through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

So "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another; Forgive as the Lord forgave you; And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace, And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."(Colossians 3:12-17)

I pray that as you walk through this day, you walk as His priesthood, allowing His light to shine from deep within as it reaches out to others in darkness; and I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends, because God loves you and so do I~~

Making Good Better, and Better Best

Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells His followers to "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and ALL these things shall be added unto you." Jesus told His followers not to worry over small matters of life, such as what they eat or drink, or what they wear, and not to worry about things to come; but to just take care of this day; right now; to live in this moment; because as their minds were stayed on Him, He would take care of all the small stuff! In other words, Jesus was telling His followers, 'Don't sweat the small stuff, I got it! just follow me and seek my will and I'll supply the rest!'

Today He still wants His followers to stop worrying about things and just to Trust Him wholeheartedly in all things; to stop trying to figure things out; stop wasting precious time worrying and just bring our cares to Him and He will supply All our needs.  As we commit our life to Him we begin building a personal relationship by seeking Him first above every thing and every one else. 
He doesn't want us to have a good life, nor a mediocre life. Our Heavenly Father Wants His Children to Have The BEST! Not Good, Not Better, But the Best! His plans for us is to have His Best. So as children of God, we need to apply the motto, "Good, Better, Best; Never let it rest; Until the Good is Better, and The better's Best! 

So if you want the BEST Life now, put it to this test: Is it good? Can it be better? Is it the Best? If not then how do we press on to make it the best. Talk with God about how you can make things better, or the best it can be. Sure it will take some time, but life is a journey; and walking and talking with God as we journey along this life, not only develops a personal relationship, but it will make our life The Best it can be as we journey together, hand in hand along our way! 

So let's Be Persistent! Let's keep pressing on! Let's Ask and Keep on Asking; Let's Seek and keep on Seeking; and Let's Knock and keep on Knocking because we are His children, Trusting God with All our Heart!
I pray you enjoy a blessed day, dear friends. God loves you and so do I~~~

LOOKING THROUGH THE FATHERS' EYES

FUNNY HOW WE SEE PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING OF THE PHASE OF LIFE WE ARE IN;  AND IF WE ARE REALLY SEEING THEM CLEARLY!

TRY THIS..... LOOK AT SOMEONE CLOSE BY......  LOOK AT THEM REAL GOOD!  WHAT DO YOU SEE?

LOOK AT THEIR HAIR....  AT THEIR FACE..... DO THEY HAVE WRINKLES?...... LOOK AT THEIR APPEARANCE.....  

EACH MORNING WE STAND BEFORE OUR MIRROR AND CHECK OUT OUR APPEARANCE BEFORE LEAVING OUR HOME! MOST OF US PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS, MAKING SURE WE ARE DRESSED AND LOOK APPROPRIATELY FOR WHATEVER WE MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING FOR THAT DAY. MOST OF US WILL ASSURE THAT OUR LITTLE FLAWS ARE WELL COVERED WHERE POSSIBLE AND WE TRY TO MAKE THE BEST OF OUR WEAKER VALUED AREAS.

I WONDER WHAT WE WOULD SEE IF WE COULD JUST SEE OUR SELF THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER? TO SEE WHAT HE REALLY SEES US AS! WOULD WE WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT OUR OUTWARD FLAWS AND HURRY TO FIX UP SOMETHING LACKING? OR WOULD WE SMILE AND APPROVE OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THIS PHASE OF OUR LIFE?

DO WE REALIZE THAT ONCE WE WERE REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, WE BECAME HIS CHILD!

AND AS HIS CHILD HE SEES US AS LOVELY,  AS BEAUTIFUL,  AS THE APPLE OF HIS EYE... NOTHING LACKING! HE SEES US HAPPY..... FEELING BLESSED..... BOUNTIFUL IN WISDOM HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST..... AND DID YOU KNOW HE SMILES WITH GREAT PRIDE KNOWING YOU ARE HIS CHILD? 

REMEMBER WHEN YOUR FIRST CHILD WAS BORN AND YOU HELD THEM IN YOUR HANDS.

REMEMBER THE JOY THAT RADIATED THROUGH OUT YOUR ENTIRE BODY! YOU WERE SO THRILLED, JOYFUL BEYOND MEASURE! THIS LITTLE MIRACLE FROM GOD YOU HOLD IN YOUR HANDS BLESSES YOUR HEART AND YOUR LOST FOR WORDS!  YOU NOURISH HIM WITH MILK AND WATCH HIM GROW DAY BY DAY, MONTH BY MONTH, AND HE BEGINS TO SIT UP.... 

HE ADVANCES IN NOURISHMENT TO TOLERATE FOOD, PUREED AT FIRST AS YOU SEE HIM BEGIN TO TODDLE AND TRY TO WALK WITH YOU CLOSE BY TO CATCH HIM IF HE FALLS.....AND YOU HELP HIM BACK UP TO START AGAIN. HIS NOURISHMENT ADVANCES TO MEAT AND SOON HE'S TAKING LIFE ON HIS OWN, ONE DAY AT A TIME AND OH THE PRIDE HE BRINGS..... 

THE MORE HE GROWS, THE MORE YOU ADMIRE HOW HE'S ADVANCED AND GROWN MUCH TOO QUICKLY;  AND AS HE ADVANCES HIS NOURISHMENT AND KNOWLEDGE HE'S GROWN WAY TOO SOON! BUT REGARDLESS OF HIS AGE OR STATUS, HE IS ALWAYS SO DEAR TO YOUR HEART!

WELL, HAVE YOU STOPPED TO WONDER HOW YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER SEES YOU! HOW HE LOVES YOU AND TAKES PRIDE IN EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE?

HOW THAT WHEN YOU WERE REBORN IN JESUS, HIS SON, HE WATCHED YOU AS YOU BEGAN TAKING IN THE MILK OF HIS WORD AND GROWING IN SPIRIT..... AND THE MORE NOURISHMENT OF HIS WORD YOU TOOK IN, THE MORE YOU BEGAN TO GAIN STRENGTH WITHIN TO SIT UP.....''

AND AS YOU BEGAN TO SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE OF HIM, YOU ADVANCED TO THE MEAT OF HIS WORD, AND INCREASED IN WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AND WALK IN THE LIGHT OF HIS WORD. 

HE WATCHED PROUDLY AS YOU BEGAN ADVANCING THROUGH EACH PHASE OF YOUR LIFE AND JUST AS YOUR EARTHLY PARENTS, HE CHEERED YOU ON! 

AND THEN AS LIFE WOULD HAVE IT,  YOU RAN INTO A ROADBLOCK AND CROSSROAD IN YOUR PATH.... THE PATH YOU HAD PLANNED HAD TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE YOU BECAME WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS WITHOUT YOUR CHOOSING. YOU NEVER PLANNED ANOTHER ROUTE THROUGH LIFE WITHOUT YOUR LOVED ONE.... YOU WERE ONE WITH YOUR SOUL MATE, YOUR COMPANION, YOUR LOVE..... AND YOU SEEMED TO LOSE A SENSE OF WHO YOU WERE WITHOUT YOUR LOVED ONE BY YOUR SIDE......

YOUR HEART WAS TORN IN TWO AND IT SEEMED DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO GO ON. HOW YOU SAW YOUR SELF BEFORE WAS NO LONGER WHO YOU SAW IN THE MIRROR....... 

THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE WAS NO LONGER THERE TO WALK ALONGSIDE YOU HAND IN HAND.... NOT THERE TO LEAN YOUR HEAD ON.... NOT THERE TO TALK TO AS BEFORE, AND YOU LOST SIGHT OF WHO YOU WERE BEFORE.....

THAT IS UNTIL THE DAY YOU LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND SAW THE REFLECTION OF WHO GOD SEES RADIATING BACK AT YOU AND YOU CRUMBLED BENEATH THE LOAD OF DESPAIR BUT THEN GOD......

GOD TENDERLY TOOK THE BROKEN PIECES AND BEGAN TO RECREATE THEM INTO A MASTERPIECE......  AN INCREDIBLE WORK OF ART.... HE CREATED YOU.

THIS IS THE STORY OF WIDOWHOOD: OF LOSING THAT SPECIAL LOVED ONE, NOT BY CHOICE BUT JUST LIFE THAT HAPPENS......  AND IT'S ONLY WHEN WE REACH OUT TO JESUS THAT HE CAN CREATE OUR SINGLENESS INTO A MASTERPIECE FOR HIS GLORY!  THAT'S WHEN WE BEGIN TO SMILE AGAIN WITH A NEW SOURCE OF SELF ESTEEM, KNOWING WE ARE GOD'S CHILD AND HE LOVES US JUST AS WE ARE..... HIS BELOVED.

IT'S THROUGH HIS STRENGTH WORKING WITHIN US THAT WE BECOME VICTORIOUS OVER THE BATTLE THAT COMES WITH WIDOWHOOD AND WE REALIZE WE ARE NOT REALLY ALONE BECAUSE NOW WE WALK HAND IN HAND WITH JESUS; AND THROUGH THE ANOINTING THAT LIES WITHIN US, WORKING WITHIN US, WE BEGIN TO SEE OUR SELF AS GOD SEES US : 

*VICTORIOUS.... MORE THAN CONQUERORS.... NO LONGER ALONE, BUT OF THE HOUSEHOLD     OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!

*

*WE CELEBRATE THE FEELING OF BEING HAPPY ONCE AGAIN AND BECOME THANKFUL   FOR THE FULLNESS OF LIFE HE GIVES, DAY BY DAY, ONE STEP AT A TIME. 

*WE REALIZE WE ARE BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED, ABOVE AND NOT BENEATH, THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL, AND WE DELIGHT IN HIS PRESENCE AND HE DELIGHTS IN US.

*WE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE WONDERFULLY AND BEAUTIFULLY MADE.... 

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE.....  SO WE SMILE, AND WE SMILE AGAIN JUST BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE!

NOW LOOK AT THAT FAMILY MEMBER OR NEIGHBOR YOU LOOKED AT BEFORE AND WHAT DO YOU SEE NOW? 

ARE YOU STILL LOOKING AT THEM THROUGH HUMAN EYES;  OR CAN YOU DARE TO SEE THEM THROUGH THE FATHER'S EYES........  *BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFULLY MADE!*

Letting Your Light Shine

Good morning! Just wanted to send you a smile and share a ray of Son-shine with you this morning. I love to see someone smile at me; just can't help but smile right back and allow His Light to spring forth from deep within my spirit. My little light becomes brighter and brighter the more I smile and see those smiles radiating back at me throughout my day. Just can't help but let my little light shine.
I remember from childhood the little song, "This little light of mine", and how we as Gleaners (children's church group) would sing before the audience and do motions with our hands as we let our little lights shine. We could see how it touched those who heard as those who weren't smiling before, began smiling brightly as we held out our little light(finger) in front of us and began to sing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Won't let satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine (blowing toward our finger light); won't let satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine; won't let satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine (holdng our finger light up way high), let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine; Let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!" 
The more we sang the more they smiled and although this little song is usually considered a children's song, it could very easily be the greatest conditioning song for an encouraging message to people of all ages. Jesus taught His followers in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." He encouraged us to not hide our light, but to let it shine forth in the darkness, giving hope and guidance to those lost in darkness; and the time is now that we need to be that light shining in the darkness so others can see that calm enlightening presence of God's love within us. It's surprising what a difference one little light can make in a vast darkness where people are searching for a way out of hopeless situations; but they have no light to show them the way.
So are you letting your light shine? 
One little match lit in a darkened room shines enough light for others to move quickly from the darkness into the light;and you hold that little match deep within you and Jesus is the Light! So let's strike that match and let our little light to shine so others can see the Light from within us and want to know the Hope that lights our way (1 Peter 3:15). You and I hold the key to those around us having a blessed day and seeing the Light within us today and always; so let's shine for Jesus as we enjoy a wonderfully blessed day! God loves you and so do I~~~

Basking In His Goodness

"Because of who You are I give you glory; Because of who You are I give you praise; Because of who You are I will lift my voice and say, Lord I worship You because of who You are, I worship You because of who You are! Jehovah Jireh, my provider; Jehovah Nissi, you reign in victory; Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace and I worship You because of who You are; Lord, I worship You because of who You are!"
Beautiful heartfelt praise springs forth in my spirit as I rise for this new day filled with His tender mercies and amazing grace. In all I do and all I say, I worship You dear Lord; King of all kings, Lord of all Lords, there is none like You. I rest in Your Presence, in Your Peace, in Your Grace, and my heart overflows with songs of praise and worship to You Lord; Great I Am, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace; My Healer, my Deliverer, my Provider, Supplier of All my needs.
What a Mighty God we serve. What a Loving Father who watches over us and keeps us in all our ways. No matter what comes our way, night or day He is with us, supplying all we need to be victorious over every battle, over every disease, over every struggle. So thankful He has us covered in the palm of His hands so all we need to do is rest in Him and His works to see us through. Such a Faithful Lord to watch over us through everything we encounter along our pathway.
I pray you are able to relax in the Love of God and enjoy this wonderful day He created for you and me to enjoy! Life is good but God walking beside you, working within you is so much better! Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends. God loves you and so do I!~~~

Learning To Rise Early

I've learned to love rising early in the morning while it's still dark and spend much time alone with my Lord, just me and Him; no one to interfere or come between our divine relationship; I in Him and He in me, together forever, eternally. 
Mark 1:35 tells us that even Jesus rose early while it was very dark and went to a solitary place so He could talk with His Father, just One on One with no disturbances, drawing strength and direction for His day ahead.
Having learned from his past the need for heart felt prayer and God's guidance, David found the need to rise early in the morning, while it was still dark, to lift his voice unto the Lord (Psalm 5:3); and he taught his son, Solomon, to lay aside his own thinking and trust God for ALL his needs as noted in Proverbs 3:5-6; to Trust in the Lord with all his heart and lean not unto his own understanding, but in all his ways to acknowledge the Lord and He would direct his path; and God indeed saw the humbleness of Solomon's heart and gave him the desires along with much wisdom and understanding.
Learning to lean on God for all my needs, and trust Him to fulfill His written promises; I rise early each morning with heartfelt praise, thanking Him for another day filled with fresh mercies and blessings to be released as I follow His lead. I praise Him for the very breath I breathe as He opens my eyes; for the ease of movement as I rise from my bed and begin to move about; for the functioning of my body as I move and have my being; and for the blessings He provides, one step at a time, throughout my day. In all my ways, I am learning to acknowledge Him and He directs my steps, as I walk in His Love and in the Light of His Word.
I pray that today you will make time to meditate on Him and His goodness, so you can enjoy a wonderfully blessed day too. God loves you and so do I~~~

Desperately Seeking Good Will

It's difficult to understand how our nation has fallen, but it has. What has our nation come to when we no longer respect and pray for those in authority over us; but rather choose to criticize them with harmful words and accusations that once spoken from our mouth can never be taken back. Jesus taught His followers in Matthew 12:25, "A house divided cannot stand, it will surely fall," and yet our One Nation Under God has decided that we don't have to be unified if we want things done our own way. My question is, Where is the "good will of the people," and to whom is our country now seeking for answers? With all the corruption throughout our nation, where is the Peace God sent to earth so long ago through His Son Christ Jesus?
Luke 2:8-14, records the angel sharing news of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in the field, when suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, Peace, Good will toward men." We need Good Will working in our world today instead of the division embedded in the hearts of men and women causing such division, that our nation is so broken and so divided that only God can heal our land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 declares, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves  So, What is coming out of your heart; Peace or Strife? Peace comes only as we humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways and allow God's love to radiate through us to others; not as nay sayers but as peace makers. Jesus taught in John 13:35, "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Then and only then will we bring glory and honor unto God and share His good will toward men!.
I pray as each of us examine our hearts, we will repent of our wicked words and ways and allow the Love of God to instill peace beyond measure in all our ways! God shows no respect of persons and neither should we. He loves each of us just as we are; but He desires we live in peace one to another. So, where is your peace and Whose good will are you seeking? Think about it as you go about your day; God loves you and so do I~~~

Abiding Under His Shelter

As I abide under the shelter of the Almighty, surely He has given me a new song to sing early in the morning. For He is my strength and my refuge; my present help in time of need, and lover of my soul. Just as David declared, I speak Psalm 91 over my life today; that as I dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High and abide under the Shelter of the Almighty, I shall say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, In Him will I trust! Surely He will save me from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; He will cover me with His feathers and under His wings I will find safety; His faithfulness will be my shield and buckler. I will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day; nor the pestilence that walks in the darkness; nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come near me as I observe with my eyes the punishment of the wicked. 
Because I have made the Lord my refuge, even the Most High my Dwelling Place, no evil shall befall me nor any plague come near my dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways. In their hands they shall bear me up lest I dash my foot against a stone. I shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent I shall trample underfoot. For I know God watches over me and has declared, "Because she has set her love upon me, therefore I will deliver her. I will set her on high because she has known My name. She shall call upon Me and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble; I will deliver her and honor her. With long life will I satisfy her and show her My salvation." says the Lord."
 And as I claim His Word over my life, I declare His faithfulness in all my ways, knowing He dwells within me to lead and guard me in all my ways. Having walked through a season of unrest over the past few months regarding our nation, the devastation of storms ravaging our lands, and general concerns within our family, I feel blessed to know that He is with me! Through it all, it's amazing to see How God continuously reminds me of His indwelling Spirit and unfailing love; that He is forever with me and I don't walk alone. I know within my deepest of heart, that I am His and He is mine forever and ever throughout eternity; and no matter what comes my way, It is well with my soul. There is no greater peace of mind than knowing that when I draw my last breath and close my eyes to this earth, I shall open my eyes to behold His matchless glory, face to face, in all the splendor of Heaven; and what a day of rejoicing that will be! There is nothing more wonderful; nothing more assuring; nothing more amazing than feeling the Love of my Father and Lord Jesus Christ, and knowing He has provided every thing I need to live with Him forevermore. 
So as you go about your day, I pray you will be mindful of His love and allow Him to saturate your life and love on you in a manner that only He does best. May the peace of God reign in your heart and bring you joy beyond measure as you enjoy a wonderfully blessed day, dear friend. God loves you and so do I~~~