Always Pray~ Never Give up ~

Posted on December 17, 2014 by darla05

god listens

The story that follows is about a persistent woman who went to a judge and never gave up. Jesus commended the woman for her perseverance. In these early morning hours I keep thinking about not giving up. Perseverance means:

continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness

She never gave up. How many times do we give up serving God or give up on our dream because we feel like we are not getting anywhere? The doors are not opening? Are our prayers hitting the ceiling?

Ask God for his strength. He will help you keep going, even when you feel like giving up. When life is lived His way, it brings clarity. Simple reading God’s word can dissolve confusion.

Keep praying for your children. Keep planning for that dream to grow fruit. Praying for our children and our loved ones can quiet the enemy’s voice . It can help us better identify and control the thoughts that we allow in our minds. Oh… the thoughts that I allow to take roots sometimes. How many times have I thought about it, rehearsed it, talked about it instead of prayed about it?

Know through our prayers we can build a barrier against anything that opposes the sound mind that God gives us all. Our prayers have power not because of who we are  BUT who we are praying to and that gives us hope. Hope does not disappoint. Just like the song lyrics,

~~~Our hope is in YOU LORD all the day long. I won’t be shaken by drought or storm,
A peace that passes understanding is my song, And I sing, My hope is in You, Lord ~~~

So this morning, join me in reading the word of God. Quiet the voice of the enemy. Stand on the promises of God for my children and yours. Speak of the dreams that are in your heart to the maker of your soul.

Lord, show me the steps. Forgive me for the times I have allowed bad fruit to take seed and grow. May we run and not grow weary. May we step out in faith into the Jordan river knowing you will meet us there. May we know and believe that obstacles cannot stop us and problems cannot stop us. Other people and their opinions cannot stop us. The only thing that can stop us is US.  Lord, I ask for a new pouring out of wisdom and strength and perseverance to run this race. Help me hold onto your promises. When My thoughts or the world tells me to give up, my hope in you says try it one more time ~ Amen ~

In His love and Mine too,

Darla

Luke 18:1-8The Message (MSG)

The Story of the Persistent Widow
18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Posted in Daily Devotion, Encouragment, Hope | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

There Is No Valley Greater Than His Grace ~

Posted on November 21, 2014 by darla05

grace is enough

Today has been one of those days where the enemy is throwing really fast fiery darts my way. I am battling the battle. Part of the battle is my own thoughts. Have you ever been there? Sometimes, we are are own worst enemy. I am praying. I am reading God’s word. I am playing beautiful praise music that ministers to my soul. Knowing part of  the battle is is my thoughts,  I have picked up the sword which is the word of God and  I am fighting back ~

In the midst of the this silent battle that few even know is happening, I get this beautiful letter from  a friend. A woman who I admire deeply. I always describe her as the real deal. She has that glow , you know the one, the Holy Spirit’s radiance  is all over her face. It is beautiful. Today the Holy Spirit spoke through her straight to my heart. One of the things she said to me was, “Waiting on the Lord is so against our human nature. We think we are ready and that everything seems right to go ahead now. But trust that God knows the bigger picture. He knows where you need to surrender, grow, meet certain people or whatever it is He has for you. Things need to be on His time schedule So that there is no question in anyone’s mind , this is God.
God unlocks us from our past and hands us the keys so that we can unlock others.”

Is this not Beautiful ?

God continues to refine.  Today is one of those days of brokenness. I call it the Alice Cooper days. (It is when the mascara keeps running down your face through the tears) What we may see as broken inside ourself, God sees as beautiful. For HE and HE alone makes beautiful things out of broken hearts. HE will use whatever is broken in our life for His purpose and His glory, IF we will surrender to Him.

On those days when doubts are loud ( we all have those days) know this. Claim This. Stand on the promises of His word. He will not only use what is broken , He will REBUILD each one of us to become more beautiful than we could ever imagine. For God sees the beauty inside of us that we cannot see in ourself. He and he alone appraises our true worth.

May we REALLY BELIEVE , “ My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

I also have to add that I just received a letter from Joe Camp, the writer of The Soul of a Horse. It is one of my favorite books of all time. My husband bought it for me on my first official day of horse ownership with the note in it that said, ” As Elvis said,  we have to follow that dream wherever that dream may lead.” Joe wrote about his horse Cash and the life lessons Cash taught him. Cash died last week and I wrote him, never dreaming he would ever write back. He did and him pouring out his heart made me cry like a baby. Horses truly leave hoof prints on our hearts. Mine have taught me how to be a better person. I know his heart is broken right now. Please remember his broken heart in your prayers. His love and passion and sharing his life lessons have touched millions. I am so thankful, I was one of the souls Joe and Cash touched in a powerful way.

Lord, I thank you for this beautiful sunshiny day. It is simply breathtaking. Lord, you and you alone have made all things beautiful in YOUR time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that you have planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of your work from beginning to end. Lord open our eyes. May we see our lives and people  through your eyes. Thank you for restoring. Thank you for being our Sovereign God. Thank you for choosing me before the foundation of the Earth was formed. How humbled I am to know that you chose me. You reached down and picked me up and saw something in me that I did not see in myself. You are my God. You are so worthy of all glory and honor and praise. How I love you ! Amen ~

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Hope Haven Kids

Posted on November 20, 2014 by darla05

Our first video of Hope Haven Kids ministry. THANK YOU to my beautiful daughter, Lauren Ashley Vasseur- for your creativity, time and talent in making this video ~ We are here to impact the lives of foster children today with the love of Christ. Our mission statement is simple but powerful…. To plant the seeds of HOPE….one child at a time. We ask for your prayers. We ask that you would like our Facebook page, Hope Haven Kids. Each day may we be a difference maker for our God. We are blessed to bless others ~ Psalms 139:14- I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made ~

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How To Fight Like A Christian

Posted on November 8, 2014 by darla05

in your anger

Ephesians 4:26 says- “In your anger do not sin”, Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

Yes, this picture above is so me with arms crossed and all. This is a lesson that I have not mastered yet. So, our gracious God allows me to take the test over and over again until I have learned the lesson. I truly know what the Israelites felt when they were going around the same mountain for 40 years. Been there, done that and yes I have the t-shirt. There are  still  times I am traveling the mountain. 

I woke up this morning and I was angry. I was angry that when you are trying to look out for someones best interest and they will not listen to you. They are bound and determined to do it their way. Does this sound like a Mother talking????

I have also been hurt and have gotten angry recently over the hurtful actions of others. Have I acted like Ephesians tells us   in the Bible and be angry but not sin. No, I must confess I have not. I have let the sun go down on my anger. So, right here and now let me say, Lord forgive me. Teach me to do better. I am capturing the thoughts.  So, I have read scriptures this morning about dealing with anger.  Watched a series on anger by Joyce Meyers this morning. I have read article this morning about dealing with anger and I have posted one that hit home below at the end.  This is a  lesson for me. A lesson for us all. For we all deal with anger.

The Bible actually teaches that we can be angry but we are also told not to sin in doing so.
DO NOT let the “sun go down on your anger.” In other words, get angry but get over it and, “do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph 4:27).

YES,  Some things ought to make us angry in this world but to remain angry is sin. This seems like a contradiction , Be angry but do not  stay angry for that is sin. If you read these two verses in the context of the entire chapter of Ephesians 4, you can see why Paul told the church members to be angry. Some were stealing, others had unwholesome language, there was brawling, rage, and slander (Eph 4:28thru 34).

I think of Mammy in Gone With The Wind, her words were…. It aint fittin’ . It just aint fittin’ . It is not fitting for members of  THE church( it is not a building folks, we are the church) and Paul had every reason to be angry over such behavior because it shames the Cross of Christ. It hurts the witness of the church. This was just the opposite of what Paul taught the Christians to be like (Eph 4:20). Psalms and Proverbs and James have many scriptures about this subject. . Paul actually quoted from Psalms 4:4 “be angry, and do not sin.”

Where there is NO peace there is NO power. IF you say you are not angry about something you are one of the blessed few. We have a lot of angry, hurt Christians. Jesus had power over the the storm because he did not let the storm get in him. This is from Joyce Meyers this morning. I LOVE this….. NO PEACE…. NO POWER ~

Anger is one letter away from DANGER. James 1:19-20-My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Anger is usually  not the right way to solve your problems. It never makes things any better. Yes, there is righteous anger but this is not usually why we get mad. We get mad because honestly, we did not get our way or what we wanted.  We should be slow to take offense. SLOW to take offense. S—-L—–O—–W—– ….. to take offense. Whenever we allow anger to get the best of us, we become less effective at doing whatever we should be doing for the Lord.  Many professional athletes know this all too well. They know that if they allow their opponent to get under their skin and cause them to become angry they will lose concentration, and they are headed for defeat. They know and are trained  how to keep their eyes on the goal.

Paul warns us to leave to God all those things that we can not make right because God will judge all unrighteousness someday.

Don’t let the sun go down on your anger for God will avenge and if we trust God’s perfect justice, ultimately no one will ever get away with anything.

When we allow anger to take the driver’s seat, rational thinking takes a back seat. I have Italian in my DNA. There is always a joke with Italians that we have tempers. I cannot speak for all Italians but I do know this is true for many of us. It is something that the Lord has allowed me to graciously take the test over and over again.

I am sure there are thousands of prisoners who regret the fact that they acted out of so much anger that their thinking became compromised, causing them to commit criminal acts. This is  why when we become angry, we should PAUSE and THINK and ASK ourselves: What does the Word of God say about how we should deal with the matter at hand? YES, in the midst of the battle, it is hard. But, God’s word did not say we could do some things. He said we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us.

The Bible never tells us this walk will be easy. In fact it tells us it will be hard. God, has given us a guideline and steps to help us along the way. We must condition ourselves to always be driven by the Word of God and never by raw emotions. This discipline does not come overnight, but if we diligently work at it, it will come. This is the sure-fire way by which we can be angry and not sin.

Yes,  I have work to do . Transparent again.  I have humbly asked for forgiveness of my wrong thinking and I am so thankful that MY God’s mercies are new every morning. Thank you Holy Spirit that you spoke to me early this morning. Thank you for your counsel. Lord, thank you for your grace ~

Is it a Sin to Get Angry? Written by David B. Smith, Redlands, CA.

There are times when it is acceptable for a Christian to experience what we euphemistically call “righteous indignation.” But what is it which makes our anger righteous?

Even Jesus was angry on rare occasions. In a flash of holy emotion he cleared the rough and greedy merchants out of the Jerusalem temple (Mark 11). Once when the religious rulers set a trap for him, to see if he would heal an injured man on the Sabbath day, the Bible says: [Jesus] looked around at them IN ANGER and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

In both of these anecdotes, we see that the anger of Jesus wasn’t self-directed; he wasn’t concerned for some slight done to himself. He defended the holiness of his Father’s temple, and he was also indignant that a fellow human being who was suffering was being used as a pawn for selfish political gain. Jesus was angry when children were slighted or abused; he was angry with the disciples’ lack of faith because of their insatiable pride and ambition.

What about us? We’re not Jesus! But our own anger always needs to be directed toward protesting evil, toward protecting the frail among us, and resisting tyranny and abuse. We should be angry whenever God’s kingdom is attacked or undercut by deliberate greed or manipulation.

Two additional points. Even when our anger is justified, it needs to be temporary and quickly surrendered! The apostle Paul is a saint who seems to have had a temper — and here’s his advice to fellow Christians in Ephesus: In your anger do not sin. So there is a kind of anger which is not sin. But his next words are telling: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry — now notice this — and do not give the devil a foothold (4:26). When we hold grudges or nurse our anger, we give Satan a clear avenue to our souls. Nothing will destroy our faith in God more quickly than an insistence on taking personal charge of our own “getting even” crusades.

And that’s the second point. If we have a mighty Savior who has overcome the world, we can relax a bit. If someone in your life is truly bent on mischief, Jesus will take care of it in the end. In Luke 17, Jesus tells his hot-tempered disciples to forgive an irritating enemy seven times in a single day for a repeated offense. They immediately respond: “Lord, increase our faith!” What’s the connection between faith and our emotions? Simply this: trusting in God’s omnipotence enables his children to let go of their anger.

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His GRACE ABOUNDS over the evil of this world.

Posted on November 6, 2014 by darla05

grace abound

…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. — Romans 5:20

Last night at church we had a wonderful missionary speak. Fred Markert spoke about the 10/40 windows and what the Lord is doing in this part of the world. God is showing up folks and he is showing out ~ Fred reminded us that His grace abounds ~~~~ SELAH ~~~

Yes, sin abounds. This  means to me that sin is never still but continues to grow. Looking at our shifting culture it is  increasing at a rapid speed and it  is expanding. How many times have you caught yourself saying, ” Just when I think I have seen all? ” then you read another horrifying article . Twenty years ago we would never have seen the things we see on a daily basis today on the news, Facebook, etc.

Sin exists in abundance and is multiplying and constantly expanding…. This describes the growing nature of unrestrained sin. This is the state of our country today.

Thankful that Paul did not stop with sin abounds but he goes on to say, “…Where sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound.” The words “much more abound” are from the Greek word huperperisseo, which describes something that is growing out of measure, beyond proportion. ( Let me stop right here and say I love Google. Love the research at my fingertips)

Grace is like a river that is being flooded with waters from  an upstream. Those waters are coming downstream so fast that the river can no longer hold the raging current in its banks. Its water rises and continues to rise until it finally begins pouring out of its banks and begins to flood everything in sight.

“…Grace did much more abound.”

Which I say…. rain down your grace, Lord. Rain down on this mighty nation whose foundation was founded upon you and your principles.

I know is is hard to not be overwhelmed by the brokenness that we see in the world today. The evil that abounds is plenty. BUT GOD…. two powerful words. God can give us a heart to look to the future with hope . HE and HE alone can give us the tools to restore and to rebuild  our homes, to rebuild this nation. HE is the same God that gave Nehemiah the wisdom, strength and favor to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. HE is the same God.He does NOT CHANGE. He will give the power and strength for us Christians to do the same today.

How do we do it? He is asking for us to begin a good work by laying one stone at a time. How ? By, rebuilding broken spirits with words of hope.  Speaking LIFE.  We should never allow our mouths to become something that brings dishonor to HIS holy name. The Psalms tells us…. For your name sake, lead me and guide me.  We do this by rebuilding broken relationships with grace, FORGIVENESS and love. Rebuilding broken cities by serving the community, the foster children,  the elderly, the homeless, the less fortunate.

God will go before us and prepare people in advance for our good works. BUT, there is a part that we play. We must learn to trust God with our circumstances. His truth which is his word says that He will never leave us or forsake us. His word says that if He is for us than who can be against us? His promise in Jeremiah 29:11 says He has a good and prosperous future for us. His word says it will not come back to him void.

We need to Believe. We need to understand the power of prayer. We need to stand on the promises of His word and trust Him. May we filled with the power of the Spirit to reshape our thinking and rebuild the broken things around us. Do not be overwhelmed with the task at hand but be encouraged by what our God has already done. Mediate on , believe it and stand on the promise of…

2 Chronicles 7:14- If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land

.I pray that we Christians take a stand, do what is right in the eyes of the God that we serve. Spread our Saviors love ~

If we would set our hearts and minds on the things of God, we would have less stress. Less discord. Our church would be on fire. Our voices would be heard and change would take place. The devil would not have so much control over our homes, community, church , government and a nation as a whole. ( From the gem of a book I am reading by Lara Velez,  Proverbs of the New Testament , A study of the book of James)

IT is not our job to judge our brothers and our sisters. When we do that we are telling God that we know more. We can do the job better. It is our job to pray , love and show them mercy. It is God and God alone that judges  hearts and motives to know if they are right or wrong.  Romans 12 :19 tells us, Dear Friend, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the scripture says, I will take revenge, I will pay them back, says the Lord.

Father, I pray and ask that you reign down on us. Open our eyes. Open our hearts. We cannot love what we cannot see. Help us see our brothers and sister Lord through your eyes. May they never walk alone. May, we hold on and cling to YOUR WORD and allow that and that only to define our standards. Lord help us  not to be influenced by  the culture of today. May we stand firm for you because you are our foundation and our strength.  May we speak your truth in love and not condemnation.  May your grace flow, Lord — pour it on! Please shine your light in this hour of darkness in our nation. It all starts with you being the center of our hearts and the center of our homes. Lord, as for me and my household, we will  serve you.

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Serving The Homeless Is Not A Crime

Posted on November 4, 2014 by darla05

serving the homeless

http://www.abc3340.com/clip/10809172/man-90-arrested-for-feeding-the-homeless

I wake up and see this news clip about a 90 year old man arrested along with two pastors for feeding the homeless. Really? Is this really what it comes down to? The city of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  does not want to deal with the homeless issue so they are hoping by making this law that they will run them out  of town to  somewhere else, anywhere else.  Really? This is the best idea that they could come up with, arresting people that are helping others. Last, I checked, it isn’t any officials money or city budget money going to the cause. People are spending their own money or money that they raised to do good to others. Instead of praising them and honoring them, we arrest them. WOW ~

The Lord Jesus, who was our perfect example addressed the homeless issue thousands of years ago in The Sheep and the Goats teaching in Matthew 25.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

I read this story and I read the scripture and all I can hear is OBEY ~ OBEY ~ Do not be just listeners of the word but doers. Let our light shine brightly before men so our good work will honor and glorify our Father.

This just solidifes one more reason for me  to serve and help the homeless this holiday season ~ WE ARE BLESSED TO BLESS OTHERS ~

Lyrics from one of my favorite songs ever says it best….

We need to get back to the basics of life
A heart that is pure and a love that is blind
A faith that is fervently grounded in Christ
The hope that endures for all times
These are the basics, we need to get back to the basics of life~

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Beliefs vs. Behavior

Posted on November 1, 2014 by darla05

beliefs:behavior

I was talking to an old classmate recently and being a christian was one of the topics. Christianity…. what does the word mean when you hear it? Webster defines it as-

Full Definition of CHRISTIANITY

: the religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies
2
: conformity to the Christian religion
3
: the practice of Christianity

What word stand out to you? Conformity stands out for me. To me, it is to conform to the example of Jesus, pure and simple. HE was the Son of God. He is the perfect example .

How do you treat others? Do you build them up or tear them down? Do you talk behind peoples backs?  As Christians, we still talk behind peoples back but we do it more politically correct, We ask, will you prayer for ________? Then we precede to spill all that is wrong with that person.  Do you support them even if there is things that you don’t see eye to eye on? Do you  accept that people may be different than you but equally happy? Are you still nice to them when you know that they are speaking negatively of you?  When they have been rude to you? When they have not included you in things? When they made you feel like you fell off the radar? When they have taken advantage of you~ Yep, the last ones are hard ones aren’t they? It is hard to walk it out at  times. It is for us all. We cannot do it on our own but we can with  the grace and love that the Heavenly Father has extended to us. We must be compelled by his goodness to turn from our ways and walk into the life that he has for each of us.

As I said in my previous topic, it is not the boulder that we stumble over because we see them in our path. It is the pebbles along the path that we stumble over. It is the small thoughts that creep in,  why did he do that? Or why did she say that? Then we start analyzing and thinking about it more and more. Then we start talking with others about it. We start harboring resentment and before we know it that root of bitterness has formed.

I believe when we can look at ourself and recognizing where change is needed and start making those changes, it is a sign of strength and maturity. This definitely applies to spiritual maturity.

Our Savior gave his life at the cross for us to have eternal life.  Only we can make the choice to become all he has created us to be. NOTHING will change without obedience to his word.  His UNCHANGEABLE word. ALL of HIS WORD. He is calling us to LET GO of our old life and ((((C-l-i-n-g-)))) to the new life that he has offered us.

The more we lean in to him, the more we listen and obey and be real and transparent , we will find more than we dreamed, more than any temporary pleasure this world can offer. We will be on the path to renewed passion, unshakeable peace (NOT FEAR) and his everlasting joy.

May each and every day we walk in the footsteps of Jesus . May we know his restoring  power . May we experience his redeeming love and may it be a testimony to everyone you meet today ~

Last thought , it is not really our reputation that we ruin when we do not walk out our faith, it is our Lord and Savior. When we don’t walk the walk , it gives the world a chance to mock him. Go back and read this again. This verse may be the verse that we need to write on duct tape and place it over our mouth and our heart ~~~~ Lord, may we honor your name ~~~~  For Psalms 31:3 tells us…

New International Version
Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of YOUR name lead and guide me.

New Living Translation
You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of YOUR name, lead me out of this danger.

King James Bible

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for THY name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

Posted in Confidence, Courage, Daily Devotion, Determination, Discipline, Encouragment, Faith | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Sweet Friendships Refresh The Soul ~

Posted on October 30, 2014 by darla05

IMG_43731

Social media today, it is a blessing and a curse. I am still amazed at what people will put out on Facebook. Sometimes, to be honest, I cringe at some of the language that is shared. We and our children are surrounded by friend requests, followers, and instant communication. It is easy to have a lot of “friends.” We have to be intentional in what friendships we want to grow.

Our Pastor Chris Hodges  ALWAYS says, Show me your friends and I will show you your future. These words are engraved over my heart.

Jesus was our example. He showed us how to be a good friend. We can pray with them, eat with them, teach them, travel with them, and grow together. We just have to take the time to do it and this does not mean when it is just convenient for us.

You don’t have to tell me it’s hard…I know. You have to share your story. You have to be real and transparent. But, believe you me! It is worth it. You will grow in your friendship. You will grow deeper. You will be able to care and not compare.

I hope you will take the time to evaluate your “friendships ” and realize who you want to do life with. I have learned that the best kind of friend is a praying friend. As iron sharpens iron a friend sharpens a friend.

A true Christian friend is not an ordinary friend. It is a bond that has been grafted by the Lord. God’s spirit plants the seed and makes the friendship grow.

Romans 12:9-10 reminds us to not pretend to love each other.Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tight to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.

This fake it until you make it attitude will not work with genuine friendships. This what is in it for me attitude or the me first attitude will simply not work for lasting friendships. The “less of me and more of you God” attitude that we must abide by everyday has long lasting benefits. One of them is the benefits of true friendships.

My Mother always told me if you have one true friend IN THIS LIFETIME, you have a treasure. Through all the trials  that I have gone through since August, (Grandmother dying, My ex’s father dying but what restoration and forgiveness God brought in that process. My beloved horse hurt, My heart attack scare/health concerns) the Lord has revealed many things to me. The Lord has brought such beautiful restoration in my life. I am so thankful.

There is a saying that true friends are always revealed in tough times. This statement is so true. I am so thankful for the beautiful friendships that God has revealed to me. I will never taken them for granted. I will cherish them. I will encourage them and I will PRAY for them DAILY ~

I have made a promise to myself when I really experience the rare occurrence of someone being real and transparent that I will tell them how much I appreciate them. How beautiful it is to watch and see and experience.

Thomas Monson is quoted as saying….CHOOSE your friends with caution, PLAN your future with purpose and FRAME your life with faith.

The Lord created us to do life with others. We are created for friendship. Will you pray for true, life-giving friendships?

So thankful, for some of the most beautiful woman I know,  call me friend. I am also thankful to the Lord that he opened my eyes to see that some of these beautiful gifts of friendship were there for me all along. I had to change the lens in which I viewed them and let down my protective walls. Sometimes walls are a good thing, they are for protection BUT sometimes walls are keeping blessings from being able to enter. May the Lord show us what walls to keep and what walls to tear down ~

God is so faithful. The more I know of him, the more I stand amazed. How gracious is he that he gives us friends to do this thing called life with and help us each and every day.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28

Another translations says… Love prospers when a fault is forgiven BUT dwelling on it separates close friends. I LOVE this one ~ IT is the dwelling on things (the wrong things) that can get us in trouble. As I have learned, it is not the boulders that we stumble over. We see those in our path and walk around them. It is the pebbles along the way that we stumble over.

Lord, open our eyes and our hearts. Reveal to us any ways that do not line up with your perfect will. Reveal to us what walls need to come down. Lord, also reveal to us what wonderful friendships you have placed in our life and may we never take this gift for granted. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your heavenly gifts from above ~

Today…..  Let’s follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Posted in Faith | 3 Comments

Pray & Listen For My Voice

Posted on October 24, 2014 by darla05

LORD_HELP_ME_TO_LISTEN.

……And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

LOVE THIS GEM…… Will be reading it many times today ~ Be Blessed ~

PRAY AND LISTEN FOR MY VOICE

I have called you, but you must be patient. There are times you’ve tried to speak without hearing. You must always hear Me first, then speak. Don’t allow the enemy to press you into doing anything before the appointed time. Come before My presence to receive the clarity that you need, and I will tell you plainly.
Hear My voice, and discern My time. You have been through much pain because you have missed My perfect timing. Don’t worry; all is not lost, and because of what you’ve learned, you will recover all.
Now is the time for you to settle back into My presence and let Me be your guide. You must first realize that it is your personal responsibility to pray and hear My voice. Don’t try to explain to those who would question what you are doing; simply confess that you are seeking My face, and attend to My words.
Go back to prayer. Yes, return to the prayer life you once knew and allow Me to re-position you. Bring the ministry before Me so that My voice and My spirit will permeate every area of service. There are things that must be changed, and My mercy will be with you during this time as you bring all things unto My Lordship. I will speak clearly for I am a speaking God and I will make My voice clearly known unto you.
So arise in humility; hear Me now and obey the voice of My Spirit, for I am ready to bring fruition what I’ve promised. I will meet with you at the appointed time, and we will go out…together, says the Lord.

Psalm 86:6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
Hab. 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Gen. 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Posted in Christian Inspiration, Daily Devotion | 1 Comment

Surrendering…. Your Right To Be Right

Posted on October 15, 2014 by darla05

joyce meyer

One of the  questions  I have been turning around in my head ALL DAY is “Do I want to be “right”or do I want to be happy?” Many times, the two are mutually exclusive!

Surrendering my right to be right ~ Surrender. Well, I know what it means, but, I  still  looked it up in the dictionary today and the full  meaning is – To relinquish possession or control of (something) to another because of demand or compulsion. To give up in favor of another, especially voluntarily. To give up or abandon.

I think the better question to ask is, Do I want to be right or do I want to be used by God?

Because being right, defending our positions, takes an enormous amount of mental energy and is stressful.  It  often alienates us from the people in our lives that we truly love and that we are called to love.   The need to be right or wanting to prove to  someone else that they are  wrong encourages others to become defensive. It is a never ending cycle. Yet, many of us (including me) spend a great deal of time and energy attempting to prove  that we are right. This is not a characteristic of Christ. As much as I hate to admit it when I am focusing on ME being right, my eyes are on ME not on HIM. OUCH ~

 Many people, consciously or unconsciously, love to correct and let their opinion be known.  Don’t you sometimes wonder if some people think it is their job to correct or to show others how their positions and  statements, or even their points of view are incorrect.  Do we really think that the person we are correcting is going to somehow like it or appreciate it ? Not, Notta, No ~ 

Let me ask you to think about this, Have you ever been corrected by someone and said to the person who was trying to be right, ” Wow, you are great. Thank you so much for showing me that I am wrong and you are  right. ”  Has anyone  ever thanked you when you corrected them, or made yourself “right” at their expense? Most all the time the answer is no.  The truth is, the flesh side  of us hates to be corrected. We all want our positions to be respected and understood by others. Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart.  The most valued , loved and respected are those that truly know how to listen.

This is where a different perspective , a different lens needs to come into play. Speaking the truth in love. What a skill.  I am learning that we all could use some correcting, no matter where our walk is with the Lord. The Lord continues to refine, every day, each one of us. Once again, a reminder that  the word of God encourages, the word of God teaches and the word of God corrects and ALL are from the same loving God.

The more I am learning  about this less of me Lord and more of you DAILY walk, I am learning that we must learn to be UNOFFENDABLE.  Paul told Timothy to “reprove, (to scold or correct usually gently or with kindly intent) rebuke, exhort” . The full scripture is, Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.

Did Paul say,  “exhort, exhort, exhort?” Exhortation is what most of us would like to receive, right? Certainly, we need to be encouraged, but there are also times  when we need to be corrected,  reproved and rebuked and yes, sometimes it can be painful to hear but necessary. Most of the time, people do not change by exhortation alone. There are areas in all of us that need to be confronted and disciplined.

We need to become the  disciplined difference makers that say, “Lord, show me what needs to change in me? What needs to be corrected in me?” then DO IT ~ I’m talking about G-r-o-w-i-n-g-  deeper spiritually.  God’s word tell us that, a wise man will receive a rebuke and he will prosper.

Proverbs 15: 5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds (to pay attention to, to consider) correction shows prudence ( care, caution, and good judgment). 

Even though we in fact may be right, 100% right, we need to pray about it and take it to the Lord and allow him to work.  He is an all or nothing God. Once again, Lord of all or he is not Lord at all.  When we hold offense it takes our eyes off of the Creator. It takes time and energy that can be used for much better things.  God is our defender. He is a righteous judge. He will work all things out for our good and His glory IF we would only surrender our offenses to him. DAILY ~

Every day there is an  occasion for taking offense. Some days are  practically endless. Family members, Friends, Co-workers.  We are daily given the opportunity to either be offended by something or to possess an unoffendable heart. It is a choice we make.  The Lord’s promise is that He has given us a new heart,  a soft, teachable, correctable  heart that can be filled with His Spirit and abound with His love. Know that we have a part to play  ~  We have to pray daily. We have to carry offenses that we have and offenses we have given to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.  We have to surrender. Just like the old church hymn, I Surrender ALL.

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Our Pastor Chris Hodges told a funny story in a sermon that there was a Chinese Pastor that once prayed, (JUST PICTURE THE ACCENT AND ALL) Lord, I pray every day for people, because I hate so many people.  P-r-a-y- …  D-a-i-l-y- ~

Grace-

a. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.
b. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.
c. An excellence or power granted by God.

Mercy-

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power; compassion
2. the disposition or discretionary power to be compassionate or forbearing.
3. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor.
4. something of good fortune; blessing

Lord, forgive me for the times I have been  so easily offended and for carrying offenses. Father, my heart can still be foolish at times.  Grant me an unoffendable heart. I want a heart likes yours. Lord, have your way. Have your way in me. Teach us and show us how to extend more grace and more mercy. More of you Lord each and every day.  Amen.

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