Well, Lord…here it is….Another Day…One just gone and another started! A new beginning! It seems that we don’t think of our days as a new beginning, but rather a continuation of the last one, at least during this time of flood clean-up. Does the mess never end? And then what? Most of us are just wondering, Will there be funds to fix our homes? When will we ever have a roof of our own over our heads again? Where is the money coming from to feed our families? Will we ever be able to go back to work? Why wouldn’t the cost of clean-up done by ourselves be considered in any payout by FEMA? So many questions, yet so few answers. Read the rest of this entry »
After the Flood…..
Posted: July 21, 2011 in Hope, MinotTags: flood, hope, Jesus, Minot, questions, sorrow, tears
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Who exactly or What is our God?
Posted: July 14, 2011 in Hope, MinotTags: alone, damaged, despair, flood, hopeless, lonely, lost, sad, sorrow, trouble
In this world there will be troubles…but the Lord God delivers us from them all…..
It is strange to recognize how attached we can become to the things we have called our own! There are those “things” “family heirlooms” “treasures” that we have held on to over the years. Always needing to take care of, to move with us when we moved, to find a place for. Things and stuff we would never sell, and rarely give away…..and if we did, only to someone who would treasure them as we have.
It is strange that when they are gone there is a huge relief, along with sadness, and loss.
I used to think I really loved the Lord! There were times when my heart was so full of love for him, that it seemed that nothing else mattered. That’s how it should always be, but the burdens and the cares of the world come upon us, and we take our eyes off of HIM and see troubles or sadness, or belongings, or wonder how ever are we to deal with the problems, the stress, the hurts of the world. We “feel” comfortable in our homes, our jobs, our circle of friends.
Isn’t it strange how the things that change our lives forever always come in a split-second, a minute or an hour? Things change because of accidents, someone’s selfishness or our own….natural or man-made disasters, a decision made in desperation, a choice we know is wrong at the time we make it.
Life is not certain. Everything in the world is changing moment by moment….there is nothing in the physical world that remains unchanged for long. Sometimes the change occurs over time and we barely notice it, and sometimes it happens quickly. We know the moment it happens. Everything we have always had before, is now changed, in a moment….turmoil…hurt….pain…loss…fear.
The things of the world will grow strangely dim….in the light of HIS GLORY and GRACE!
His Glory and Grace will always be there….because the only constant in life is God. He is, was, and always will be…unchanged…..the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
We have to remember that when the storms come…He is there for us. When the earthquakes shake, he is there for us….when volcanos erupt, He is there for us…When the flood comes, He is there for us, totally unchanged, trustworthy, loving, protecting, guiding, wanting desperately for us to come to him, to trust him, to love him, and to know and recognize his peace, his holiness, his protection, his guidance, his healing. It is during the most difficult times of our lives that we must realize that HE has answered our prayers, he has delivered us out of our troubles, and will never leave us or forsake us, and no one or nothing can take us away from HIM….
Feelings are not an adequate truth. There is little truth in feelings…just because we “feel” one way or another, doesn’t make it so……the truth exists only in Christ. Only in the Word of God. When what that Word tells us is opposite of what we are feeling then we have to stand on what He has taught us….HIS TRUTH and only HIS TRUTH, is true. We have to accept it, and move on. We have to draw close to Him and THEN, and only then will He draw close to us.
Today is the day to draw close…how? How do we do that? We speak….we tell him we are coming close….and then as if he is sitting at the table with us….we reach out with our hands to take His…or if it seems like he is further away….across the room…we take one step and another and another….and soon we will be where we need to be, and He will have come close to us. Close to our Lord and our God…In his arms…protected, loved, at peace…the place we have always belonged and longed to be! We have only now…tomorrow is not guaranteed. Now is when we reach out…draw close, and hang on….Now is when we make up our minds to let him be our help in times of trouble. Now is when we choose to trust him. Now is when we rely upon him. Now is the time….to do what we need to do! NOW!
already the trip down the mountain has begun, and the raging floodwaters have stolen my home here on earth….Praise God for the todays ahead of me…
Resurrection Sunday April 24th, 2011
Today may very well be the last Easter Sunday Celebration you experience here on earth.
For Christ Followers the world over, this is the day when we celebrate the Resurrection from the dead, of our Lord and our Savior.
In a sense, this day is important only for one reason….it is the day that gives you a choice to obtain life or remain in death. When Jesus AROSE, he defeated all the plans of the enemy (satan) who thought that if he could just kill Jesus, this would all be over and he (satan) would take over all power, and control the world and eternity.
We as people sometimes think we are all important. Some of us have millions of dollars in the bank, and are safe and secure in our lives. Some of us have no food for dinner, and don’t much care what the holiday is, because each day is like the last and yesterday there was no food either. Those who have nothing are no more unimportant than those who have much. Who we are is not determined by what we have….it is determined by who we know.
Do you know Jesus? Do you know that He is the one who said….Choose you this day who you will serve? He is the one who said…”there is no OTHER NAME given under heaven by whom you MUST be saved.” It is he who said that life or death was your choice. Heaven or Hell….which will it be?
He (Jesus) said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light….He is the one who said that Mary had chosen the right way….she chose to listen and learn and give her allegiance to Jesus, and Martha just worked away and became cynical and sad because there was no one to help her.
Lazarus died, and Jesus Wept……Perhaps Jesus Wept for all those who would never receive him (Jesus) and would go into eternity not knowing the full and complete love of Christ which would in the end, send them into a Christless eternity. (Otherwise known as Hell)
Life doesn’t end at death on earth. Life continues on. Only our bodies die. We have just this one chance….this one life here on earth to make our choices. Who will we serve? Will we fall down before the living Christ and tell him how bad we have been and ask his forgiveness? Will we commit our lives to him? Or will we just continue on, assuming that if there is a God then he is too good to not take care of us when we die.
The instruction manual is clear….Jesus Died that all could live. Jesus gave up HIS life so that we could be forgiven from our sins and spend eternity with him. It is a nice thought….He is a good God! We can rest knowing that he would never leave us with no hope….We can rest, doing our own thing in this world without worrying about the consequences of our actions, because if there is a God then he has it all under control….after all he gave us life.
Commitment is everything! Nothing is completed without commitment! High Divers know that they reach a point where all is focused on the dive and they are either going off that cliff with a leap….and they do. Or they will start the approach, hesitate, and fail or maybe die.
Have you ever started to pull out into traffic only to have second thoughts….paused even momentarily and ended up getting hit or almost getting hit or having horns blowing at you? It is not a good place to be. Have you ever seen the ballerinas leap into the air to be caught in mid-air by their dance partner? At some point commitment has to occur, or disaster looms. Have you ever started across the street only to hear the sound of cars coming toward when the light changes? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to end up dead because you messed up? You pulled out into oncoming traffic…you didn’t see the edge of the cliff and just stepped off? Did you ever watch as your child went running for a busy street and you were not close enough to reach them….the fear is immense…the horror….the end could be then for them.
In life we are responsible for ourselves. We are the one who makes the choices that affect our lives. Sometimes we do “stupid” things and we pay the consequences. Sometimes it is just a moment of “stupidity” or “rebellion” that causes us to do something we wouldn’t ordinarily do. Sometimes we are so busy “pushing the envelope” that the inevitable failure is coming, but we can’t see it.
There is sometimes, not “another” chance. There is sometimes and “end”. There is sometimes a huge regret because we knew and we failed to act. Someone once said that it is not so much the things we do, that we regret, but the things we failed to do……
Don’t let this Easter pass without knowing where you will spend eternity.
Don’t let the sun go down tonight without making the choice to trust in Jesus or disregard his free gift.
Free Will allows you to spend eternity without Christ. Your choice. Some people say that they don’t care….their choice. But today I ask you to make that choice. Tomorrow may be too late.
Choose Life with Christ! This may be the day your life on earth will end. There is only this one moment. You have now….only now. Perhaps you will have tomorrow or next week, but you have no control over that. You can try to hold on to life for one more second, but many never have another second.
Life with Christ or Life without…..Separation from God or forever with God. The bible speaks of death and hell, both in another dimension….but real none the less. Life on earth with Christ means you have made a choice to ask him to forgive your sin, it means that HE will never leave you or forsake you. It means that when the troubles of the world come, as they inevitably do, HE will be there to give you peace, and strength and courage, hope and LOVE.
Life without Christ means that when all hell breaks loose around you, there is no one who can help. There is no hope. The end is the end.
So today, don’t hesitate…but leap! Leap into the arms of Jesus and know that no one or no thing can ever hurt you again, because even death cannot separate you from him. Even though your world is collapsing, and your money is gone, and you have lost your home, and possibly someone you love…..You are safe in those beautiful arms that hung on a cross that you could enjoy the fruits of HIS LABOR and HIS LOSS and HIS DEATH….Choose Now…..Leap!
Oh God….I am not sure!
Yesterday the mountaintop was mine! I didn’t understand that it was coming, and suddenly I was at the top. It is a strange and wonderful experience. My brain was in wonder. It seemed I began to believe what people had said. It seemed strange to be honored by people. I had always heard the story of the missionaries that had arrived back in their homeland after years of sacrifice and years of struggle and many souls gathered for the Kingdom of God….The crowd was huge, and cheering filled the air and their ears rejoiced in the recognition….but then they realized that the crowd was there for someone else, and there was no one to meet them and they prayed….Why God, was it not for us? Have we not just returned from doing your work? And God answered……You are not home yet….The earth is not our home! Heaven is our home, and God is our King! Jesus is our King! Holy Spirit is our King! Read the rest of this entry »
Oh Lord God, you have shown us your Greatness, your mercy and your Grace. You have shown us the hope that is within You….and therefore within us. We look and we see your miracles…the precipices that we find ourselves at…one more step and we are off the cliff, but you send your angels and they keep us from falling….
You send your Holy Spirit to show us how to pray….You sent your Word (Jesus) and gave us life…..and you send your Word (Bible) from which we gather your strength and your beauty in the things of the world. We are reminded of the Promise…Psalms 118:17 “I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord”. Awesome Holy Spirit delivered words, to stand on in the midst of troubles. Awesome words that move us into the spiritual realm instead of this earthly one, so we can stand on truth instead of what we see with our physical eyes.
You Lord, are our strength, and our hope, You are our light in the darkness, you are the voice in the night that says….we are safe in your arms. You are He who loves us with a love that is beyond our ability to even understand. You are our strength, and when we think we can no longer go on, you fill us with your Spirit and with YOUR TRUTH, and we KNOW that nothing is impossible for YOU!
We wonder about our lives, and the troubles that seem to never end. We are reminded that you care so much about our character, that we not give up, that we follow the path you have laid out before us. We are grateful that we cannot see around the corner, for if we could, we would self-destruct with our inability to handle it….and yet we arrive around that bend in the road and you are already there. Providing us with all that we need to continue on.
Yes, you are Awesome, Lord and we love you for it! We are Thankful for all the stories of troubles, and how you have come to the rescue of your people. We are thankful….We are thankful….Yes…we are thankful!
This is my prayer for this morning…it comes when I learn of another sickness, another battle, and it calls out to others to join in believing…..trusting….encouraging others to continue on…to find the strength and the peace and the love that we need to share with each other. You can make it through this day…because God is already here, and he has your best interests at heart. Hang on and keep moving forward….”With God all things are possible…..and NO Thing is impossible!
*** I just want to mention a website that declares God’s Glory in the words of one woman to another. The words that dispel fear, that encourage, that bring peace in chaos. There is a scholarship program….All you have to do is post to your blog, mention the site and send it in. So if you have a blog….share your heart….and post the site….God may choose you to be the one who wins the scholarship and your path has either become new or has been enlarged. Even if you are not the one chosen to receive, the gift of sharing your heart with others will bring you joy….and hope! Blessings to you all…
Prayyior
The She Speaks Conference is about women connecting the hearts of women to the heart of our Father God and that your heart is to serve Him and His daughters, as He leads.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/
She Speaks Conference website: http://shespeaksconference.com/
Prayer for Japan
Posted: March 15, 2011 in PrayersTags: Holy Spirit, Japan, Meltdown, Nuclear, Protection
Reports are coming out that those who have been in the nuclear plant, attempting to contain the radioactive material have now been called out of the plant. What is happening is anyone’s guess, since there is no specific info that I have been able to obtain. (right now anyway)
Since we don’t know how to pray specifically, we must seek the Lord for Wisdom and pray in the Spirit. We must ask Holy Spirit to pray for us to put His words in our mouths and direct us as we pray, since we don’t have the answers.
Lord in the name of Jesus, we ask that You will guide our prayers. Lord, We know you know how to deal with this. We ask you to provide your great wisdom to those who are in charge of this nuclear Reactor and can do what is needed to prevent the radioactive material from affecting the earth and the air, the water and especially the people and the animals. Father, Your word tells us to pray without ceasing…we ask Holy Spirit to pray through us, without ceasing. You know what this nation needs, you know how to stop the spread of radioactivity. You also know of other things going on in our world that need prayer right now too. Everyone is focused on Japan and their needs and we also need to pray for our Nation and the peoples of this country. We pray too for our leaders who appear to not have a clue as to how to help and what to do. We pray for our military that is in Japan right now, and we ask for your protection upon them. We pray for our ships, and for those navigating those ships. We pray for the people who are coming on shore, and having to gather the bodies of so many dead. Lord, we pray for protection for this nation from the diseases caused by unclean water, and bacteria that seems to be such a horrifying danger in situations where tsunami’s have ravaged the land.
Lord we pray for the various groups that are sending people and supplies for help. We pray especially for Samaritan’s purse who is funded by donations and gifts and ask that they might be blessed with all they need to assist these people. Lord, we ask for blankets to reach those so hurt by this evil, and we pray for food for them and clean pure water. Lord, open the doors that these people might be helped.
Above all Lord God we pray that you will reveal yourself and Your great love for each of them. Lord, reveal Jesus to them so they might find the love and peace and salvation that is available through you.
Lord, we place this land and these people into your capable and loving hands and ask for miracles for them. Lord we ask for the meltdown of the rods to be stopped. We pray for water to cool these rods, we pray for restoration of all the safety mechanisms that protect people from the radiation. Lord, into your hands we commend all this and whatever else is needed. You are a mighty and Holy God, and we love you. We give you all the praise and all the glory for all that you are doing even this moment. Lord We thank you for entering in and protecting the people and for protecting the land, and we thank you for all you will do in our future. Father it is in Jesus Holy Name that we pray. AMEN and AMEN
A blessed ordinary day…..until….
Posted: March 14, 2011 in Hope, PrayersTags: earthquake, Fear, God, trust, tsunami
Today is March 14th……3 days since world changing events occurred and continue to occur
March 11, 2011 Disaster Struck!
It was a normal ordinary day, similar to all the other blessed ordinary days. No disasters, no troubles….just a day of small uneventful life. A true treasure when you consider it all.
In the blink of an eye…Life can change forever! Have you ever noticed that the things in life that change the course of our lives usually come in a split second. They come in a traffic accident, that takes a friends life. They come in a tornado that leaves a path of destruction, where people’s lives are ended and belongings are strewn through the countryside. They come in the shaking of the earth, and as ceilings begin to give way, boxes and stuff are rattled and solid bookcases and houses and buildings begin to collapse in upon themselves, and debris falls into the streets and byways outside. People who were just living their normal lives, are now running for them, or hiding to escape, or racing to reach their children….
The Earthquake that occurred in Japan, changed the entire world. The Earth’s movement caused a major tsunami and the sea left it’s banks and came storming ashore, with a vengeance designed to destroy anything in it’s path even to the point of changing the earth’s axis. It was as if a movie with all the special effects were occurring…..but this is not a movie. The set will not recover and the Actors will not get their lives back. Some have gone into eternity, and others are still trapped in debris, and still others are hunting for those they cared so much about, and cannot locate.
If this were not enough, there is the loss of power, of water, of transportation, of gas, of food, of warmth, of basic shelter. The suffering is unbelievable. We who have not experienced a disaster have no concept of the pain, the doubt, the fear, the stress of more of the same. Another tremble in the earth….another Tsunami….another person’s life taken. Shock! Disbelief! Horror!
Could it be any worse? That answer is YES…..
We could listen to the stories of nuclear disaster, because the news is full of it. We must not become fearful. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. No matter what happens our God tells us that HE will never leave us or forsake us. He tells us that HE is our high tower and that we are safe under his wings. He tells us that he not only knows the number of hairs on our heads, but has them numbered.
What a God of detail…..He knew we would be facing this trouble, and he gave us a heart that COULD trust in him. This is the time to not let fear overtake you.
Fear comes from Satan. It does not come from God. Be at peace in the midst of trouble. Be at peace when the world seems to be crumbling around you. Be at peace, but pray for those people who have been severly damaged by the Earthquake and the tsunami.
Don’t forget that Palestinians entered the home of a Jewish family over the weekend and butchered them….That in itself is horrific…but then they celebrated their evil deed by passing out candy and celebrating the event. This, of course, didn’t get the news coverage and it is politically incorrect to say anything bad about these doing evil. We must pray for this world. Evil is rampant. Murder is not glamorous and not a reason to celebrate. The Bible tells us that the time will come when good will be called evil and evil will be called good.
Truth is important. Speak the truth….do not fear! Be strong and Courageous. Trust in the Lord…Listen for his voice, follow His instruction….
Here is the word you need to adhere to:
Mat 24:4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
Mat 24:5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
Mat 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Mat 24:7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Mat 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Mat 24:10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
Mat 24:11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Mat 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
Mat 24:13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Mat 24:15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—
Mat 24:16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Mat 24:17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.
Mat 24:18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.
Mat 24:19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
Mat 24:20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
Mat 24:21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
Mat 24:22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
Mat 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
Mat 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
Mat 24:25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
Mat 24:26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
Mat 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat 24:28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
Mat 24:29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
Mat 24:30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
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