Psalms “ GOD IS”

The source of who compiled these scriptures is unknow, but of course, the original source is God's Holy Word, the Bible.

 

(Psa 7:11) God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the 

wicked every day.

(Psa 10:4) The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not 

seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

(Psa 14:5) There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation 

of the righteous.

(Psa 33:12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the 

people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

(Psa 37:31) The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall 

slide.

(Psa 45:6) Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.

(Psa 46:1) To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in 

trouble.

(Psa 46:5) God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God 

shall help her, and that right early.

(Psa 47:5) God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

(Psa 47:7) For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

(Psa 48:3) God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

(Psa 48:14) For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our 

guide even unto death.

(Psa 50:6) And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

(Psa 54:4) Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that 

uphold my soul.

(Psa 56:9) When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: 

this I know; for God is for me.

(Psa 59:9) Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defense.

(Psa 59:17) Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my 

defense and the God of my mercy.

(Psa 62:7) In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my 

strength and my refuge is in God.

(Psa 62:8) Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart 

before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

(Psa 68:15) The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high 

hill as the hill of Bashan.

(Psa 68:20) He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD 

the Lord belong the issues from death.

(Psa 71:19) Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

(Psa 73:1) A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such 

as are of a clean heart.

(Psa 73:26) My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of 

my heart and my portion forever.

(Psa 74:12) For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst 

of the earth.

(Psa 75:7) But God is the judge: he putteth down one and setteth up another.

(Psa 77:13) Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God 

as our God?

(Psa 84:11) For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

(Psa 89:7) God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, 

and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

(Psa 94:22) But the LORD is my defense and my God is the rock of 

my refuge.

(Psa 99:9) Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for 

the LORD our God is holy.

(Psa 115:3) But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

(Psa 116:5) Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is 

merciful.

(Psa 118:27) God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

(Psa 144:15) Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is 

that people, whose God is the LORD.

Day by Day

by Lina Sandell

"Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand."

Day by Day Hymn - Songs Out of Tragedy, Carolina Sandell Berg

www.christianity.com › Church › Church History › Timeline › 1801-1900

 

Lina Sandell wrote Day by Day and other hymns after experiencing tragedy that ... She grew up to become Sweden's most celebrated author of Gospel hymns, ...

Encouragement for the Mom Who Regrets What She Said

Used by permission from the author, Jennie Scott
November 30, 2016

 http://www.jenniegscott.com/2016/11/30/encouragement-mom-regrets-said/

When I learned my second pregnancy was with a little girl, I immediately had visions of tutus and hairbows. Parenting up to that point had consisted of Tonka trucks and John Deere tractors, so the thought of dressing up a little girl fascinated me. I left the ultrasound and went straight to the store, needing to buy something pink and prissy to hang in her closet.

Today, that little girl is nearly 10 years old, and although I dressed her in pink and placed the biggest bows I could find on her tiny baby head, she did not turn out to be a prissy girl. She is athletic and strong, and she would rather wear running shorts and t-shirts than dresses and tights.

Her dark brown hair cascades down her back, and a ponytail has become her signature look. But that dark brown ponytail has become the biggest argument-inducer between the two of us. She hates to condition it, hates to dry it, and hates to brush it. If she had her way, her hair would always air dry and be full of tangles and knots. We’ve gone around and around about it, and every night I find myself asking, “Have you brushed your hair yet?” I always know the answer.

After a busy night recently of her gymnastics practice and her brother’s football activities, we rushed to eat dinner, make lunches, take showers, and get everyone ready for bed. It wasn’t until I tucked her in that I noticed her hair. Unbrushed. Wet. Tangled.

I wish I could say I handled it calmly, but I didn’t. I was tired and harried, and I let my frustration over her actions direct my handling of the situation. I fussed. I criticized. And I made her cry.

“I’m sorry,” she tearfully apologized, adding, “I’m so mad at myself.”

And in that moment, I became mad at myself, too.

To continue reading, click here.

I’m honored to be guest posting at faithfulsparrow.com!

Buoyant Joy

Used with Permission by April White

http://redchairmoments.com/buoyant-joy/

 

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” 

(Hebrews 10:23)

Bass boats skim across the lake, a rooster tail of water rockets into the air. Spring yawns as petioles stretch open uncurling their true purpose. The leaves are on full display today narrowing my view of the main channel. In the center of my view, a “No Wake” buoy bobs as the bass boats disturb its quiet resting place.

This buoyant channel maker captivates my attention. It never sinks. Waves toss the buoy to and fro kissing the water,
always returning to its upright position.

“Joy is not mere happiness. Nor does joy spring from a life of ease, comfort, or peaceful circumstances. Joy is the soul’s buoyant response to a God of promise, presence, and power.”

–Susan Lenzkes

Buoy: noun/  a floating object anchored in water to mark something (as a channel)
Buoy: verb/ to mark by a buoy, to keep afloat, to raise the spirits of
Buoyancy: noun/ the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it, resilience of spirit.

Buoyant joy is a by-product of resilient faith.

It does not guarantee the absence of a storm; rather it guarantees the ability to bounce back.

A buoy is anchored in water with the purpose of marking the main channel. Our faith and joy are anchored to His living water.  We serve as channel markers, guiding those in the midst of the storm to stay on course, encouraging others as we bob along.

Even though thick fog impedes my future, I know the One to whom I’m anchored. Knowing I will bounce back because He is the God over the storm assures me “It is well with my soul.”

~April Dawn White
 

Photos courtesy of author and Pixabay

An Encouraging Word for Women of God

by my niece, Diane Fenlason ~ Used by permission

I can't tell you how many times I have thought how, in the struggle of trying to be self-reliant and independent and "strong," many Christian women end up NOT reflecting Christ.

That Proverbs 31 woman was not strong alone. She first of all recognized her strength was sourced from God Himself. She also did not work alone. She delegated and managed well, but had others working along with her. Thirdly, she was motivated by blessing others, especially within her own household.

How often, ladies, are we trying to put forth an image of being tough and strong and self-reliant? How are we encouraging our young girls to be pure if we are overly concerned about who likes us and whether or not we are accepted into certain groups of people?

Let's just encourage each other to lay those down at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to help us draw on Him for strength, but to BE the body of Christ to one another in the way we function and to humbly serve our families and one another better. For that is a truer picture of Christ. 

To Soar Again

 On a rocky mountain outcrop

Far above the sleepy world

In the misty, morning stillness

Perched an eagle, feathers furled.

Other birds began their chorus

And the air was filled with praise,

As the fog was ushered elsewhere

By the sun’s persistent rays.

On the sunbathed rocky summit,

Warming air began to rise,

Beckoning the waiting eagle

From the mountain to the skies.

Gracefully he soared and circled,

Slicing through the crystal air,

Far beyond all earthly clamor,

Wild and free, without a care.

Are you blanketed by darkness?

Are the joys of life obscure?

Do you wonder if you’ll ever

Know the life you knew before?

Use this waiting time for trusting—

God is working out His plan.

In His time you’ll feel His current

Lifting you to soar again.

by Jalisa Wenger
Used by permission

Ministering to Those Who Are Hurting

by Diane Fenlason (Niece of Lois)
Used by permission

 

 This year, I am reading through the Bible chronologically. I also decided to get a journaling Bible (found one on sale at the Christian bookstore last month - YAY!). I'm not an artist, but I love the idea of being able to make notes and highlight specific things I want to remember as I go along.

Reading in Job, there are a few things that jumped out at me this time through; things that I didn't really latch onto before. For instance, we all know that Job's three "friends" are really accusatory toward Job, and we don't like them. We don't like those kind of people in our own lives! 

BUT.....if you pay attention to Job 2:11-13, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar really seemed like they had the best intentions of "being there" for their good friend! 

They had to coordinate the trip, since they all lived in different locations. They were approaching Job's home, and when they saw him from a distance, it broke their hearts! When they finally got to him, they just SAT with him for seven days and seven nights! So...how many of us would do that for a friend? They were just coming along side of him and BEING THERE. When Job finally started sharing from his heart, and was letting his friends know how he was struggling, they just couldn't keep their mouths shut. It's like they couldn't take the pain, so they wanted a fix for it. The problem is, in the process, they completely overlooked God's sovereignty in the situation and made the assumption that they knew God's purpose in allowing Job to suffer.

Here's the scary thing: I easily condemn those three men for how they treated Job and were so judgmental. But, how often do we do the very same thing? It is a gross failure in the art of compassion. We aren't called to judge someone's suffering. We are called to show compassion and lovingly .... LOVINGLY .... speak the truth to them while just BEING there for them, realizing that we don't need to have the answers, but gently pointing them to the One who does! 

We can have the grandest of intentions to minister to someone who is hurting. But let's prayerfully come alongside and not ruin that ministry by trying to act like we need to have the answers for that person.

Joy

by Michelle Gill  www.michellegill.us
 

Joy is one thing that I do not see much of, even in those who know Jesus.  I think about it a lot,  wondering why joy is missing.  I don't know if there is one answer but I know the One Who is Joy.  The joy of the Lord is my strength.  I am not sure I ever understood the meaning before, as I do now.   If I diagram the sentence out...
Joy is what?  Strength
Whose joy?  The Lord's
Whose strength?  Mine

Today I opened the outside door in what used to be my living room, the cool rainy breeze struck my face and I remembered when, in the dead of winter, I had to keep that door cracked because I could not breath.  I could physically breath but I felt like I couldn't after a tragedy.  I kept a window or door cracked for a year.  It was during this period I understood.
"I have heard You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You."  Job 42:5

"In His presence is fullness of joy," said David.  I was forced into His presence.  I'm not sure I would have made the same choices had I not had a daughter.  I chose His presence because I felt I had no other choice.  First His peace would come and cover me like a fleece blanket.  Then He would lay down His joy inside me.  It made no natural sense.  It's hard to understand or explain.  I felt an excitement for my life even though my circumstances told me that my life was over.  I felt a strong security even though all that was secure, even what I thought of God, was pulled out from under me.  I would sit and wait for His Spirit at times when another day seemed impossible.

He is Spirit and we worship Him in Spirit.  You don't know where the wind comes from or which way it blows but You know when it's blowing.

He did not make me strong.  He gives me His joy which gives me strength.  I can now testify of Him and His joy that is able to hold you through anything.  He is able to cause you to laugh when you forgot how.  You are His and a testimony of Him.  I testify of His desire for rebirth in whatever has been lost in your life.  I have not only heard but now my eye has seen.

In everyday life when hormones are unbalanced and you just wake up out of sorts, His presence is still able to take over.  When you are discouraged that a promise seems to never come for you, wait, listen to His voice and allow Him to fill you with His hope.  Whatever is missing for you, for me it was joy, allow His to rest in you.  The living wind is real that flows always, wake or sleep, good times or bad, in peace or turmoil.  Feel the breeze?  Your face, your life shows others Who He is, "in Him we live and move and have our being."  (Acts 17:28, Eph. 1:23)
 

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16: 7-11

Meet Him in the Morning

Used with Permission by Pamela Spurling www.achristianhome.com

Dearest Sister~ 

It truly is a joy to me to share with other sisters in the LORD the good things He has done and is doing in our midst.  Though we cannot always see or understand the workings of the LORD, He is, indeed, at work and all God’s ways are good.  We can count on Him for that.

Consider being at the threshold of a brand new year, a clean slate, and unblemished path lies ahead.  By the time a week or two passes, however, you may have already crossed off a number of “New Year’s Resolutions” and you may have “slipped” a bit in your resolve to stay away from treats and snacks, you may not have gotten to the exercises you intended to do and you may already be behind eight or twelve chapters in your “Read-through-the-Bible-in-a-Year” program.  You may have spoken harshly to the children and you may have already stayed up too late to rise early in the morning. 

 So, all in all, you might resolve that you’re off to a very good start.  Really.  You know… really, it’s a very good thing for us to acknowledge… to take a look at our frailties and failings and stand right in front of our mirrors and see our sorry states of affairs.  It’s a very good thing to stand right there with our amended and scratched out list of “meant to do’s” and see that we truly “cannot do this.”  I think you know what I’m talking about.  I say it to my husband from time to time and I say it to the LORD, too: “I cannot do this!”  And then you know what?  It’s as if the LORD is just standing right there with His comforting outstretched arms saying: Come here, I have been waiting to help you… I have been waiting to carry you through this.  Come here… lay your burdens down and come to Me.

 Well, then, that’s what I must do.  And that’s what you must do, too.  We need to just set that paper down and put down the pen filled with the ink of good intentions and just get on our knees and wait on the LORD.  And so that’s what I am suggesting be your thought and your best hope for the year ahead: God being your Helper, that you will just do one thing—for only one thing is needed and that is to sit at the Feet of Jesus and hear His Word.

Remember Martha, all caught up in the well doing, the busyness of the day — the murmuring and the fretting over what needed to be done?  Remember how the LORD addressed her and her situation?  What did He tell her?  At first blush, it might seem as though He didn’t show consideration for all she was doing or attempting to do and it hardly seemed as though He valued her effort.  But you know, the more I read and mull over what He said to her, how He addressed her and how He advised her, I see that He gave her the most loving and helpful words He could’ve offered—  sort of an invitation and direction at once. 

(From Luke 10. 40-42) There she was working [murmuring], cumbered about with much [murmuring]  serving, and came to him [murmuring], and said [murmuring], “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve [and murmur] alone? bid her therefore that she help me [murmur, murmur].   And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

You see, He did see and understand her plight, her hard work and her feelings about it all. He did address the very things that were troubling her — though it may not seem so at first glance.  He acknowledged her work (O, yes, and her troubles), but He also showed her that what she was doing was *troubling* her and was not done in restful adoration or in service to Him.  Yes, Mary’s actions were in adoration and service — it’s just that when someone is sitting at the feet of Jesus it might seem to others to be a waste of time and yet, if done in sincerity and in truth, that very sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His Word is of the greatest importance and tremendous value.  The benefit of that time spent sitting at the feet of Jesus hearing His Word, will be reflected in the time of serving — that waiting on the LORD, hearing His word will be reflected in every step of the way.  Instead of being troubled and careful about many things, you will have chosen that good part— remember? …that part that Jesus says cannot be taken away. 

So, where is the sitting at the feet of Jesus, hearing His Word?  It’s your quiet time with Him every morning — it’s that most important time of your day: time in the Word of God.  And so, I offer this bit of encouragement to you as we begin the New Year together.  Take that tablet and that pen filled with the ink of good intentions and just set them aside.  In my best New York accent: forget about it.  But this one thing… please consider this one thing and don’t let anything dissuade you from implementing this one thing, for this one thing is needful: establish or reestablish a daily quiet time with the LORD.   Change your schedule, or change your habits or change your discipline… but don’t allow yourself to be too busy, too late or too tired to daily sit at the feet of Jesus, hearing His Word.  For in doing so, you will have chosen the good part, that shall not be taken away from you.   

You may have many things on your heart and mind; many trials, troubles and regrets.  You may be weary in the battle and the task may seem too arduous for you to carry on.  The temptations  may seem too great to resist and the tension too intense to bear any longer.  You may be a mother of many young children and believe that you have no time to read and no time to pray.  It may be that you feel at the end of your rope.  In all these things that loom dark on the horizon I know Jesus will already be there to bear the load and the burden you cannot carry.  Taste and see that the LORD is good.  Maybe you already know this full well and are joyfully looking forward to the sunrise as you meet with the LORD. Whatever the case, when you meet Him in the morning He’ll already be there and will linger long after you’re gone.  He will fill you, refresh you, equip you, strengthen and guide you.  And you will then see there is nowhere you can go that the LORD will not already be waiting… waiting to demonstrate Himself strong on your behalf. 

Blessings to you as we journey through the door and onto the path of this new year.
with love, your sister in Christ, — Pamela

Why You Can Trust in God's Provision - and Not Worry

Used with Permission by Randy Alcorn
Jesus tells us to “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [what you eat, drink, and wear] will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Unlike the pagans who “run after all these things” and “worry about tomorrow,” believers are told to follow Christ, live a radical life of faith, and trust God to provide (Matthew 6:25-34).

In this passage, Jesus says that God cares for the birds. Yet birds aren’t created in God’s image. Christ didn’t die for birds. The Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell birds. Birds won’t reign with Christ. But we will! So Christ asks his disciples, “Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26). If he takes care of the less valuable creatures, will he not take care of us, who are far more valuable?

Of course, the birds provide for their immediate future through labor—building nests and obtaining food for their young. But they don’t maintain one nest in the mountains and another at the beach. Neither do they fill their cellars with freeze-dried worms. Birds do the work that God created them to do; they sing when they work, they don’t hoard, and they instinctively trust their Creator to take care of them. Should we who know God’s grace do any less?

Jesus says, “Accept my sovereignty and goodness, and you won’t have to worry about tomorrow. Trust me.” All of us trust in something. The more dependable the object of our trust, the less we need to worry. The stock market isn’t God, the Wall Street Journal isn’t the Bible, your asset manager isn’t your priest, and financial experts aren’t prophets. (Prophets were put to death when their prophecies didn’t come true!) That doesn’t mean the stock market is bad, but it does mean it’s not trustworthy. It may do well for a day, a month, a year, or even a few decades. But because the stock market is uncertain, it can only produce anxiety when it becomes the object of our trust. God is the only totally trustworthy object. Therefore, he’s the only one who cannot betray our trust.

Why is this truth so hard for us to accept? If we believe that God can create us, redeem us, and bring us through death to spend eternity with him, why can’t we take him at his word when he says he’ll provide for our material needs?

If God calls on you today to share your resources with another, you must not say, “I can’t, Lord, because I don’t know where my own provisions are coming from.” Yes, you do know where they’re coming from. They’re coming from God. You may not know the form this provision will take, but you do know the Source. Like the poor widow who had no cash reserves, you know that God will take care of you, even if there are no visible resources.

If God has control of everything, and God takes care of his children, and God gives everything necessary to those who walk with him; and if you are his child, and you are walking with him—why worry? Worrying never helps anything anyway—but has hurt plenty.
Read more: http://www.epm.org/blog/2015/Jul/20/provision-not-worry#ixzz3hNuU7hLh

Great & Mighty Things, & Dinner & Diapers

by Michelle Gill
www.michellegill.us
 

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things,
which you do not know."  Jer. 33:3

God is much more chatty than most people believe.  Reread familiar Bible stories and take notice of how many times He says "I tell you this before it happens so when it does, you will know I am the Lord your God and it is I Who have done this."  Sometimes we wait on life to happen to us and then call out to Him.  God desires much more than a last minute rescue.  He has things to tell us about today, tomorrow, yesterday and many days to come.  He has things to tell us beyond our thinking in the middle of dinner and diapers or wherever you are in life at this moment.

Take some time and ask Him.  Ask Him to show you your future in some area.  "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets."  Amos 3:7

Jesus told His disciples repeatedly, "I tell you this, so you will remember I told you before it happened." (Matt. 24:25, John 16:13, John 14:29)  He loves intimacy and our dependency on Him.  He loves to chat and for us to trust Him enough to obey and rest in Him, and then SEE it happen with Him.

He has always given me a picture of what will be in my life before it seemed possible.  Only once could I not see and that was for my protection.  He loves saying, "Watch this!"  He loves a heart that adores Him.  He loves to show us the impossible.  He loves to calm us with singing.  He loves to do everyday life with us.  He loves to laugh.  But rarely is He ever silent.  I think we assume that He is silent much more than He is.  Ask.  He will tell you Great & Mighty Things which you do not know.  Are you listening?

I Am Yours, You Are Mine

2/26/2015 by Michelle Gill - Used by permission   Our relationship with Jesus seems to have stages and seasons like all relationships.  There are rhythms in all of nature, so I assume the seasons are intentional in our growth as well.  When my dad was sick and dying, my twelfth through sixteenth years, God's presence was evident and was about fact.  Even in an insecure environment as a child, I knew Jesus was with me.  I knew the truth.  But when my first husband got the simple flu at the healthy age of twenty-seven and died, Jesus burned in me, like my heart was made of wood and he used a burner, that I am His and He is mine. When I would wake in the night and realize again that I was now alone, I could hear Him.  The Word says in Zephaniah that He sings over us and for that season He allowed me to hear Him.  (I posted on my blog an experience when someone praying over me could also hear it.)  I did not audibly hear Him but I would wake and a song would be rolling through my mind.  I cannot carry a tune and sometimes I would not even be familiar with the song but I would hear the words and the music.  I would wake in the morning unable to think of being alive yet another day and He would fill me with Himself, so I could literally get off of the floor and amazingly at times in joy and always in peace.  My daughter was only four so she would talk to me daily of daddy.  I would look up and ask Him to help me, and He gave me words and kept me together.  He would send people at just the right time.  He placed me in a church six months prior to the Christmas flu tragedy that knew how to take care of me.  For two months they fed me and my family, sent me encouraging messages, helped me move, fix my house, and provided for me. He kept whispering to me over and over again that "I am yours and you are Mine!" Now I am remarried and Casi is eight years old.  I was reading The Circle Maker the other day and was touched by the quote of the author regarding his father-in-law.  He wrote, "He had a familiarity with God that was disarming."  I just sat there and cried.  Oh to know Him like that. Then a short while later I went to let the dog out and opened my front door and there sat a box.  In the box was homemade applesauce, a dozen fresh eggs, frozen ground beef, butter, home canned green beans and pickles, organic ketchup, a roll of paper towels, a gift card to the grocery store, and a little art sign that read "SHE KNEW THAT THE LORD WAS WILD ABOUT HER."  I can't tell you in words what that meant to me.  I have no idea who it was from.  Maybe someone left it at the wrong house, I don't know but I know God meant it for me.  The thoughtfulness of the homemade items to care for me and the statement on the art piece allowed me to hear it from His mouth.  It made me feel again that He sees me, really sees me and knows me. So if someone who reads this newsletter gave me that box, Thank you!  You have no idea how nurturing it was for me.  He says to each one of you "I AM YOURS AND YOU ARE MINE."  Let Him care for you and show you His sweetness.  He is able to heal all.  His tenderness knows no limits.

Practicing Gratitude

by Laura George
http://thornsandbelles.blogspot.com/
Used with permission

It was an early summer morning at the hotel where I work. Occasionally while frequenting the industrial sized coffee pots used to prepare coffee for our event guests, I pass by members of the hotel's banquet staff. One such staff member, Jenn, was there preparing glasses for an event this particular day. She greeted me with a cheerful good morning and a compliment about how much she liked the top I was wearing.

Jenn is always smiling and complimenting those she comes in contact with. In fact, just a few days prior, she said my dress was pretty and that she wished she were as tall as me to be able to pull that style off. A week or so before the dress compliment, Jenn said my hair looked good. A month or so before that, she complimented me on my purse as I was walking out for the night.

I had an extra few minutes the morning we met at the coffee pots, so I decided to give her more than the standard "thank you" I always follow her compliments with. Thanking her not only for the compliment she had just given me, but also for the fact that she always compliments me, I then told her it makes me happy to see her at work. “Jenn,” I began, “you are always so nice to me. Your kind words impact my day in a positive way, and I just wanted you to know that.”

Expecting Jenn's reaction to my words to just be, "you're welcome," I was surprised when she began to share her own story with me. While Jenn continuously poured iced tea and water into glasses for the banquet function she was working on, she came right out and said, "a few years ago I almost died. So now I try to compliment everyone I see. I hope it makes them feel good because I am so grateful to even be alive."

She went on to say that while suffering from extreme weight loss and back pain so excruciating she was confined to her couch, she became addicted to prescription pain pills. Jenn was popping so many pills the pharmacy couldn't keep up and had to turn her away. Sadly, the medicine didn't even work! Nothing did. Over time, Jenn wasted away to around eighty pounds. Near death, Jenn was on her couch one night internally battling the horror of her impending death with the peace of dying and being freed from her pain. Her body was so sick, so weak, that her mind was letting go.

Later that night, Jenn's mother found her unconscious on the couch and paramedics brought her to the hospital. Spending three weeks under the care of various doctors, Jenn's weight increased and many tests were performed. Day after day, no one could tell her what was causing the pain she was experiencing. I can't imagine the level of frustration she must have felt knowing that something inside her body was broken and the experts just couldn't figure out what or why.

A neurologist finally came in and was able to determine that her issue was nerve related. He started her on a new medication and the pain instantaneously disappeared. Jenn is still taking this non-narcotic nerve medicine, and has not taken a prescription pain pill in years.

Completing the conversation, Jenn smiled up at me with her adorable grin and the lovely sweetness she displays on her face. She said, "I know people struggle all the time, but often they don't even know they're going through a crisis situation until the situation is over with. If I can say something nice to everyone I see, then maybe it will make a difference and give them the will to keep going."

Jenn makes a point of paying everyone she sees a compliment as often as she can because she is happy to be alive. In my opinion, Jenn has mastered the art of practicing gratitude because her compliments are genuine and come from her own extremely thankful heart.

There is always something in life that can irritate us, cause us anger or angst. Often our feelings are justified because our pain, whether emotional or physical, is real. However, particularly as we approach the season of Thanksgiving, there are three basic concepts we can adopt that will help us with the art of practicing gratitude.

One, we all have something to be grateful for. Some of us, like Jenn, have gone through some very difficult things in life and come out on the other side. Do you have parents, children, a spouse, friends, or other family members that love you, or that you love? Do you have food on your table, a roof over your head, and a Lord who walks with you daily? We all have at least one blessing we can be grateful for. To routinely focus on the bad things happening is a mistake. Focus instead on the good things that have already happened!

Second, turn your own gratitude into an opportunity to help others. As you go through your day, look people in the eye, smile, greet them, notice their needs, and find something to genuinely compliment them on. It can make a big difference in how they view their day.

And third, borrow the gratitude idea my friend at dinner had. Ask others around you what they are most grateful for over the past week, month, or year. Challenge them to be creative. Many of us do that during the Thanksgiving meal, which is an excellent way to focus on gratitude. But take it a step further. Make it something you do regularly. It can turn negativity right around to the positive. As a result, God will be honored and the people around you will be happier!

"Let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service
with reverence and awe." Hebrews 12:28

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Stand and See

by Michelle Gill www.rebornjoy.com
standandsee@outlook.com

II Chronicles 20:17   You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.

In things small and great, II Chronicles 20 is rich with practical instructions.  I have used these lessons many times in my life, especially during spiritual warfare.  In my most traumatic events and even in day to day living, I have found I can try to control the situation in whatever way I come up with, but the circumstances don't budge.  When I give up and plant myself in Him, I get the most fun opportunity of watching Him do His mighty thing.  Isn't it truly exciting in the end to watch Him pull out a victory in a hopeless or frustrating situation?

In verse 3, after Jehosophat received the news of many coming against him, his immediate response was to be afraid. Emotions are natural signals for us to choose our actions, not a dictator of what will be. Then, he chooses to turn to the Lord and tell others to do the same. 

The Lord's response is, "Do not fear or be dismayed.  This is not your battle, but Mine. You won't need to fight. Station yourself. Dig deep in Me. Stand. See the salvation of the Lord on your behalf."  Jehosophat responded by bowing down and worshipping. He chose his perspective.

Before the battle, Jehosophat appointed some to walk before the army, singing and praising. Do you get that? The soldiers, skilled in combat, walking into battle, are following those who are praising, not leading them. Praise enters the fire first. Things happen beyond our understanding when we choose praise (Phil. 4:6-8).

Verse 22 says that when they began singing and praising, God set ambushes for their enemies. They moved first in their faith in Him. As a result, when they walked into battle, all they saw were corpses. The Lord had indeed fought the battle for them. They blessed the Lord and all around them, people saw and feared God (Rev. 12:11). Then God gave them rest (verse 30).

Our response is so important, isn't it?  I have to choose my thoughts constantly in every situation.  Our main responsibility is to truly believe Him.  Focus, praise, believe Who He is, dig into Him, do what He tells you, and then stand and see Him do His thing!

Mom's Care Package

A stick of gum - to remind you to stick with it

A candle - to give you light when you feel burned out

A chocolate kiss - to remind you that someone cares

Smarties - to help you on days when you don't feel so smart

Lifesaver - to remind you that everyone needs help once in a while

A Snicker - to remind you to see the funny side - there is one!

A rose - to remind you to take time to smell the flowers

Confetti - to help you celebrate the good times

A penny - with thanks for sharing your thoughts

A bag - to help you keep it all together

 

 

Daily Survival Kit

Items needed:

Toothpick

Rubber Band

Band Aid

Pencil

Eraser

Chewing Gum

Mint

Candy Kiss

Tea Bag

Why??

Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. - Matthew 7:1

Rubber Band - to remind you to be flexible; Things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out. - Romans 8:28

Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else’s. - Colossians 3:12-14

Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings every day. - Ephesians 1:3

Eraser - to remind you that every one makes mistakes, and it’s OK. - Genesis 50:15-21

Chewing Gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything. - Philippians 4:13

Min - to remind you that you are worth a mint! - John 3:16-17

Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday. - 1 John 4:7

Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of blessings. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18