God's Grace

Today I got this quote in an e-mail from a friend and I never want to forget it!

'When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but
merely opening your hands to receive something better.'

Concentrate on this sentence.....

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not
protect you'
It makes me think of my self in the way that I will not bear any children, BUT, God gave me these verses in Isaiah 54:1-3 a few years agao:
Sing O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the married wife , saith the Lord.
Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations:spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes:
For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Now I am married and am not a widow, but have had two misscarriages and have so many other reproductive issues that I will not be bearing any children and as I have dealt with this in my life over many years God has reminded me that he saved me to reproduce spiritual children. I will live if I don't bear children.
In these verses I find promise that He can use the love in my heart to minister to all those around me, and I will have so many children some day that my house will not be able to contain them all!
I am so blessed!

Preparing for rain

The movie Facing the Giants has caused me to look deeper into this "PREPARING FOR RAIN" quote.
The Word of God in the book of James talks about a man named Elijah who believed God would do something if he asked it according to His will. Elijah was a man of great faith:

Jas 5:17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

Jas 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Do you think that he prepared for the drought??? Did he prepare for the rain???
He didn't ask for rain until three years and six months later.....and it was for God to be glorified...(see IKings Ch 17-18)
"Things that make you go HMMMMMM..... "
OK that's a line from the 80's but it fits!!

I purpose this challenge to my brothers and sisters in Christ....please log on to the link below and watch the clip from the movie.... Ask God to show you what kind of rain is He going to bring into your life and show you how to PREPARE for it!!!! Ask believing!!
https://youtu.be/WAxwS8KyMQQ

WORSHIP

YESTERDAY I WAS READING IN NEHEMIAH AND IN CHAPTER 8:3 SAYS
AND HE READ THEREIN BEFORE THE STREET THAT WAS BEFORE THE WATER GATE FROM THE MORNING UNTIL MIDDAY, BEFORE THE MEN AND THE WOMEN AND THOSE THAT COULD UNDERSTAND; AND THE EARS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WERE ATTENTIVE UNTO THE BOOK OF THE LAW.

OK SO THEY READ FOR A LONG TIME AND THE PEOPLE WERE ATTENTIVE!! MANY OF THE TIMES WE SIT IN CHURCH LISTENING TO THE "LAW" WORD OF GOD GOING IS IT OVER YET WHAT'S FOR LUNCH, I HAVE TO GO TO THE STORE, I GOTTA GET HOME SO I CAN CLEAN MY HOUSE... OK THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THOUGHTS I HAVE DURING CHURCH SOMETIMES... IF I COULD ONLY HAVE THE ATTENTIVE EARS AS THESE PEOPLE DID HERE IN THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH!!

VS 5 SAYS AT THE END OF THE VERSE, THAT WHEN EZRA OPENED THE BOOK IN THE SIGHT OF THE PEOPLE THEY ALL STOOD UP!! NOW THAT'S RESPECT... I WONDER IF THEY STOOD THE WHOLE TIME???? AT THE END OF VERSE 7 IT SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE STOOD IN THEIR PLACES....... I'M THINKIN THEY DID... WOULD I STAND FOR MANY HOURS TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD????? OR EVEN JUST FOR CHURCH SERVICE ON SUNDAY MORNING???

THINGS THAT MAKE YA GO HMMM

VS 6
AND EZRA BLESSED THE LORD THE GREAT GOD. AND ALL THE PEOPLE ANSWERED AMEN, AMEN, WITH LIFTING UP THEIR HANDS; AND THEY BOWED THEIR HEADS, AND WORSHIPPED THE LORD WITH THEIR FACES TO THE GROUND.

V9 SAYS AT THE END OF THE VERSE
THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WEPT WHEN THEY HEARD THE WORDS OF THE LAW... "

THIS ALL JUST MAKES ME STOP AND LOOK AT MY LIFE AND ASK MY SELF AM I STANDING UP WITH MY BOWED TOWARD THE GROUND BEFORE THE LORD WORSHIPPING HIM WITH MY HANDS LIFTED HIGH WEEPING AT THE WORDS OF HIS LAW???

STAND BY YOUR MAN

Some times in our lives we have to re-learn lessons because we forget...

Most recently God brought me to a passage in the book of Nehemiah chapter 2:6
And the king said unto me,(the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when will thou return? So it pleased the king to send; me and set him a time.

The king was asking questions to one of his servants and sending him on a journey...

At the time I read this I was struggling with some things. I had asked the Lord to give me direction. I really thought it was random that this information about the queen was just plopped right in the middle of this passage.... There is no other mention of the queen before or after this....

God showed me that my job as the wife/ friend/ ministry partner/ servant/ leader... is to stand by my husband regardless of what he is doing... I am to be by his side supporting him and praying him through his every decision.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JESUS

Last week I was putting up our Christmas tree and I was not feeling so well as I worked on it so I took breaks. As I continued to press on putting the decorations on the tree God subtely reminded me that it is all about Jesus' birthday! I wondered if Jesus was pleased with the presentation of the tree. I asked Bill when he got home if he liked it and he said yes! I then asked if he thought Jesus liked it too? He said of course, it is your heart attitude as you put it up that He sees. He does see the heart!
This season remember to celebrate the birth of our Saviour as you shop and put up decorations.
What will you bring the Saviour for His birthday this year? What battle do you continue to have that you will lay at His feet and let Him take care of for you?
Isn't it wonderful, we have been saved by His blood and He will take all of our worries too, IF we just lay them at His feet.
Praise the Lord for saving our souls.
IJohn 4:14

We are spoiled Americans

Today Bill and I went to OP KS to watch my niece in her cheer competition. We drove past Wal-Mart in Independence and I commented that I didn't like that Wal-Mart store. I was reminded that we have so many choices. As americans we have 2-3 choices of the same store within minutes of us.
In Zambia Africa there is no store, we had to drive to Kitwee, a 45 minute drive, to the Shoprite.
There was no Shopwrong down the street to go to if we didn't like the Shoprite.
I was just reminded of how much we complaine as spoiled Americans. We need to be more thankful.

Today Is The Day The Lord Hath Made

It is the day after Thanksgiving, are we still thankful. The Bible says in everything give thanks. Every day is Thanksgiving to God our King.

Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Today I am thankful for a day of rest and my Husband who is faithful first to God and to me.