It's a New Year - Look Up!

Wait on the Lord - Renew Your Strength

The Evidence of things not seen.

"Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room"

He's the Reason for the Season

"I will never leave you or forsake you."

The Widow Maker, a Dishwasher and Jehovah-Jireh

"The Widow Maker, a Dishwasher and Jehovah-Jireh"

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I HOPE. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy  faithfulness!"

Lamentations 3:21-23

(Emphasis added)

Have you ever been kicked while you were down? Felt like you just couldn't take one more thing?  I have! And I have to say that the devil has mastered the art of kicking me in the stomach while I'm down this year!

What frustrates me with him is that whether I'm at my strongest or at my weakest, he's unrelenting with the mud-slinging. Never lets up!  That's why I don't think I'd make it if I didn't seek a daily walk with my Heavenly Father. It's easy to get blinded when the enemy is constantly slinging mud.....my Father lovingly wipes it off my eyes.

Most of my readers know that I had 2 massive heart attacks in March of this year....I rolled on the floor in the middle of the night with the first one thinking it was the mother of all neck spasms.  It was not.....I had 2 attacks in 3 days, 2 100% blockages in my Widow Maker and severe shock and damage to my left chamber....my heart was too weak to deal with my right chamber...2 90% and 1 70%  there. Moving into a cardiac event in April made the decision for my cardiologist!

Did I mention the microwave died? Then the oven started a horrible screaming sound whenever it was on 250* or higher for more than 10 minutes.  Then 8 hospitalizations and 6 caths in 9 months time...Then the fridge sprung a leak and ruined the kitchen floor....the 2 stents in my Widow Maker are 50% blocked again....our cooktop now will only cool on high

the only working burner is the little one at the back...Open heart surgery is on the table....we come home from hospital visit #8 and the kitchen floods... The dishwasher died!

I'm not having a pity party, but do you get the point I'm trying to make?  Whether big or small, the devil kicks at us constantly to achieve his primary goal.....to destroy our faith and cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus!! 

This I recall to my mind m, therefore have I HOPE! My Redeemer is faithful and true! 

Our enemy is interested in destroying you just like he's tried to destroy us this year! Is he slinging mud at you today? The mud is coming if it hasn't already. Snuggle up to Abba Father today....He restores what the enemy breaks and loves us so much!

I remember the night the dishwasher died a month ago or so, staying up after everyone had gone to bed and just standing in the kitchen and crying.  This was not a year that we could go out and replace a kitchen full of broken appliances. That's a hard pill for a husband to swallow, not being able to provide for my family what they need. My enemy used that to try to defeat me too.

But...... What a promise that when we are weak, He proves Himself strongest! When are resources are depleted, HE is Jehovah-Jireh our provider. He answers prayer and takes care of His children... ALWAYS!

God is using a wonderful family to be His hands and feet this week.... They delivered a refrigerator yesterday and are bringing a new dishwasher today, a new cooktop next week and a new oven/microwave combo!  

Are you having a "mud in your eyes" kind of day? At the end of your rope?  Well, God replaces damaged appliances and we are believing He does the same for damaged widow makers!

Therefore have I hope!

Seek His face before you face any other today!

Carols & Communion

https://www.facebook.com/kevin.pollock.969/posts/10207059020466758

Everything!

Weakness

Weakness

..for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

.. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Cor. 12:9-10

"This is God's way. We advance by going backward, we become strong by becoming weak, we become wise by being fools"

~Whitfield~

God's ways are so polar opposite of the ways of the world. We are told that strength is the mark of a successful man and woman in today's society.  There are so very many times that I fail by today's standards.

Life weighs me down with financial burdens, health worries, career struggles, and finding new direction after a life-altering year.  

You have your own worries, and even if you're hiding them behind a wall of perceived strength... They're there!

I take such comfort in the fact that I can come before my Heavenly Father and pour it all out to Him. I can be frail and even a weak man... I can fail in front of Him. I can tell Him I'm too weak to carry it all....to achieve....even to go on! It doesn't matter, when we come to Him, and lay all at His feet, He exchanges our weaknesses with His strength.  Total reliance on His perfect strength - that's true success in Heavens eyes!

His strength made perfect in my weakness!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

......and He hears!

Thou, O Lord!

Solitude

"When thou hast prayed in Elijah's solitude thou shalt have Elijah's chariot of fire"

~George Matheson~

Thankful Hearts

Thankful Hearts

"Call to remembrance the former days"

Hebrews 10:32

"Because Thou hast been my help, therefore, in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice"

Psalm 63:7

When I look at "former days" of this year, my heart is filled with such thankfulness!  Before the chaos of family, friends, travel and traditions, let's all take a moment to look back over the year.

Your year may have brought loss and life changes your way, or it may have brought abundance and life changes.  

Whatever your lot, we can be assured of two things: life brings change....our Great Savior remains unchanging!

He is faithful, He is good, He blesses His children more than we deserve!

Whether in sorrow or joy, loss or abundance, we can rejoice with the psalmist who acknowledged where his help came from.

We've had a year that I never would have expected or asked for. We are shaken, but we still know this:  He's never failed us.....He's provided for our needs in ways we could never have imagined.....He's used strangers and friends to be His hands and feet in our lives.

He is faithful and we have thankful hearts today!

Tell Him you love Him today! Tell Him you are thankful! Praise Him for He is good!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Rest in Him!

Hookers and Kings

Hookers and Kings

"But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. "

Joshua 2:4

"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace."

Hebrews 11:31

I love the story of Jericho's prostitute, Rahab and her place in the history of The Israelites.

She was the wrong nationality, lived in the wrong city, definitely was in the WRONG profession, but she believed, and guess what? God used her and blessed her faith, and we are still talking about her today!

She had heard about all of the miracles God had performed for the Israelites and was drawn to their God. She believed the spies of this God should have all the help they needed.

I love the lesson  this story teaches. It is that God so often uses ordinary, and in her case downright deplorable, people to do extraordinary things!

That gives me hope! I don't have to come from a fabulous family or a long line of wealthy patriots, or be a power player in business, or have a certain amount in my bank account, or have a respectable career, or even appear successful to the world for God to use me!

Rahab was considered trash by all who knew about her! But I just love how God used "trash" to help secure the Promised Land for His people.

She was willing and able.  Are you? She believed! Do you?

Come as you are.... He uses "trash" and kings... And everything in between.

Give your day to Him! He uses all who humbly come to Him and offers a life of blessing to those who do!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Tithe On Your Talent!

Love One Another

You Just Wait!

You just wait!

Psalm 62:5-8

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Don't you just hate waiting??  I always hated any form of wait that came my way.  The last year has helped me come to terms with the concept, and the pain and frustration that can go hand in hand with waiting.

5 + months of either staring at my bedroom ceiling or the hospital ceiling.  Always waiting for the pain to go away, waiting

for the next cardiac event, waiting to get out of the hospital for the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th time..was I going to live..were we going to survive financially....always waiting, always wondering!

Early on in the process I reached a fork in the road. Either submit, wait on the Lord and let the refining process begin, or wallow in it all.

All of our waiting periods are different, but they usually have a common thread.... They're difficult!!  

I found that in submitting myself to the Master's timetable, my soul was flooded with patience from Him. He has become my refuge  and strength in a way I had never known before. He has proved time and again to me that He is trustworthy and His timing is always perfect.  His mercies are new every morning to me and I found out how important it was to walk one step at a time while looking up to Him! Day by day!

I take great comfort in Deut. 33:25 ... as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

Although it's not easy, if you can learn to trust and wait, His will is revealed and peace will come!

You just wait and see!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale

"If I could give you information of my life, it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has done in her. 

And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing. I have worked hard, very hard, that is all; and I have never refused God anything."

Peace!

Wilderness Roads

Wilderness Roads

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

    and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

I've written several times about shelf time. Those times in life when you are basically sitting on the shelf, your car is in "park" mode, you feel like there's no plan for you, and everyone else is just cruising by.  And, of course, their lives are perfect and yours isn't!

Our perspectives are so limited during those times. For me, those times usually include a pity party or two-how about you? Then many times I've roused from my pity party determined to make something happen on my own, often with no regard for God's plan for my life.  Oh, the pain and trouble that causes as I usually make a mess of things!

This is what I've learned about shelf time:  

     There's always a reason for it!

     The quicker I submit to my loving Father and acknowledge my need for guidance and wisdom, the quicker the peace comes

     The arrival of peace doesn't always rush things along--His answer is often "wait"!

Finally, I've learned that no matter how tough the waiting, how long, how ridiculous it seems, His plan is ALWAYS the best plan, His ways are always higher than my ways!

No matter how dark, how barren your wilderness and no matter how long you have to wait it out or sit on the shelf, what a comfort to know that our Lord specializes in road building.  He can always make a way where there seems to be no way!

He WILL do a new thing in your life!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

God tries our faith so that we may try His faithfulness

Butterflies and The King

Butterflies and the King

"But I give myself unto prayer"

Psalm 109:4

"Fervent prayer is like a cannon planted at the gates of Heaven, it makes them fly open"

~Unknown~

As I return little by little to an active life following months of inactivity, I find that there are more and more distractions in my prayer life. I continue to devote myself to prayer, but the focus part is such hard work.

We need to pray without ceasing, we need to make it a critical part of our daily walk. Yet, I'm still embarrassed at all the times my mind wanders during prayer, outside thoughts creep in, other voices call me away from communion with my Lord.

I've told my choir that it was like having an audience with a King and as he spoke, I started around the room chasing a butterfly! 

What an insult to our Lord! 

So, devotion is my focus this week...tuning out the other voices....giving myself to prayer...fervent prayer...choosing the King instead of the butterfly!

May we seek His face before we face any other today!

He makes all things beautiful in His time!

Daisies

Daisies

"In reaching for rhododendrons we trample down the daisies."

Unknown

When we are weak - He is strong!

Prayer Request-Paris

Prayer Request-Paris

Everyone take a moment to stop and pray for those injured in the terrorist attacks and the families of those who were killed!

Giving Up

Giving up!

"He came to see that giving up is inevitably receiving, when one is dealing heart to heart with God."

Taylor

"But whosoever loses his life for My sake shall find it..

Matt. 16:25

Giving up is not always a bad thing. Have you ever thought about that?

I'm reading a biography on the life of Hudson Taylor, a missionary who gave his entire life for China.  He stated "I never made a sacrifice"! What a servant of Christ-- he gave up everything, but never felt it...the eternal rewards clouded his view of the world and all of its charms.

I know that's one of the reasons I've suffered so much this year! My loving Father is trying to show me that what I've lost - a business, financial security, health - means nothing in His master plan! All that matters is that I give up and lay it all at His feet to do with my life as He wills.  He had to hit me pretty hard to get my attention-to show me that in FINALLY giving up, I've gained all that matters!

What are you holding onto so tightly today? Does it pale in the light of Eternity? You could gain the whole world and still lose your soul!

Why don't you let go and give up to him what you clench so tightly. He will be your all in all!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Go to The Rock!

Forever!

Unfailing Love

Unfailing Love

"Who trust in God's unchanging love. Built on the Rock that nought can move."

Neumark

Herein is love.....but that He loved us and sent His Son"

1 John 4:10

What a thought! He loves with an unmeasurable love and that will NEVER, ever change!  

I'm on the couch--trying to rest so I can go and lead rehearsal this evening--and I'm overwhelmed in my spirit by this great truth:

"Unfailing love flows from His heart and heals my soul.

In spite of who I am He loves and makes me whole."

Karlsson

Many ups and downs and 8 hospital stays later and I still have no doubt that He is with me...that He is in control....that He loves me most.

Though friends and family may fail you today, you can ever rest secure in His great love for you!!! Thanks be to God!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Forever!

Prayer Request-Bill Sailors

Prayer Request-Bill Sailors

Please pray for my friend Bill Sailors who began his fight yesterday against Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

He's a great man and a fine Christian--God bless and heal him!

His Promises

His Promises

"Tarry at a promise till God meets you there.  He always returns by way of His promises."

Unknown

EVER Faithful!

This Little Light

This Little Light

"The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out."

Leviticus 6:13

"Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here; therefore, let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer of vital and experimental religion"

~C.H. Spurgeon~

So many times in my Christian walk I've been so immersed in church activities, Bible studies, choir rehearsals.... So very busy for the Lord!

Yes, I heard 1 or 2 sermons per week, did group Bible study, listened to Christian radio EVERY day.  This should have been enough, right? I was such an active Christian, right?

The problem so often with me was that while in my mind I was such an active and strong Christian, I was neglecting the most important thing.

All of my "activities" mean nothing if I am not in daily private communion with my Lord!  He wants a personal relationship with you and with me. A relationship that cannot be fed by "Christian" busyness.

Our personal communion with God feeds our little light, our personal fire.  "For if this fire should be smothered..... It will dim the fire on the family altar, and lessen our influence both in the Church and in the world." ~Spurgeon~

This fire of ours feeds our family walk, our Church work, and our influence on the world, as Spurgeon says.  

The unseen Hand of our Lord fans the flame in our quiet moments with Him!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Cast=to toss, or throw

Why??

Why?

"They do all of their deeds to be seen by others...."

Matthew 23:5

"Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done."

1 Cor 3:13

There seems to be such a casual attitude among Christians in service today.  We go to church because it's just what you're supposed to do.  We buy the fast food for the car behind us because we really should pay it forward.  We do our duty and fill our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes because it's the generous thing to do.

Why?

Why do you do what you do?

Think about it! Do you ever think about it?

Let us this day bow at His feet and thank Him for being our substitute and taking our sins on Himself.....let us determine to live for Him this day and give our lives in service to our Savior and His Kingdom out of a sincere heart of gratitude.

"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my ALL!"

Watts

When we stand before the Lord, whatever we've done just because it's what you should do, anything that's done just for recognition and glory will be just wood, hay and stubble burnt up in the fire.

Only what's done for Christ will last.  So.... To GOD be the glory!

Start off with a big "Why?" today. 

I want to live so that I don't give a rip about people knowing of the good I do, the work I do.  Only Jesus! What He thinks is all that matters! All is in vain unless His hand touches what we do!

May you seek His face before you face any other today.

Above All

Faith

Faith

"Nothing before, nothing behind:

The steps of faith fall on the seeming void, and find

the rock beneath."

~J.G. Whittier~

Victors

Victors

"When He shouted "It is finished!", it was the shout of a conqueror. He had overcome every enemy. He had met sin and death. He had met every foe that you and I will ever meet, and had come off victor. Now if I have the Spirit of Christ, if I have that same life in me, then it is I that I have a power that is greater than any power in the world, and with that same power I overcome the world."

D.L. Moody

Praise the Lord!

Whatever Happened to Sin?

Whatever Happened to Sin?

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Matthew 9:13

"What the church of God needs today is to get down in the dust of humiliation and confession of sin, and go out and be separated from the world; and then see if we do not have power with God and with man."

D. L. Moody

I was reading in Matthew this morning and it struck me..."Whatever happened to sin?"

It seems that nowadays, we hear excuses for certain behaviors and we see blame passed for this and for that, but we see very little confession and even less of people taking responsibility for their own actions.

Jesus came to redeem us back to Himself and offer forgiveness.  The enemy knows that men need an awareness of their great need of a Savior and Forgiver.... Maybe that's why society has pushed it so far into the background of things.

I feel humbled before the Lord this morning as I confess my failings. What a patient and forgiving Father we serve!! I fail time and again and He remains faithful.

In this age of self-help and self-esteem building and ego trips and self-sufficiency, maybe we need a little more tasting of dust and bowing before the God of All and confessing our nothingness and His sufficiency. Remembering that in humbling and bowing low, we are forgiven and lifted up.

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Solitary

Solitary

"Believer, be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial.  Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the church, will not suffice.

Those are very precious, but the best beaten spice will smoke in your censer in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God's."

D.L. Moody

Where'd you go?

Where'd you go?

"Where art thou..."

Genesis 3:9

Have you ever noticed how quickly we snap back to attention when troubles hit our lives?  We get comfy and complacent in our Christian walk and then begin to think "I've got this!", and self-sufficiency begins to creep in and we start walking down paths of our own making.

I want to be found faithful and always seeking His presence and His control in my life!

I don't want him to have to ask the "Where are you" questions when things are going well.  I think we all have the "here I am, God...I'm in trouble" thing down pat!  But, no matter where you are today, whether it's smooth sailing and you're basking in your lack of need, or you're hiding from His presence like Adam was because you feel ashamed of your walk. Remember today that the safest place to be in the good times and bad is right next to our loving Lord.  

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love."

Robinson

God, whether I'm in a hospital bed, whether I'm burning the candle at both ends, or even skipping through life without a care.....keep me close by your side. I never want you to have to ask of me, "where'd you go?".

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Trust Him

Setbacks!

Setbacks

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes"

Ps. 119:71

"My times are in Your Hand"

Ps. 32:15

I'm writing this from a hospital bed this morning.  It appears that I've had a setback, it appears discouraging, it appears there's still some work on my heart to be done.

It's weird, but I'm not worried about the finances, the health, or My heart today!  I'm going to rest in His promises to me.  My times are in His hands!! He knows all about this! 

What appear to be setbacks in our lives can actually be times of sweet comfort from and communion with my Father.  I had wondered and struggled the past few weeks whether God would provide our needs, or take a break from us. Stupid of me to do, I know, but I was fighting from a bad place and our enemy SEEMED to have the high ground.

I needed this time in my hospital bed. The quiet early hospital morning spending time in the Word.  Being reminded that it's good for me to have setbacks and be "afflicted" with illness so I can learn from Him and He can remind me in the dark morning hour that He still loves me and cares for my family. He can show me that appearances are deceiving..... Setbacks can be times of moving forward in our faith and trust....times of our Mighty Father standing up and reminding us that He is in control and He is EVERYTHING we need, HE IS..... I am not!

I thought I had a setback Tuesday....you may have one today.... It may not be what it appears to be... Look up!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Please pray for me

 Please pray for us. I've been in ER since 1:30 with unrelenting chest pain. Will prob be going up for heart cath in just a bit and hopefully not to bypass. Haven't had pain like this since early spring. God has brought us this far.... He's not leaving us now!

Wait on Him!

Wait on Him

"..and David enquired of the Lord."

2 Sam. 5:23

David "had gained one battle by the strength of the Lord; he would not venture upon another until he had ensured the same. He enquired.... He waited til God's sign was given"

Spurgeon

"As sure as ever a Christian carves for himself, he will cut his fingers"

Unknown Puritan

Oh, how I need to remember to look before I leap, to seek Him before I move.  How much heartache, missteps, blunders, and defeat would we avoid if we let our steps be ordered by the Lord?

If you've stepped away, Look up!  Turn around!

May we seek His face before we face any other today and every day!

He Hears Us!

Cauterizing of the Conscience

Cauterizing of the Conscience 

"If you cauterize a thing, it will hurt at first, but after it heals over, you have no feeling there. Where the cauterization took place, there will develop a hard shell, a thick skin. Sin does that. It cauterizes the conscience, and soon it does not bother us that we are sinning.

This is the of the blinding agent of the unholy one we call the devil. I do believe in the devil and that he blinds the minds of those who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shine onto them."

A.W. Tozer

Hope in Him!

Always There!

Always There

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."

Psalm 139:7-10

He's always there! Take this thought into your day. If you're a child of God, there is no place to go that His presence doesn't go. There is no place where His hand is not outstretched to you and to me.

Even though we may turn away and slack off from communing with him, you can't escape Him.

Have you made your bed in Hell? Scripture goes as far as to say that even there He goes with us.

You may be completely out of fellowship with Him today. You may be somewhere you never, ever intended to end up and think you're too far gone.

Let me tell you it's never too late. Reach up and grab His hand, call out to Him....turn around!

He's always there..... Hand outstretched......still paving roads through wildernesses of our own making.

Praise His Holy Name!

May you seek His face before

You face any other today!

He will never leave us or forsake us!

Stress

The Little Things

The Little Things

"It is the littlest things of life, the minute, unimportant-looking things that are most likely to shatter our peace.  Because they are so small, it is most likely that we will fight them ourselves instead of looking up at once to our Strong God - our Barrier between us and them."

Amy Carmichael

Not One Time!

Hindered

Hindered!

"Let us draw near.."

Hebrews 10:22

"..let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.."

Hebrews 10:1

This morning as I seek my Father's face, I think about all of the times that I've talked about drawing near, thought about it, led congregations in singing about it, and even prayed about it.

All the wasted time... When I just didn't cast all else aside and move towards Him. It's always easier to just talk about things, a lot harder to just do it. I excelled at talking about walking without moving.

Once you cross the line and cast aside whatever hinders you, whatever stands in your way, you'll never be truly content with anything less! He will be your sufficiency.

It pains me to think of the wasted years when I talked about it and never "had it"! I've confessed and changed--you can too! My loving Father has cast all that into the sea of forgetfulness, so I can move on.

Moving on...moving towards Him! Make it your one goal today!

"We must, nevertheless, always work at it, because not to advance in the spiritual life is to go back. But those who have the gale of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep."

~ Brother Lawrence ~

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Faith

Faith

"Faith gives birth to prayer, and grows stronger, strikes deeper, rises higher, in the efforts and struggles of mighty petitioning. Faith is also humble and persevering. It can wait and pray; it can stay on its knees, or lie in the dust. It is the one great condition of prayer. The lack of it lies at the root of all poor praying, feeble praying, little praying, unanswered praying."

E.M. Bounds

Anything!

Safe in His Arms!

Wondrous Love

Wondrous Love

"It is He who remembered us in our low estate, for His steadfast love endures forever;

And rescued us from our foes, for His steadfast love endures forever;

He who gives food to all flesh, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures forever."

Psalm 136:23-26

What a wonderful reminder for this day: He loves us with a love that will never end!

He loves,defends, protects, delivers, sustains, strengthens, uplifts, comforts and cares for us like the best father does for his children.

In my early years, the picture I was given of God at home was often one of judge, jury and executioner.  I always had a sense of waiting for the hammer to strike.  I struggled for decades with understanding God to be a loving Father, who always wants His very best for His children. One who loves unconditionally - ALWAYS - no matter how I failed Him.

Once and for all, I came to terms with all of this....in a hospital bed this year.... Fearing for my life, then being wrapped in the arms of Wondrous Love and knowing real peace, love and comfort in my time of need.

I wouldn't trade one day of over 5 months of bed rest and suffering for that one realization!

He loves me...always has...always will!!!

"What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul."

Unknown 

Wondrous Love!

May you seek the Lord of love before you face any other today!

He is the Potter, We are the Clay

Let it go

Leave it there

Leave It there

"Cast all your care on Him, for He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7

"Be content to leave your prayer in His hands, who knows when to give, and how to give, and what to give, and what to withhold."

C.H. Spurgeon 

"Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you."

Psalm 55:22

Do you struggle with telling the Lord about your burdens and anxieties and then trusting Him with them?  So many times in my life, I've taken my cares, my problems to Him and then just had to keep a hand on them or at least a finger....always just convinced that He needed my help!

I chose to try to carry it all, to do all the work, as if He couldn't be trusted.  No wonder my path took me to anxiety, surface Christianity and massive heart attacks.

Our Psalm today points to a different path. "Cast....He will sustain you."  Not in my nature to do this, but oh the peace that comes when we follow His word.

He can be trusted! He's always faithful! Our loving Heavenly Father only wants HIS best for us.  Do you have a burden, anxiety, or problem you've carried for far too long? 

Today is the perfect day to take Him at His Word.  Cast your care...He will sustain....His is the work......our job......to trust...to rest!

Leave it there!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Our Teacher

Our Shepherd

Our Shepherd

"He always has a purpose in His leading. He knows where the bits of green pasture are, and He would lead His flock to these. The way may be rough, but it is the right way to the pasture"

J.R. Miller

What a wise Shepherd we have!

Look Up!

Hindered

Hindered

"And the only reason that He does not work it more effectually and continuously is, that we do not let Him. We hinder Him either by our indifference or by our self-effort, so that He cannot do what He would."

Andrew Murray

Trust Him

Nothing Else Matters

Nothing Else Matters

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the Living God; when shall I come and appear before God?"

Psalm 42:1-2

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings...."

Philippians 3:10

David wasn't a perfect man, but the passage from psalms shows that He desired God no matter what.  Looking ahead, we see the overwhelming passion that Paul had for his Lord, too.

Nothing else mattered to either of them.  Their passion was bent towards God and eternal things.

How many times have you and I sought after temporary things? How many times have we substituted things, people, even relationships for things eternal?

We can cram all we want into our lives, but satisfaction will never come until we get our priorities straightened out.

I remember how convicted I was as I lay in CCU 9 months ago, still not knowing all that was ahead, but regretting as I looked back on my life how often I had "worked" for the Lord but He was nowhere near my work... He wasn't my passion. I was so busy, there just wasn't time for anything but surface relations with Him.

Where are you in all of this? Are you walking in your own self-sufficiency? Where do your passions lie? What matters to you?

I want to thirst for God more than anything - just like David did, to know Him like Paul wanted to know Him!

Nothing else matters!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Leadership

Leadership

"It is most needful for all servants of Christ to remember that whenever the Lord places a man in a position of responsibility, He will both prepare him for it and maintain him in it."

"Be Tenderhearted, Forgiving One Another"

Fervent Prayer

"Fervent prayer, like a cannon planted at the gates of Heaven, makes them fly open."

Unknown

He Hears My Cries!

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

"But, how wise the Holy Spirit is. He takes the soul, lays it on the table, and dissects it in a moment. He finds out the root of the matter, sees where the complaint is, and either applies the knife where something is required to be taken away or puts a bandage where the sore is."

~C.H. Sturgeon~

Rest!

His Purpose Fulfilled

His Purpose Fulfilled

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand delivers me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever."

Ps 138:7-8

Some nagging thoughts have been troubling me for several days now. I woke up this morning fighting them and went straight to a quiet place in the house to be with my Lord.

Have you noticed that the closer you try to walk with the Lord, the more darts the enemy throws your way? Well, I have! 

These verses were such a comfort to me today.... The Lord has a purpose for me and He WILL FULFILL IT! 

It doesn't matter what darts, doubt, fear and worrying thought the devil throws my way. Our God is mighty and He remains ever faithful.

I get messages from so many of you who face the same things that I'm facing.  We are not alone in this battle that life sometimes becomes! What a friend we have in Jesus.

Remember this.....I'm reminding myself this morning..... There's always hope for a Christian....our loving Father has a purpose and a plan for us....He wants HIS best for us......no matter how things appear, He's always working and will fulfill His purposes for you and for me.

I'm praying for those of you who've messaged me while on your journey. Please pray for me on mine!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Be His Hands and Feet!

My Worry - His Care

My Worry - His Care

"Blessed be the Lord! For He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.  

The Lord is my strength and shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.

The Lord is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His anointed."

Ps. 28:6-8

It's amazing to me how often the Lord provides just what I need through His Word!

I've had a few nagging worries in the back of my mind for a few days and I will be facing them this week.  What are you facing? I know I can't be the only one who struggles with those nagging worries... The kind that are just off in the background... The kind that erode your peace slowly and turn into giants if unattended.  

I'm so weak and I hate that I'm prone to this. But, each morning, I'm going to the source of my strength and handing my worries over to Him. It's the only way I'll make it. 

I speak of this often, but as I walk with the Lord, I'm reminded more and more that the day to day "plugging in" IS the secret! It was stress and my self-sufficiency, and an out of control life that led to 2 massive heart attacks and almost 6 months of suffering and illness. BUT.... I know now that He is my cure and the only way the weak "me" can stay off that old path is by snuggling up to Him, confessing my weakness and drawing on His strength. His is made perfect in my weakness!

So, today, He is faithful again and gave me this:  "The Lord is the strength of His people", "He is a refuge", "He hears my cries for help", "He is a shield for us".

And...... Once again, the worries subside, peace comes and I'm confident that He will remain faithful and cover me with His wings of comfort and mercy!

Peace will come for you, too! Your worry and care is just as important as mine is to Him.

Plug in!  The little flickering flame of our worry gets snuffed out by His great love and care for us.

"All your anxiety, all your care.

Bring to the Mercy seat, leave it there.

Never a burden He cannot bear. Never a friend like Jesus."

~Edward Joy~

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Peace!

Peace!

"It is not by agonizing over your difficulties, but by communion with Him that all your storms will subside and become a great calm"

F.B. Meyer

Absolutely!

Absolutely!

I just read that George Barna's research has found that 54% of Christians don't believe in absolute truth. 

The Gospel IS absolute truth!

Let it Shine!

Prayer Request-My mom

Prayer Request - My mom

My mom wants to continue with her treatment. Please pray for her strength. Her breathing issues are attributed to a new COPD diagnosis. Lots of issues, but she's at peace with her decision.

She loved her visit with Sophie and our 2 little munchkins yesterday.

Press On!

Press On!

"But let us never forget that the noblest men are they who make their mistakes and failures stepping-stones to a more conspicuous success, and, baffled, have learned to fight better."

F.B. Meyer

I Forgot!

I Forgot

Matt. 16:7-8

"And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "we brought no bread". But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O ye of little faith."

What is amazing about this text is that

The disciples had just seen Jesus break the loaves and fish and feed 5,000!! How quickly they forgot! 

Just this week, I've allowed myself to worry about some upcoming things and have just had to kick myself. How quickly the enemy can draw me away and cloud my memory. How quickly I forget that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. How quickly I forget that the God who owns the cattle on a 1,000 hills has sustained us through difficult times, illness, and need for these past 8 months. Shame on me and God forgive me! 

Then I remember: This is why I need a fresh touch from Him EVERY day. This is why I need to dig in His Word and get on my knees and beg for His touch... Beg for His Spirit to fill me afresh each day.

Why??? It's because I forgot.

When I take my eyes off of Him, I forget!

We forget!

The disciples forgot!

May we seek His face before we face any other today! 

Savior!

He Has a Plan!

Prayer Request-Lynn

Prayer Request-Lynn

Please pray for my friend Lynn's mother. 94 years old and rushed to the hospital this morning in Florida with severe chest pain

Adversity

"Often, adversity is a blessing in disguise, and is certainly the greatest character builder"

~Koch~

Never Alone!

Prayer Request-My Mom

Please Pray for my mom. She's 80

And is very very sick from this chemo. My sister is talking with her about whether to continue or not with the treatment. She has had a major decline since last Tuesdays treatment. Sis is afraid that she won't survive the treatment and as sick as she is, there is no quality of life right now. Sometimes treatment is worse than the illness. Taking our sweet babies and Sophie to see her on Friday.....that will have her smiling for sure!

We appreciate your prayers so much!

Oh, how I need Him!

Remember!

Helplessness

"The various experiences of human life, perform their highest office for us, when they convince us of our helplessness, and incline us to avail ourselves of those spiritual resources which are always within our reach"

~F. B. Meyer~

Helplessness

Helplessness

"The various experiences of human life, perform their highest office for us, when they convince us of our helplessness, and incline us to avail ourselves of those spiritual resources which are always within our reach"

~F. B. Meyer~

His Hands

Always Enough

Always Enough

"I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."

Psalm 13:6

This morning, I'm focusing on my wonderful Lord and the grace and sustenance He continues to pour out on my family!

So much of this year has been spent living on the edge! "God, it looks like we are going under....God, we aren't going to make it....God, what are we going to do???" Have you had times like that?

Aren't you grateful that God uses these times to shine through our darkness? Aren't you grateful that He uses times like these to draw us to Himself and prove His unfailing love and faithfulness? Praise you, Father--I am!!

He's tried our faith so He could prove His faithfulness many times this year.  10 months into the year, I can say...always enough! He's always enough! His provision is always enough!

Try Him today and you will find He's always faithful in loving and caring for His own.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Wait!

Wait!

"Observe that they had a work set before them, and they had a promise of power to perform it. They were admonished to wait until the promise was fulfilled."

"First, we, as Christians, have the same commission to fulfill. As truly as they did, we need an outpouring of power from on high. Of course, the same admonition, to wait on God until we receive it, is given to us."

~Charles Finney~

Be the Church

You Just Wait

You just wait!

Psalm 62:5-8

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Don't you just hate waiting??  I always hated any form of wait that came my way.  The last 6 months have helped me come to terms with the concept, and the pain and frustration that can go hand in hand with waiting.

5 1/2 months of either staring at my bedroom ceiling or the hospital ceiling.  Always waiting for the pain to go away, waiting

for the next cardiac event, waiting to get out of the hospital for the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th time....always waiting, always wondering!

Early on in the process I reached a fork in the road. Either submit, wait on the Lord and let the refining process begin, or wallow in it all.

All of our waiting periods are different, but they usually have a common thread.... They're difficult!!  

I found that in submitting myself to the Master's timetable, my soul was flooded with patience from Him. He became my refuge  and strength in a way I had never known before. He proved time and again to me that He was trustworthy and His timing was perfect.  His mercies were new every morning to me and I found out how important it was to walk one step at a time while looking up to Him! Day by day!

I took great comfort in Deut. 33:25 ... as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

Although it's not easy, if you can learn to trust and wait, His will is revealed and peace will come!

You just wait and see!

May you seek His face before you face any other today!

Trust!

Hands Tied

Hands Tied

" 'You ask me for something and then you proceed to tie my hands by your anxiety.' It is His work--and it is my business to believe Him. No strain or stress is necessary. He is over all. It is no longer I, but Christ Who dwells within"

~A.W. Tozer~

Leading the Way

Leading the way

Deuteronomy 31:3 the Lord your God Himself will go before you; 

31:6 Be strong and courageous...do not fear... The Lord your God goes with you....He will not leave you or forsake you.

31:7 Be strong and courageous

31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not fail you neither forsake you. Fear not neither be dismayed

31:23 Be strong and courageous....I will be with you

The time had come for Joshua to take the mantle from Moses and lead the Israelites over the Jordan River.  Joshua would have his hands full as the Israelites were crossing into the land of plenty and would forget their God....the God who had brought them safely through their wilderness years.

Joshua really didn't know at the time what that crossing of the Jordan meant for him. Years of frustration as he watched his people forget their God,  watched evil and trouble overcome them, watched as his Faithful God had to turn His face away from their evil.

The wonderful provision God made for Joshua in all of this was His personal promise that whatever he faced in the coming days and years, the Lord would go before him.  He would be with him, He would never fail him, He would never forsake him!

We all have our rivers to cross, frustrations to face, troubles to come .... We don't know what, we don't know when.

But, what comfort in knowing that the same Old Testament God who made all those promises to Joshua is still keeping promises today! He's been unfailing through the ages and He is still "mighty to save". 

Whatever you may face today, know this:  He goes before you....He will be with you... He will not fail you!

Walk with God. May you seek HIS face before you face any other today!

Prayer Request

Prayer Request

10.9.15

Please pray for our family. We have all 5 been sick with cold and fever all week.  We are ready for good health to return to our household.

I've missed my daily posting on Haven!

Knees

"When trials come, don't wring your hands---Bend your knees!"

~Adrian Rogers~

Our Great Way-Maker

The Light of the World is Jesus