Wait

~ Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Waiting on the Lord is the hardest thing for man to do. It is our nature to resolve a problem or work out a situation right away. However, God’s will may not always be in it. No one likes conflict. No one enjoys going through a difficult marriage or living with chronic pain. Seeking solutions may be good but if they are not centered in God’s will, they will not bring joy.

When a dilemma engulfs you, wait on the Lord as Isaiah exhorts. God will renew your strength. Before you make a decision that will put you on a fast pace to a future you may regret, let the Lord speak to you in His Word. Do not make hasty decisions but let God be at the center of those decisions. He promises to lift you up, strengthen you if you are weary, and give you the strength that you need to continue on.

No problem is too great for Him. But He does not always work in the “here and now.” Sometimes we need to sit back and wait to allow Him the opportunity to work in our situation.

~Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

For the weary believer, waiting is not always what he wants to do. He wishes to be rid of what weighs heavy on his heart. That is the natural man’s way – but it is not God’s way. Allow yourself time to see the hand of God at work in your life. There is promise in waiting!

 

Are You the Caregiver?

I have found that compassion goes a long way when God puts certain people on your path. Everyone has a story to tell. Especially cancer patients! Their lives are literally put on hold and everything revolves around treatments and surgery. This is their focal point. This is all they will know for about a year (or more). It has been 15 months for my husband and I. As his caregiver, I have discovered that faith can pull us through anything.

Prayer is a powerful tool in the fight for cancer. Take time to pray with cancer patients. When God opens the door and allows you the blessed opportunity to be their for one of His precious people, pray with them. Not everyone wants you to pray for them but most of them do. You would be surprised.

Don’t let the day go by without being a blessing to a cancer patient. Whether it be by phone, a kind note, or in person, be a blessing. Show the compassion that God has blessed you with and use it for His glory!

 

The Life of Cody

It is with great sadness that I share with you that Cody passed this morning around 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.  Please pray for the Johnson family as they mourn their loss.

 

A Great Recipe!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________’

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

14. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything – but you have to ask Him.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You’ll be smiling before you know it.

 

Top 10 Predictions for 2009

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on Earth..
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still honor the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

Isn’t it great to remember Who is really in control, and that…

“the Word of the Lord endureth forever.” (~1 Peter 1:25b)

 

God’s Faithfulness

We are so thankful that the Lord loves us and blesses us! This picture was taken near Florence, Oregon. This is where John and I are heading to in less than two weeks. After 29 long years of police work, I am so excited that my husband will be able to enjoy sights such as these. We are thankful for God’s blessings upon us!!!

 

25 Beautiful One-liners

1. Give God what’s right…not what’s left.

2. Man’s way leads to hopeless end…God’s way leads to an endless hope .

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let him be the period.

6. Don’t put a question mark where God puts a period.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a faith-lift.

8. When praying, don’t give God instructions…just report for duty.

9. Don’t wait for six strong men to take you to church.

10. We don’t change God’s message…His message changes us.

11. The church is prayer-conditioned.

12. When God ordains, He sustains.

13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead…It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.

17. Exercise daily…walk with the Lord.

18. Never give the devil a ride…he will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

21. He who angers you controls you.

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.

23. Give Satan an inch & he’ll be a ruler.

24. Be ye fishers of men…You catch them & He’ll clean them.

25. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

~Author Unknown~

 

We Live By Faith

A man’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed.

The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. “I guess you were expecting me,” he said. “No, who are you?” said the father. “I’m the new minister at your church,” he replied. “When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up.” “Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bedridden man. “Would you mind closing the door?”

Puzzled, the minister shut the door. “I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man. “But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.” “I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” the old man continued, “until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, “Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because he promised, “I’ll be with you always.” Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now.”

So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.

“Did he die in peace?” he asked. “Yes, when I left the house about two o’ clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?” The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I wish we could all go like that.”

~2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

~Author Unknown~

 

Two Horses

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this ………. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I’ll listen for yours.

“Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”

~Author Unknown~

 

Wonderful Peace in the Midst of Trial

The born-again child of God has the blessed peace that goes beyond reasoning during times of trouble. We need not fear for our Heavenly Father has everything under control.

~Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Life may not go the way we think it should, but our lives are always under the watchful eye of our Heavenly Father. It is so important to read our Bibles so we may glean from the beautiful words spoken by God. The Book of Psalms is always a treasure mine filled with golden nuggets of blessings!

God doesn’t sleep on the job:

~Psalm 121:3-4 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (3) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (4)

Do not worry – do not be afraid. The Creator of the universe and all things is also your Heavenly Father – your Abba Daddy, if you will. He takes pity on His children and knows what they are going through.

~Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.