“'I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.'" Ezekiel 34:25-26NLT
The note at the bottom of the page in my Bible states this about the word "Peace" or in Hebrew "shalom"--Peace is more than absence of hostility; it is fullness of life enjoyed in complete security.
Is that what you are seeking? Is that what you need in your life? I know I do. I seek it every day. And what humbles me is that my Father is willing to give it to me every single day. His everlasting peace--just for me--just for the asking. The peace that withstands ALL understanding. Isn't that amazing?!
"Showers of blessing"--Blessing, the power of life promised to God's people through Abraham, is beautifully symbolized in the life-giving effects of rain.
Have you ever just stood in the rain and let the cleansing, cool water droplets just run over your skin. Felt the stress, the ugliness of the day, the conflict in your soul--washed away?
God wants this for you. He wants to have you in a relationship with Him so that He can give you peace and wash you with showers of blessing. Do you?
All you need to do is ask. Sincerely and humbly. Get your heart and spirit right. Then ask. Can you? Will you?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Our Proclaimation
"Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!" Psalm 96:1-4 NLT
I'm getting ready to speak at a men's ministry dinner tonight. I'm going to share my testimony. As I read this passage from Psalm 96, I was encouraged about my opportunity to share my story. I am looking forward to sharing with a group of men how Jesus has impacted my life.
I got to thinking that you don't have to be a preacher or worship leader to share the good news, salvation, and amazing things about God. You just need to open your eyes and heart to the awesomeness of God. Look for the hand of God in your life and those around you. We have so much negative press and attitudes in our culture. We look for the worse. But, if we would be willing to view our lives as a blessing from God, and see him in the little as well as the big, we will have a new perspective on life.
Look for the wonderful hand of God in your life. Share the good news with others!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!" Psalm 96:1-4 NLT
I'm getting ready to speak at a men's ministry dinner tonight. I'm going to share my testimony. As I read this passage from Psalm 96, I was encouraged about my opportunity to share my story. I am looking forward to sharing with a group of men how Jesus has impacted my life.
I got to thinking that you don't have to be a preacher or worship leader to share the good news, salvation, and amazing things about God. You just need to open your eyes and heart to the awesomeness of God. Look for the hand of God in your life and those around you. We have so much negative press and attitudes in our culture. We look for the worse. But, if we would be willing to view our lives as a blessing from God, and see him in the little as well as the big, we will have a new perspective on life.
Look for the wonderful hand of God in your life. Share the good news with others!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Today is the Day!
"No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 NLT
You know. You know when you are doing good or bad. I don't care how old you are, when you are doing something that you know is not right--sinful, bad, deceitful--you know it. You look over your shoulder, making sure that no one had seen you, that no one heard what you said, whatever the situation is. Am I right?
God has told you what is good. "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8 NLT
Why not start this new year with this simple verse of rightful living? Imagine the sense of release. The sense of peace that you will be experiencing.
When I was in my 20's, I wanted so badly to be loved. I wanted my prince charming to find me and my search would be over. My heart's desire would be fulfilled. Well, you know that country song, "looking for love in all the wrong places"--at that point it was my life song. No, I wasn't all over the place. But I was in a relationship with someone that I knew I wasn't suppose to be in. I thought, "Oh, my Lord wants me happy. This is OK. I'm not hurting anyone." But it just didn't feel right. I bargained with the Lord. I told Him I just wanted to be loved--to be accepted as I was. And this was the closest I could find.
Long story short, through all my mistakes and going off on wrong paths, God honored me with my prince charming. And the reason that I am sharing this embarrassing part of my past is to one, show that God can work through all mistakes and He honors us even if we don't always honor Him. Secondly, the peace I felt and still feel to be knowing that I am living the life that He had choose for me. That I can be truthful and I'm not living 3 different lives inside one life. At times, that is what I was doing. It was horrible. Peace--true peace--is so awesome.
So, no matter what you have done in your past--it's not too much for God. Today, right now do the right thing. Give it all to Him. Ask Him for forgiveness. Let Him wash you clean. Show mercy, (forgiveness) to others, as He has shown towards you and be humble. Not like some, that act like they are lower than dirt. But know that you even though you are a special creation from God, your Heavenly Father is still God. The one and only!
Today is the Day! How exciting!
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 NLT
You know. You know when you are doing good or bad. I don't care how old you are, when you are doing something that you know is not right--sinful, bad, deceitful--you know it. You look over your shoulder, making sure that no one had seen you, that no one heard what you said, whatever the situation is. Am I right?
God has told you what is good. "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8 NLT
Why not start this new year with this simple verse of rightful living? Imagine the sense of release. The sense of peace that you will be experiencing.
When I was in my 20's, I wanted so badly to be loved. I wanted my prince charming to find me and my search would be over. My heart's desire would be fulfilled. Well, you know that country song, "looking for love in all the wrong places"--at that point it was my life song. No, I wasn't all over the place. But I was in a relationship with someone that I knew I wasn't suppose to be in. I thought, "Oh, my Lord wants me happy. This is OK. I'm not hurting anyone." But it just didn't feel right. I bargained with the Lord. I told Him I just wanted to be loved--to be accepted as I was. And this was the closest I could find.
Long story short, through all my mistakes and going off on wrong paths, God honored me with my prince charming. And the reason that I am sharing this embarrassing part of my past is to one, show that God can work through all mistakes and He honors us even if we don't always honor Him. Secondly, the peace I felt and still feel to be knowing that I am living the life that He had choose for me. That I can be truthful and I'm not living 3 different lives inside one life. At times, that is what I was doing. It was horrible. Peace--true peace--is so awesome.
So, no matter what you have done in your past--it's not too much for God. Today, right now do the right thing. Give it all to Him. Ask Him for forgiveness. Let Him wash you clean. Show mercy, (forgiveness) to others, as He has shown towards you and be humble. Not like some, that act like they are lower than dirt. But know that you even though you are a special creation from God, your Heavenly Father is still God. The one and only!
Today is the Day! How exciting!
Living Faith
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
Do you wear your faith on your sleeve? Or do you hide and bring it out when it is beneficial to you?
In this day and age it seems that it's not 'cool' to be a believer. It seems as if it's something to be ashamed of. It's something--that if it is offensive to someone else--our right of Christian freedom is taken away.
Yesterday, watching one of the football games--I was encouraged. First of all, I'm not a major football fan. I hardly know any of the major teams, let alone the college teams. But all the men in my family was watching one of the games--the Gators and Wildcats. That's when it happened. I noticed that the quarterback for the Gators had something printed in the black paint under his eyes. I looked closer--it said Ephesians 2, under one eye--8-10 under the other. I thought, WOW! I didn't know what the score was, but I hoped his team would win because he was showing his faith for ALL to see. His name was TEBOW--it was right there on the back of his shirt.
And then they did win! When the camera was on him and the reporter asked him to comment, he said first and foremost, he gave all the praise to his heavenly Father. Then he went on to thank his team and coach. What a witness! When he praised his heavenly Father, the crowd just stood up and roared--it was AWESOME. It gave me spiritual goosebumps. This was all done on national television. God is still in control!
So, if you ever feel discouraged for all the ungodliness in this world--look up! God has these little gems of hope and encouragement everywhere. It could be in the brilliance of the setting sun, the cry of a newborn baby, the unexpected phone call from someone special or the gentle movement of a breeze.
God choose you long before you choose Him. It wasn't something you could have bought, bartered or worked for. Salvation was a gift that you just had to want bad enough to ask your heavenly Father for. The gift was always there. You have to be emotionally and spiritually ready to open and receive it.
So go ahead--wear your faith on your sleeve, your shirt, or in some cases, your face. Just make sure that you are truly wearing it where it matters most--in your heart.
Do you wear your faith on your sleeve? Or do you hide and bring it out when it is beneficial to you?
In this day and age it seems that it's not 'cool' to be a believer. It seems as if it's something to be ashamed of. It's something--that if it is offensive to someone else--our right of Christian freedom is taken away.
Yesterday, watching one of the football games--I was encouraged. First of all, I'm not a major football fan. I hardly know any of the major teams, let alone the college teams. But all the men in my family was watching one of the games--the Gators and Wildcats. That's when it happened. I noticed that the quarterback for the Gators had something printed in the black paint under his eyes. I looked closer--it said Ephesians 2, under one eye--8-10 under the other. I thought, WOW! I didn't know what the score was, but I hoped his team would win because he was showing his faith for ALL to see. His name was TEBOW--it was right there on the back of his shirt.
And then they did win! When the camera was on him and the reporter asked him to comment, he said first and foremost, he gave all the praise to his heavenly Father. Then he went on to thank his team and coach. What a witness! When he praised his heavenly Father, the crowd just stood up and roared--it was AWESOME. It gave me spiritual goosebumps. This was all done on national television. God is still in control!
So, if you ever feel discouraged for all the ungodliness in this world--look up! God has these little gems of hope and encouragement everywhere. It could be in the brilliance of the setting sun, the cry of a newborn baby, the unexpected phone call from someone special or the gentle movement of a breeze.
God choose you long before you choose Him. It wasn't something you could have bought, bartered or worked for. Salvation was a gift that you just had to want bad enough to ask your heavenly Father for. The gift was always there. You have to be emotionally and spiritually ready to open and receive it.
So go ahead--wear your faith on your sleeve, your shirt, or in some cases, your face. Just make sure that you are truly wearing it where it matters most--in your heart.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
New Beginnings
"'I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
making a dry path through the sea.
But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.'" Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 NLT
As the new year is approaching, are you thinking of all the "new" yous that you are promising yourself? "This year I'm going to..." "This year I'm committed to change...about myself." "This year, I am NOT going to..."
New Year's resolutions are nice I guess, but are they realistic? Are you wanting to change the right things? Are they being done for the right reason? Is it what the Lord is telling you to do?
To me, the above verse is perfect for the New Year. During this soon-to-be past year you have hopefully allowed the Lord to do great works in you. But it nothing compared to what He is planning for you and your life this new year. He's already begun. Can you believe it? There will be new paths and new rivers created in you and your spirit. Wonderful changes that will change you forever.
Do you find that the resolutions that you make for yourself are hard to keep? Do you feel like a failure when you fall short on your promise to yourself? That is what a resolution basically is--a promise.
When you allow the Lord to guide and choose your changes--you have the added assurance and strength in the Lord to help you succeed. Not all path changes and river planting will be joyful and easy. Some may be disheartening and hard. But with the word of the Lord and His presence in your life, you will become the diamond in the rough--a treasure to your God that is more precious than gold.
Do you want to start the year with 'new beginnings'? Do you want to succeed this time? Invite the Lord. He will see you through.
making a dry path through the sea.
But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.'" Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 NLT
As the new year is approaching, are you thinking of all the "new" yous that you are promising yourself? "This year I'm going to..." "This year I'm committed to change...about myself." "This year, I am NOT going to..."
New Year's resolutions are nice I guess, but are they realistic? Are you wanting to change the right things? Are they being done for the right reason? Is it what the Lord is telling you to do?
To me, the above verse is perfect for the New Year. During this soon-to-be past year you have hopefully allowed the Lord to do great works in you. But it nothing compared to what He is planning for you and your life this new year. He's already begun. Can you believe it? There will be new paths and new rivers created in you and your spirit. Wonderful changes that will change you forever.
Do you find that the resolutions that you make for yourself are hard to keep? Do you feel like a failure when you fall short on your promise to yourself? That is what a resolution basically is--a promise.
When you allow the Lord to guide and choose your changes--you have the added assurance and strength in the Lord to help you succeed. Not all path changes and river planting will be joyful and easy. Some may be disheartening and hard. But with the word of the Lord and His presence in your life, you will become the diamond in the rough--a treasure to your God that is more precious than gold.
Do you want to start the year with 'new beginnings'? Do you want to succeed this time? Invite the Lord. He will see you through.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Take Heart!
"'I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.'” John 16:33 NLT
Isn't this a great promise?! As we walk down this road we call life, it's a given that we will not always have days full of sunshine and rainbows--but we don't walk alone.
When we get overwhelmed, we know that we should just empty ourselves of those feelings and claim the awesome peace that we can have only through Him. But it's not always easy to do. We get wrapped up in the emotions, of actions, the fears--but He can unwrap us. We get bogged down in the moment--He can unbog us.
Anything that the world can throw at us--He can overcome. He is such a loving and gentle Father, yet, if something or someone was to attack us, He's there in a heartbeat, protecting us to the fullest.
So please, the next time that you are attacked, remember this verse. Remember to take heart--you are not alone. Among the trials and sorrows, you will see days of sunshine and rainbows. So claim it!
Isn't this a great promise?! As we walk down this road we call life, it's a given that we will not always have days full of sunshine and rainbows--but we don't walk alone.
When we get overwhelmed, we know that we should just empty ourselves of those feelings and claim the awesome peace that we can have only through Him. But it's not always easy to do. We get wrapped up in the emotions, of actions, the fears--but He can unwrap us. We get bogged down in the moment--He can unbog us.
Anything that the world can throw at us--He can overcome. He is such a loving and gentle Father, yet, if something or someone was to attack us, He's there in a heartbeat, protecting us to the fullest.
So please, the next time that you are attacked, remember this verse. Remember to take heart--you are not alone. Among the trials and sorrows, you will see days of sunshine and rainbows. So claim it!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Come and Rest
"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 NLT
Yesterday, when I was at church, my friend pulled me aside and said she just needed to unload. She is one of those women that you look at and admire so much for her strength and insight. She has gone through many trials--cancer, bad doctors, surgeries to fix what the doctors messed up on, many treatments of chemo--always with a gracious spirit and a sweet smile.
Yesterday was different. Yes, her resistance was down because she had been in pain and she was having to start this week with another form of chemo treatment that would be putting blisters on the soles of her feet, the palms of her hands and her tongue. But that wasn't it. Yes, her 95 year old mother was nearing the end of her life--nearly blind & deaf, dementia and now her digestive system was closing down--living next door--not really ready to make the decisions that would soon have to be made. But that wasn't it.
Yesterday, she was weary. She was heavily burdened with the cares of life and the responsibilities of. Have you been there? Are you there now?
Are you-- as they say--ready to pull down the shades and turn out the lights? You are emotionally, physically, spiritually burdened and weary? It's OK to hold up your hand and say,"Yes!" Go ahead. If that is where you are at, go ahead and shout a big, "YES! Yes I am!"
So many of us feel that we can't be true to our feelings. That if we admit that we are spiritually weary or feel burdened beyond our capacity, that we are admitting failure in our spiritual walk or a weakness in our journey with our God. But it doesn't mean any of those things.
God knows you so well. He knows you better than you even know yourself. He allows us to go through these times of weariness and heavy burdens to fine tune us. To make us better than we already are through Him. To prepare us for the path in life that He has made for us. To help us to realize that we need Him so much more than life itself.
As I read this passage today, I thought of my friend. I thought that this verse was written especially for her in this very moment she is in. Was it written for you too? Claim it! Go to your Father and lay all of the weariness, cares, burdens and tears down and crawl upon His lap. Curl up like a baby and feel Him wrap His strong and gentle arms around you--rocking you and singing sweet songs in your ear that are for you only.
Your Heavenly Father is just waiting for you to make the first move--will you? Can you? I know you can.
Yesterday, when I was at church, my friend pulled me aside and said she just needed to unload. She is one of those women that you look at and admire so much for her strength and insight. She has gone through many trials--cancer, bad doctors, surgeries to fix what the doctors messed up on, many treatments of chemo--always with a gracious spirit and a sweet smile.
Yesterday was different. Yes, her resistance was down because she had been in pain and she was having to start this week with another form of chemo treatment that would be putting blisters on the soles of her feet, the palms of her hands and her tongue. But that wasn't it. Yes, her 95 year old mother was nearing the end of her life--nearly blind & deaf, dementia and now her digestive system was closing down--living next door--not really ready to make the decisions that would soon have to be made. But that wasn't it.
Yesterday, she was weary. She was heavily burdened with the cares of life and the responsibilities of. Have you been there? Are you there now?
Are you-- as they say--ready to pull down the shades and turn out the lights? You are emotionally, physically, spiritually burdened and weary? It's OK to hold up your hand and say,"Yes!" Go ahead. If that is where you are at, go ahead and shout a big, "YES! Yes I am!"
So many of us feel that we can't be true to our feelings. That if we admit that we are spiritually weary or feel burdened beyond our capacity, that we are admitting failure in our spiritual walk or a weakness in our journey with our God. But it doesn't mean any of those things.
God knows you so well. He knows you better than you even know yourself. He allows us to go through these times of weariness and heavy burdens to fine tune us. To make us better than we already are through Him. To prepare us for the path in life that He has made for us. To help us to realize that we need Him so much more than life itself.
As I read this passage today, I thought of my friend. I thought that this verse was written especially for her in this very moment she is in. Was it written for you too? Claim it! Go to your Father and lay all of the weariness, cares, burdens and tears down and crawl upon His lap. Curl up like a baby and feel Him wrap His strong and gentle arms around you--rocking you and singing sweet songs in your ear that are for you only.
Your Heavenly Father is just waiting for you to make the first move--will you? Can you? I know you can.
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