Memorial Day this year will fall on Monday, May 31, 2010. Each year our nation sets aside this day to remember and celebrate those who serve in the Armed Forces, and those who have served, and those who have lost their lives for our American Freedom.
A day to memorialize our soldiers was first scheduled after the Civil War to mend relationships between the North and the South. It was made a Federal Holiday in 1971.
The services and sacrifices of men and women and their families throughout these past decades have given all Americans the ability to pass our freedom down to our children.
To all who have and are keeping our country free, we salute you, we remember you, and we thank you.
We are “One Nation Under God” and to you, Lord, I lift up a prayer of gratitude for your power, purpose, and protection. Lord, keep America strong and hold our servicemen in the palm of your hand.
Freedom isn’t free.
“And I’m proud to be an American,
Where at least I know I’m free,
And I won’t forget the men who died,
Who gave that right to me”. Lee Greenwood
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Share
To share the love of God, one must know the love of God.
In order to share anything we must possess something to share.
Making anything more enjoyable in our own lives is the ability to experience our knowledge or occurrences or possessions with others. How wonderful it is to make a trip to Disney again with someone who has never been there, especially seeing it again through a child’s eyes. As we give what we have to others, they are blessed, but we become even more blessed.
We are blessed as we bless.
We receive when we give.
We experience love when we love.
We have to be a friend to have a friend.
We are forgiven when we forgive.
To receive a gift we must accept it and open it. Then it becomes ours.
By sharing my thoughts and God’s love with others, I see my love and my knowledge of Him increase.
I love the Lord and I want you to experience His love too.
Search His word. Believe His words, not mine.
I want my life, more than my words, to be a witness.
My accountability is to my Lord and my Savior.
His word, the bible, is my guidebook. Think of it as a Personal Manual. In it we find all of God’s instructions and our listed benefits.
At a job, when you don’t read about your benefits in the employee manual, you will miss out on the benefits which are due to you. We all have too many unclaimed benefits. These benefits are given to each of us by our loving God and are listed in His manual.
This Blog helps me to share God’s love with you. I want you to experience Him, His Word, and the lessons which I am being taught in my spiritual journey. Love cannot be contained. Love is contagious and is given so we can pass it on. Thank you for listening and as you grow I hope that you will want to share what you have been given with others.
In order to share anything we must possess something to share.
Making anything more enjoyable in our own lives is the ability to experience our knowledge or occurrences or possessions with others. How wonderful it is to make a trip to Disney again with someone who has never been there, especially seeing it again through a child’s eyes. As we give what we have to others, they are blessed, but we become even more blessed.
We are blessed as we bless.
We receive when we give.
We experience love when we love.
We have to be a friend to have a friend.
We are forgiven when we forgive.
To receive a gift we must accept it and open it. Then it becomes ours.
By sharing my thoughts and God’s love with others, I see my love and my knowledge of Him increase.
I love the Lord and I want you to experience His love too.
Search His word. Believe His words, not mine.
I want my life, more than my words, to be a witness.
My accountability is to my Lord and my Savior.
His word, the bible, is my guidebook. Think of it as a Personal Manual. In it we find all of God’s instructions and our listed benefits.
At a job, when you don’t read about your benefits in the employee manual, you will miss out on the benefits which are due to you. We all have too many unclaimed benefits. These benefits are given to each of us by our loving God and are listed in His manual.
This Blog helps me to share God’s love with you. I want you to experience Him, His Word, and the lessons which I am being taught in my spiritual journey. Love cannot be contained. Love is contagious and is given so we can pass it on. Thank you for listening and as you grow I hope that you will want to share what you have been given with others.
Monday, May 24, 2010
FAITH
Hebrews 11 has been called the Faith chapter. The book of Hebrews penned by Paul, was written to Christians who were in danger of abandoning their faith due to increased opposition and persecution. Paul appeals to those Christians and to us to remain faithful by citing the example of the faith of some Old Testament persons in Israel’s history.
Faith is contagious and our personal faith can be strengthened when we hear about the struggles and faith testimonies of others.
Writing this journal has helped my faith to grow. Reading Scriptures like Hebrews 11 helps my faith to increase as I read about the trials and steadfast faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and others.
When everything is going well, it is easy to stay faithful to our beliefs or to not think about what we do or don’t believe. No one gets through life without some trials or tribulations. All of us will face some difficult or painful situations during our lifetime. I find that as one seeks and searches for answers during loss, illness, financial crisis’s, or other painfully difficult times, we are emptied of things that we thought were important and God can fill our spirits with Himself and His Spiritual wisdom and teachings. Circumstances force us to prioritize our lives and we become more aware of what is important in direct contrast to the unimportant and temporal trivia which we have been spending our time, money, and energies on.
In Hebrews 11, Paul writes, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen”. "It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen”.
Jesus said, in Hebrews 13:5-6, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” Then Paul writes in verses 6-8, “That is why we say in confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid, What can mere mortals do to me?” “Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust The Lord as they do. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
I believe and have been given the gift of faith. I want to trust and be obedient like those spoken about in Hebrews 11. God will honor me as I honor Him. I am not ashamed of The Gospel and as I stand out in faith, my faith increases. As I write these words, God is working in my life. I pray for my family and friends, at least, daily. I pray for myself and ask God to make me His vessel, a vessel to be used where he needs me.
Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of faith and for showing me what you would have me to say and how you would want me to serve.
Faith is contagious and our personal faith can be strengthened when we hear about the struggles and faith testimonies of others.
Writing this journal has helped my faith to grow. Reading Scriptures like Hebrews 11 helps my faith to increase as I read about the trials and steadfast faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and others.
When everything is going well, it is easy to stay faithful to our beliefs or to not think about what we do or don’t believe. No one gets through life without some trials or tribulations. All of us will face some difficult or painful situations during our lifetime. I find that as one seeks and searches for answers during loss, illness, financial crisis’s, or other painfully difficult times, we are emptied of things that we thought were important and God can fill our spirits with Himself and His Spiritual wisdom and teachings. Circumstances force us to prioritize our lives and we become more aware of what is important in direct contrast to the unimportant and temporal trivia which we have been spending our time, money, and energies on.
In Hebrews 11, Paul writes, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen”. "It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen”.
Jesus said, in Hebrews 13:5-6, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” Then Paul writes in verses 6-8, “That is why we say in confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid, What can mere mortals do to me?” “Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust The Lord as they do. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
I believe and have been given the gift of faith. I want to trust and be obedient like those spoken about in Hebrews 11. God will honor me as I honor Him. I am not ashamed of The Gospel and as I stand out in faith, my faith increases. As I write these words, God is working in my life. I pray for my family and friends, at least, daily. I pray for myself and ask God to make me His vessel, a vessel to be used where he needs me.
Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of faith and for showing me what you would have me to say and how you would want me to serve.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Delight Yourself in The Lord
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”.
It would be impossible to delight ourselves in someone that we do not know.
My family delights me. Being with my friends delights me.
Worshiping and praising and talking to the Lord delights me.
In order to know God and those we love in a deeper more joyful way, we must spend time with them. Some parents try to buy love with things instead of their time and their presence in children’s lives. How much joy would we find in friends who completely neglect us? Love must be nurtured. When we give love it comes back to us. Generosity begets generosity. God wants us to be generous with our love and time spent with Him and others. “Give, and it shall be given back to you.”(Luke 6:38)
God IS love. He first loved us, and as we love Him first, His love flows through us into the lives of other. The more you give to God, the more you have left to give to others. So delight yourself in the Lord with your love, time, praise, worship, study, and resources. When we honor Him, He honors us with His blessings and favor.
‘Time With God” by an unknown author:
Let some small part of every day
Be set aside for God
Make room for Him who guides your way
And on whose earth you trod
To come into your life each day
Take time to talk to God
Discuss with Him your every need
With Him your planning share
Accept His love, His wisdom heed.
Rely upon His care
Let this become your daily need
And meet with Him in prayer
It would be impossible to delight ourselves in someone that we do not know.
My family delights me. Being with my friends delights me.
Worshiping and praising and talking to the Lord delights me.
In order to know God and those we love in a deeper more joyful way, we must spend time with them. Some parents try to buy love with things instead of their time and their presence in children’s lives. How much joy would we find in friends who completely neglect us? Love must be nurtured. When we give love it comes back to us. Generosity begets generosity. God wants us to be generous with our love and time spent with Him and others. “Give, and it shall be given back to you.”(Luke 6:38)
God IS love. He first loved us, and as we love Him first, His love flows through us into the lives of other. The more you give to God, the more you have left to give to others. So delight yourself in the Lord with your love, time, praise, worship, study, and resources. When we honor Him, He honors us with His blessings and favor.
‘Time With God” by an unknown author:
Let some small part of every day
Be set aside for God
Make room for Him who guides your way
And on whose earth you trod
To come into your life each day
Take time to talk to God
Discuss with Him your every need
With Him your planning share
Accept His love, His wisdom heed.
Rely upon His care
Let this become your daily need
And meet with Him in prayer
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
ONE
In John17, Jesus is praying to the Father as the end of His earthly life was approaching.He speaks to Him saying,…………
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so He can give glory back to you…………….I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began………I have told these men ( the disciples) about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me…….My prayer for all of them (believers) is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father- that you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are-, I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one”.
In Ephesians 1:13 we are told, “And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you The Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago”.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. As believers, we abide in Him and He abides in us. (John 15:4) We become one with Him.
In Ephesians we are told that God revealed His plan to Paul. Ephesians 3: 5 says, “God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now He has revealed it by His Holy Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets……..The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s children. Both groups have believed The Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus……….This was the plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus, our Lord”
All believers make up The Body of Christ. Christ is the head of His Body, the Church.
The church is not a particular denomination or doctrine. WE are the church. Christ is The Head and together we are ONE.
Please read, or read again, the book of Ephesians. In it God teaches us who we are in Christ and how we are to apply this knowledge in our lives. We are to live a life worthy of our calling, for we have been called by God.
Don’t let religion, denominations, or doctrine cause divisions. Paul tells us that if the foundational truths of our faith are correct then we should work together peacefully because “we have all been called to the same glorious future”
Ephesians 4:4 gives us the 7 ONE’S , the 7 foundational beliefs that unify us in our faith as believers. We ARE the Body of Christ. To be worthy of our calling we should be humble, gentle, patient, peaceful, and loving.
We HAVE:
1) ONE Body
2) ONE Spirit
3) ONE Hope of our calling
4) ONE Lord
5) ONE Faith
6) ONE Baptism
7) ONE God
We may not agree with everyone doctrinally but we must be diligent, to live in truth, and work at becoming mature in The Lord through the Word. We must live as Christ’s example to others because He is in us and we are in Him.
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so He can give glory back to you…………….I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began………I have told these men ( the disciples) about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me…….My prayer for all of them (believers) is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father- that you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are-, I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one”.
In Ephesians 1:13 we are told, “And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you The Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago”.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. As believers, we abide in Him and He abides in us. (John 15:4) We become one with Him.
In Ephesians we are told that God revealed His plan to Paul. Ephesians 3: 5 says, “God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now He has revealed it by His Holy Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets……..The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s children. Both groups have believed The Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus……….This was the plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus, our Lord”
All believers make up The Body of Christ. Christ is the head of His Body, the Church.
The church is not a particular denomination or doctrine. WE are the church. Christ is The Head and together we are ONE.
Please read, or read again, the book of Ephesians. In it God teaches us who we are in Christ and how we are to apply this knowledge in our lives. We are to live a life worthy of our calling, for we have been called by God.
Don’t let religion, denominations, or doctrine cause divisions. Paul tells us that if the foundational truths of our faith are correct then we should work together peacefully because “we have all been called to the same glorious future”
Ephesians 4:4 gives us the 7 ONE’S , the 7 foundational beliefs that unify us in our faith as believers. We ARE the Body of Christ. To be worthy of our calling we should be humble, gentle, patient, peaceful, and loving.
We HAVE:
1) ONE Body
2) ONE Spirit
3) ONE Hope of our calling
4) ONE Lord
5) ONE Faith
6) ONE Baptism
7) ONE God
We may not agree with everyone doctrinally but we must be diligent, to live in truth, and work at becoming mature in The Lord through the Word. We must live as Christ’s example to others because He is in us and we are in Him.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Discover The Bible for Yourself
Search The Scriptures for truth. When you read the Word in earnest, believing and truly seeking insight, you will find it. The Holy Spirit, who is in you, will bring the Word alive and give you truth and wisdom. God’s Word will help you to be able to face what ever is going on in your life. Questioning His existence and having feelings of doubt will be overcome as you seek Him, talk to Him, and read what He has to say to you in His Word. You will be assured of His presence in your life. Faith is such an awesome gift and the study of God’s word helps that faith to grow and to increase. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”(Romans 10:17) The gift of faith causes one to want to share it.
For me, this blog has become a journey in itself and a way to share my faith with others. It has helped me to reflect on my faith experiences and to think about and remember situations and teachings through which The Word has become alive in my life. My Spiritual walk is a daily experience in an ongoing journey.
I read the following little article in a publication called The Fish Wrapper. I do not know who wrote it. It is called, “CELL PHONE VS.BIBLE”.
Do you ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?
What if we gave it to our children as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
Oh, and one more thing, unlike our cell phones, we don’t ever have to worry about our Bibles being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
As Faith increases and God speaks to us through His word, the Bible becomes more precious and we become unable to live without it. We must feed our spirit daily.
God instructs us to hide His word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Like our programmed cell phone information, when we program Bible passages and Bible promises in the memory bank of our hearts, His Word can be retrieved immediately as we need it, in all situations. I hope that The Bible, God’s living word, becomes as active and necessary to us as our cell phones have become as we travel our roads through life. We communicate with God through The Bible and with family and friends with our cell phones. Keep both lines open!
For me, this blog has become a journey in itself and a way to share my faith with others. It has helped me to reflect on my faith experiences and to think about and remember situations and teachings through which The Word has become alive in my life. My Spiritual walk is a daily experience in an ongoing journey.
I read the following little article in a publication called The Fish Wrapper. I do not know who wrote it. It is called, “CELL PHONE VS.BIBLE”.
Do you ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?
What if we gave it to our children as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
Oh, and one more thing, unlike our cell phones, we don’t ever have to worry about our Bibles being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
As Faith increases and God speaks to us through His word, the Bible becomes more precious and we become unable to live without it. We must feed our spirit daily.
God instructs us to hide His word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Like our programmed cell phone information, when we program Bible passages and Bible promises in the memory bank of our hearts, His Word can be retrieved immediately as we need it, in all situations. I hope that The Bible, God’s living word, becomes as active and necessary to us as our cell phones have become as we travel our roads through life. We communicate with God through The Bible and with family and friends with our cell phones. Keep both lines open!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
God Says
The only way we can know what God says is by reading what He has said in His Word.
Don’t let your Bible gather dust on a shelf. Read it and mark the words as He speaks to your heart and teaches you His ways and precepts.
He will direct you, comfort you, and give you His peace when you read His promises.
The following list of God’s positive answers to our negative statements was emailed to me by a special new friend at The Martin Luther Chapel in the Florida Keys. Thank you Angela!
When we say: It is Impossible
GOD says: All things are possible
Luke 18:27
When we say: I am too tired
GOD says: I will give you rest
Matthew 11:28-30
When we say: Nobody really loves me
GOD says: I love you
Luke 3:16 and John 3:34
When we say: I can’t go on
GOD says: My grace is sufficient
11Corinthians 12:9 and Psalm 91:15
When we say: I can not figure things out
GOD says: I will direct your steps
Proverbs 3: 5-6
When we say: I can’t do it
GOD says: You can do all things
Philippians 4:13
When we say: I am not able
GOD says: I am able
11Corinthians 9:8
When we say: It is not worth it
GOD says: It will be worth it
Romans 8:28
When we say: I can’t forgive myself
GOD says: I forgive you
1John 1:9 and Romans 8:1
When we say: I can’t manage
GOD says: I will supply all of your needs
Philippians 4:19 and
GOD says: You can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you
Philippians 4:13
When we say: I am afraid
GOD says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
11Timothy 1:7
When we say: I am always worried and frustrated
GOD says: Cast all your cares on Me
1Peter 5:7
When we say: I am not smart enough
GOD says: I give you wisdom
1Corinthians 1:30
When we say: I feel all alone
GOD says: I will never leave you or forsake you
Hebrews 13:5
I hope that you can add to this list as you encounter trials, questions, and situations in your life which bring you to the Bible, God’s living Word, for answers. I will do the same.
Don’t let your Bible gather dust on a shelf. Read it and mark the words as He speaks to your heart and teaches you His ways and precepts.
He will direct you, comfort you, and give you His peace when you read His promises.
The following list of God’s positive answers to our negative statements was emailed to me by a special new friend at The Martin Luther Chapel in the Florida Keys. Thank you Angela!
When we say: It is Impossible
GOD says: All things are possible
Luke 18:27
When we say: I am too tired
GOD says: I will give you rest
Matthew 11:28-30
When we say: Nobody really loves me
GOD says: I love you
Luke 3:16 and John 3:34
When we say: I can’t go on
GOD says: My grace is sufficient
11Corinthians 12:9 and Psalm 91:15
When we say: I can not figure things out
GOD says: I will direct your steps
Proverbs 3: 5-6
When we say: I can’t do it
GOD says: You can do all things
Philippians 4:13
When we say: I am not able
GOD says: I am able
11Corinthians 9:8
When we say: It is not worth it
GOD says: It will be worth it
Romans 8:28
When we say: I can’t forgive myself
GOD says: I forgive you
1John 1:9 and Romans 8:1
When we say: I can’t manage
GOD says: I will supply all of your needs
Philippians 4:19 and
GOD says: You can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you
Philippians 4:13
When we say: I am afraid
GOD says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
11Timothy 1:7
When we say: I am always worried and frustrated
GOD says: Cast all your cares on Me
1Peter 5:7
When we say: I am not smart enough
GOD says: I give you wisdom
1Corinthians 1:30
When we say: I feel all alone
GOD says: I will never leave you or forsake you
Hebrews 13:5
I hope that you can add to this list as you encounter trials, questions, and situations in your life which bring you to the Bible, God’s living Word, for answers. I will do the same.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
My Source
Man was made in the image of God. Everyone looks for meaning in their life. There is a void that man searches to fill. This emptiness is stuffed with so many different things in our quest for love, happiness, success, and meaning.
The source of my contentment in all situations is God. When I am not plugged into Him, I am powerless.
I taught Sunday School for 10 years at St. Luke Lutheran Church on Long Island. I can remember telling the children in my classes to think about how a flashlight would work if we neglected to put batteries into it or if we tried to put on an electric appliance without plugging it into an electrical outlet. These might be simple analogies but can help us to understand the concept; knowing The Lord as our source is more complex.
When we seek God and receive the gift of faith, God’s Spirit invades our spirit and transforms our life.
Do not plug yourself into the wrong source or sources. When you look up to the wrong idols as your source you can only imagine what paths they can lead you on. Don’t worship money, addictive substances, love in the wrong places, success, etc.
Choose to serve the one and only Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God is to be our first love. He has loved us first and because of His love, we know how to love others.
I love the Lord, my God, with all of my heart, soul, and mind. His love enables me to love my neighbor (others) as myself. Sometimes this is a hard concept to understand. Ask yourself, do I love the God who created me more than my earthly loved ones?
The more you plug into God, making Him your source, the easier this is to do. He transforms your life and your priorities. To be truthful, before I suffered the losses of Elisa and Carrie I know that I loved my children more than I loved The Lord. During my time of suffering, I could not be helped or comforted by any physical person; Richie, Erica, and I were all hurting so much. It was during this time of trial that I made God my source. He became my Father, my King, my Shepherd, and The Potter of my life. He is The Potter, I am the clay. God is everything to me and I pray for everyone that I love to experience God’s love in their own lives. I pray for all of you everyday. We need to know The Lord and our hope in Him for eternity. We will be together with Him and each other. Elisa and Carrie and other loved ones are waiting for us.
We will be in God’s will. The Lord will give us His strength and power to believe and to do all things when we make Him the source of our lives
The source of my contentment in all situations is God. When I am not plugged into Him, I am powerless.
I taught Sunday School for 10 years at St. Luke Lutheran Church on Long Island. I can remember telling the children in my classes to think about how a flashlight would work if we neglected to put batteries into it or if we tried to put on an electric appliance without plugging it into an electrical outlet. These might be simple analogies but can help us to understand the concept; knowing The Lord as our source is more complex.
When we seek God and receive the gift of faith, God’s Spirit invades our spirit and transforms our life.
Do not plug yourself into the wrong source or sources. When you look up to the wrong idols as your source you can only imagine what paths they can lead you on. Don’t worship money, addictive substances, love in the wrong places, success, etc.
Choose to serve the one and only Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God is to be our first love. He has loved us first and because of His love, we know how to love others.
I love the Lord, my God, with all of my heart, soul, and mind. His love enables me to love my neighbor (others) as myself. Sometimes this is a hard concept to understand. Ask yourself, do I love the God who created me more than my earthly loved ones?
The more you plug into God, making Him your source, the easier this is to do. He transforms your life and your priorities. To be truthful, before I suffered the losses of Elisa and Carrie I know that I loved my children more than I loved The Lord. During my time of suffering, I could not be helped or comforted by any physical person; Richie, Erica, and I were all hurting so much. It was during this time of trial that I made God my source. He became my Father, my King, my Shepherd, and The Potter of my life. He is The Potter, I am the clay. God is everything to me and I pray for everyone that I love to experience God’s love in their own lives. I pray for all of you everyday. We need to know The Lord and our hope in Him for eternity. We will be together with Him and each other. Elisa and Carrie and other loved ones are waiting for us.
We will be in God’s will. The Lord will give us His strength and power to believe and to do all things when we make Him the source of our lives
Thursday, May 6, 2010
National Day of Prayer
We ARE “One Nation Under God”.
Our founding fathers knew and believed this, and so do the majority of Americans.
Americans have to stand firm in their beliefs and values. We must not compromise our foundational beliefs or get caught up in unrealistic political correctness. God will empower us to remain stronger than the career politicians running our country.
I believe in The Creator and in His Word, the Bible. Romans 8:31 says that, “When God is for us, who can be against us”.
At this time in our nation’s history, so many political groups would like to eliminate God and His word from our lives. We must not be ashamed of The Gospel and of our strong spiritual foundation. God will make Himself known to us as we seek Him and anticipate experiencing His power in all situations. We can be sure that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13). As a unified people we can count on God’s power to lead and direct us. We have to stand firm in our beliefs and honor leaders who honor God. We can be like David who slayed the giant with five little stones. The power wasn’t in the stones; it was in his firm strong faith. David knew that God was with him and he knew that He would give him the power to conquer the giant. We must know that when we believe that God is with us we will conquer the giants trying to undermine and change our nation.
We must be bold and not be ashamed to pray for our nation, each other, and our leaders. God has a plan for America. We ARE an exceptional nation endowed by our creator to be unique, generous, caring, and free. I worship, praise, and depend on God, not the government. Our Country has been blessed and God has used America to bless individuals and countries through out the globe. If secularists and atheists continue to try to eliminate Him from every aspect of our Nation we would be left Godless and Powerless in these times of turmoil and proposed change.
Pray on May 6th, The National Day of Prayer, and every day for God’s continued presence and power in our lives and in our land. We must be steadfast, vocal, and prayerful when it comes to asking God to help us preserve our history, heritage, beliefs, and values.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Our founding fathers knew and believed this, and so do the majority of Americans.
Americans have to stand firm in their beliefs and values. We must not compromise our foundational beliefs or get caught up in unrealistic political correctness. God will empower us to remain stronger than the career politicians running our country.
I believe in The Creator and in His Word, the Bible. Romans 8:31 says that, “When God is for us, who can be against us”.
At this time in our nation’s history, so many political groups would like to eliminate God and His word from our lives. We must not be ashamed of The Gospel and of our strong spiritual foundation. God will make Himself known to us as we seek Him and anticipate experiencing His power in all situations. We can be sure that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13). As a unified people we can count on God’s power to lead and direct us. We have to stand firm in our beliefs and honor leaders who honor God. We can be like David who slayed the giant with five little stones. The power wasn’t in the stones; it was in his firm strong faith. David knew that God was with him and he knew that He would give him the power to conquer the giant. We must know that when we believe that God is with us we will conquer the giants trying to undermine and change our nation.
We must be bold and not be ashamed to pray for our nation, each other, and our leaders. God has a plan for America. We ARE an exceptional nation endowed by our creator to be unique, generous, caring, and free. I worship, praise, and depend on God, not the government. Our Country has been blessed and God has used America to bless individuals and countries through out the globe. If secularists and atheists continue to try to eliminate Him from every aspect of our Nation we would be left Godless and Powerless in these times of turmoil and proposed change.
Pray on May 6th, The National Day of Prayer, and every day for God’s continued presence and power in our lives and in our land. We must be steadfast, vocal, and prayerful when it comes to asking God to help us preserve our history, heritage, beliefs, and values.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Blessed to be a Blessing
God is the supreme source of all blessings.
Genesis 12: 1-3 says, “The Lord said to Abraham………….
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
All peoples on earth will be blessed through you”.
Galatians 3: 6-14 says, “Consider Abraham: He believed God, and it was credited to Him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith………..Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous shall live by faith. The law is not based on faith…………Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’, He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit”.
God’s promise to Abraham serves as a foundation for blessings in the believer’s life. The pledge that “all peoples on earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Believers are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). As a result of receiving God’s blessing in Christ, believers are called to be a source of blessing to others and the world (Isaiah 19:24, Zechariah 8:13, Romans12:14, and 1 Peter 3:9) As believers, we are blessed to be a blessing.
The same blessing that was on Abraham, The Abrahamic Blessing, is the same blessing that operates in our lives today. God wants every area of our lives to be fruitful. As our life exhibits the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) we become a living example of God’s blessing and favor and become an extension of His blessings into the lives of others.
Don’t concentrate on the gifts of the blessing, look at the Giver. When we seek Him first, everything else we need or want will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).
Genesis 12: 1-3 says, “The Lord said to Abraham………….
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
All peoples on earth will be blessed through you”.
Galatians 3: 6-14 says, “Consider Abraham: He believed God, and it was credited to Him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith………..Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous shall live by faith. The law is not based on faith…………Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’, He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit”.
God’s promise to Abraham serves as a foundation for blessings in the believer’s life. The pledge that “all peoples on earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Believers are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). As a result of receiving God’s blessing in Christ, believers are called to be a source of blessing to others and the world (Isaiah 19:24, Zechariah 8:13, Romans12:14, and 1 Peter 3:9) As believers, we are blessed to be a blessing.
The same blessing that was on Abraham, The Abrahamic Blessing, is the same blessing that operates in our lives today. God wants every area of our lives to be fruitful. As our life exhibits the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) we become a living example of God’s blessing and favor and become an extension of His blessings into the lives of others.
Don’t concentrate on the gifts of the blessing, look at the Giver. When we seek Him first, everything else we need or want will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).
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