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» Christian Message Boards   » Miscellaneous   » General Discussion   » Enjoying nature (Page 23)

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Author Topic: Enjoying nature knowHim Admin Member # 8 posted                          When we keep connected to God on a daily bases, He keeps us filled with His Spirit. Unforgiven sin can cut our connection to God. Thanks for posting this. It is what we all need. I know I find my self slipping away sometimes and need to keep Jesus as my light. -------------------- Plow on, plow on... David Campbell Posts: 426 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, Acts 1:8. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. I got up early to go to the hospital for an exray. When I got up we were with out power. You do not know how much you take for granted electricity until you try to comb your hair in a dark room with no windows and a flash light. This is the same way with our soul. If we do not stay connected to God we become spiritually weak and can be easily led astray. When we keep connected to God on a daily bases, He keeps us filled with His Spirit. Unforgiven sin can cut our connection to God. Neglect of spiritual matters can also cause us to be low on power. If you neglect to get gas for your car, you will eventually run out of gas. If we neglect to spend time in prayer and in God's Word we will also run out of power. Unlike when the electricity goes out at your home, spiritual power slips away gradually and you can be in empty before you realize it. This is why we need to refill spiritual daily. It is just as important to take care of our spiritual health, just as we take care of our physical needs. We sometimes get so busy that we end up with a hunger head ache. Sometimes we find ourselves slipping back into bad habits because we have grown spiritually empty. Let us seek to be spiritually healthy. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. I talk to so many Chirstians today who are like me, longing for the rapture. That is a good thing. The Bible says there is a special crown for those who are looking with anticipation for the Blessed Hope. While most of the reason is we want to be in the very presence of God, we are also weary and tired. This is not a shock to God, who addresses this issue. So many times, He tells in His Word to come to Him for rest. Growing weary is not a sin, if we do not give up. We should seek His face and seek strength so we do not faint not. While we need to continue working for God, we may need to stop saying yes to every project that comes our way. This doesn't mean we do not work for God, but we prayerfully choose what we feel God is leading is to do and say no to the extra stuff. In the work that God has given us to do, let us pray for strength to do the job for the glory of God. Make sure to get proper rest, physical fatigue can lead to a job halfway done and lead to a bad attitude. If your do your work for Jesus, while you are snapping at your helpers and anyone who is around you, you have destroyed the very work you have done. Work for Christ needs to be done with a pleasant attitude and a joyful spirit. If you do not have it, then before you start your work ask God to forgive you for your bad attitude and to give you a sweet spirit. You might think I do not understand, but I do. I have been there, myself. When you do something to bless others but you have an angry spirit the blessing is lost for them and for you. We all have days when we are not at our best. Sometimes we are just physically tired, sometimes it is because we are in physical pain, and other times it is because we are spiritually empty. Remember we cannot give out spiritually when our cup is empty. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, so that we can bless others. Everyone gets tired and weary and there is no shame in praying for God to restore you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray for yourself as well as for others. I pray that God will give you rest and strength today. Betty Just One More Soul (live) Lyrics The preachers are weary The singers are tired The church as we know it Is losing its fire Some are discouraged from bearing the load But we must determine to keep pressing on 'Cause if just one more soul Were to walk down the aisle It would be worth every struggle It would be worth every mile A lifetime of labor is still worth it all If it rescues just one more soul So preachers, keep preachin' And singers, go sing Laymen, keep sharing That Jesus is King The angels have gathered, they're surrounding the throne And they'll start rejoicing for just one more soul 'Cause if just one more soul Were to walk down the aisle It would be worth every struggle It would be worth every mile A lifetime of labor is still worth it all If it rescues just one more soul 'Cause if just one more soul Were to walk down the aisle It would be worth every struggle It would be worth every mile A lifetime of labor is still worth it all If it rescues just one more soul -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Monday, Psalm 63:7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. If you are like me, you spend a lot of time praying, but mostly praying for my needs and the needs of others. Yet, God wants us to spend time with Him that is not just asking for request, but just seeking His companionship. God wants us to take pleasure in being in His presence. Of course God cares about our needs and He is happy when we have a heart to pray for others, but He wants quality time with us that is just about us talking to Him about our feelings and listening to what He has to say. I know we do this, because I am guilty. We consider our time in Church our quality time with God. Yes it is wonderful to sing and worship God with fellow worshippers and we should do so. This does not mean we cannot set apart a time when we talk, listen, and worship God every day. What kind of relationship with your mate would you have if it was only about you asking for something? Do we ever just sit and talk to God about our day? We can talk to God about our feelings, what has upset us and what has brighten our day. Of course God knows, but look at it this way: a friend calls and tells you something wonderful has happened to one of your children. You call them up and have them come over so you can talk about it face to face. The same with God. He wants us to want to talk to Him about the good and the bad in our lives. He is prepared to listen. Are we prepared to talk to Him? If not, is there some sin we haven't sought forgiveness for. Then take care of that first. Pray and seek forgiveness and determine with God's help that you are going to walk away from that sin. Then have a lovely visit with your Creator and Savior. He is waiting and willing. Am I ? God wants to have a personal relationship with us. The ball is in our court. Are we ready to participate. Betty Handful of squirrels this morning. I overslept so the birds have eaten already. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Blessed Sunday, Most of the sky looks like it is covered by a fluffy white comforter, giving a feeling of security. Feelings of security can be false, sadly. In this world of violence and hate there is no safe place. No one including Christians know what the day will hold for them. But, we can be secure that what ever happens, God will be with us. He has promised to walk with us even into the valley of death. Unfortunately some politicians are using the promise of security to take away the very freedoms that make us free. Prisoners in solitary confinement are secure but there is no freedom. Yet we must not stress over this. The Bible makes it clear that during the tribulation there will be a One World Government that will control everything, even the food and water. This is not the time to stress over this. This is the tiime to pray for our lost loved ones. I believe the rapture will happen before the tribulation. There are no scriptures in the Bible telling Christians to stock up food for the tribulation or how to survive the tribulation. Instead we are told to keep looking up for the Blessed Hope. For those of us who have lost loved ones along with strong prayers for their salvation, it would be good to leave materials about end times where they can find it easily. A letter stressing how important it is NOT to take the mark of the beast. Once a person takes the mark, there is no chance to be saved. Keep praying for your lost loved ones and friends until the moment Jesus calls us in the rapture. Just as none of us want to go through the tribulation, none of us want our family to go through it, either. Unfortunately I have found to my shame, you can not make a person get saved, no matter how much you love them. The more you complain and fuss, the more they run from God. Sometimes it is best to pray that God will put someone in their lives that they will listen to. There will be those that say that the Church has been talking about the rapture for 30 plus years and that would be true. But, look at the world, today. The world we live in is not the world it was in 1950. Leaders of Countries are even admitting that the world today needs a leader that can come in and fix everything. They do not realize it, but what they are wanting is the anti-Christ. He will bring peace- for a time. Then he will force the world to worship him and take the mark or be-headed. Anyone who apposes the anti-Christ will be killed. The world will face 7 years of tormet and God, Himself will pour out His wrath on the anti-Christ and his followers. This will NOT be a time of Heaven on earth, despite the promises of the anti-Christ. It is still time to choose the right side. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you will spend the tribulation in the real Heaven with Jesus. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, We live in a world were peace is in short supply. Not just peace from battle but peace in the hearts of mankind. People feel rushed hurried from work to home to work. Everyone seems be living on the edge, where the slightest thing can set them ablazed with anger and even haterd toward one another. Even us Christians are not immune to bouts of anger that spills out of our mouths in words that we wish later that we could take back. We wonder how could we have said what we did. Yet we do not want to believe the we have allowed the seed of discard and anger grow in our heart. The Bible says out of the heart the mouth speaks. We entertain thoughts of discord and instead of repenting we fed them until it grows beyond our control. When these seeds or sin sprout, instead of taking them to God and asking Him to remove them, we hide them in a corner of our heart, hoping they will somehow disappear. Is it our pride that keeps from asking God for help? Is it the idea that if we pretend that they are not there, they will disappear? Do we put on a fake facade for so long that we think we can fool God? We can hide nothing from God. He knows our every thought and deed. I used to think this was intrusive, but it is actually a huge relief. When we realize God knows the very worse about us and yet, He still loves us, we can go to Him with everything. We can lay every sin , every evil thought, every bad behavior at the feet of Jesus. Jesus is not going to get on the phone and call your Pastor, your Church friends, or anyone else and tell them your sins. What a freedom there is when you realize that you can share everything with Jesus with out fear. God does give us peace but it comes from surrendering our everything and including all our sins to Him. When we seek forgiveness, Jesus will replace our shame with peace. We can have peace, if we will seek it at Jesus' feet. This does not mean our life will be perfect. We will have problems till the day we die. We live in corruptible body and in a corruptible world, but we do not have to walk the world alone. Jesus wants to walk every day with us. Betty 3 Squirrels this morning and a bird. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Friday, Yesterday many mourned the death of Prince. There is no shame in that. Like many others I enjoyed some of his songs. I was surprised to find out that there was songs he did that wasn't on the radio, because of the language. There was several like "When Doves Cry". that I enjoyed. There was also a lot of speculations about where his soul went when he died. One person actually making a cartoon about it. Which I found highly inappropriate. The truth is, we do not know the answer. Only God knows whether he called out to God as he laid dying. I believe when we get to Heaven there will be many surprises about who is and is not there. Some who got saved with their dying breath and others who lived like there were saved but we're not. While human beings are like cats, naturally curious, our time would be better spent praying for Prince's wife. It's to late to pray for Prince. Whatever happend between him and God is settled. This is why it is so important to pray for our lost loved ones. As much as we might want it to be true we cannot pray someone into Heaven after they have died. The Bible says it is appointed man, once to die and then the judgement. As long as our loved ones are alive we can pray for them. I have talked about how my Uncle got save years after my grandmother died. Her prayers were in the ears of God even after she had died. People were shocked Prince's death, and I was too. The reality is no one is promised tomorrow. The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. How said it would be to delay salvation the day before you die. Just as it is the time to serve God. Let us not put off what we know we should be doing till tomorrow. We have not been promised tomorrow. Betty Two squirrels this morning and a couple of birds. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Thursday, Talkin' to myself and feelin' old Sometimes I'd like to quit Nothing ever seems to fit Hangin' around Nothing to do but frown Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down I woke up singing The Carpenters hit in my head. As I laid there thinking about it, I realized that everybody has something that gives them the blues. My mom always said that hearing a train whistle made her feel sad, even when she was a child. Rainy, gloomy days make a lot of us feel sad. Our moods can be easily effected by our surroundings. Just like walking out on a warm day with lovely flowers blooming and a breeze blowing the sweet smells up to our nose can bring a smile to our faces, our surroundings can change our mood. While it is wonderful to have our surroundings change a so-so day into a pleasant one, we do not have to allow our trigger for sadness ruin our day. This morning as I laid there I begin to pray for lost loves ones until a fell back asleep. When we face our trigger that makes us sad, the best medicine is to pray. Prayer changes things is not just a slogan it is a reality. Prayer for others not only brings action on God's part for the one we are praying for, but it brings a heart change in us. When we spend time praising God for our many blessings we will find our selves being uplifted and blessed. We are human and we have many moods. Some of us are more apt to be moodier then others, simply because of our make up. This doesn't mean we have to wallow in sadness. We can choose to praise God in the midst of our sadness. I am not talking about depression. Sometimes even as Christians we may need medical help to deal with depression. I found though even when I was in depression and on medication that as I begin to do something for others I begin to see relief. I am talking about just the normal mood of sadness that everybody has from time to time. As the song says there are things that get us down but we can be uplifted by praying and encouraging ourselves in the Word of God. Remember everybody feels sad sometimes. Everybody gets frustrated sometimes. Everybody feels anxious sometimes. Moods are apart of living. But what every mood we are in we can find peace in Jesus. Even when we are just in a grumpy mood. Take your moods to Jesus and be honest with Him about what you are feeling and remember it will pass. Whatever mood you are in today, spend time with the one who loves you no matter what: Jesus. Betty It rained last night and the ditch is full of water. My prayer is for those who may have water in their homes and cars today. The birds and squirrels have not allowed the standing water bother them. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, Many in the Houston area are suffering from the flooding. For many this is not their first rodeo. People who do not live in this area, probably wonder why they just don't move. It is not that easy. No one is going to buy their house. For some FEMA will not insure the house unless they build their house up off the ground. For many the cost of doing that is more then the house is worth. Which is throwing more money after bad. So the reality is they are in a pickle. We can be this way in our spiritual life as well. We see we are going in the wrong direction but we have invested so many years in our beliefs that we do not want to admit that we may have been believing the wrong thing, trusting the wrong Pastor, or believing the wrong doctrine. It is more then hurting our pride, but it is hard having to start over and go in a different direction. It takes time and effort to find a new Pastor, one who preaches the truth of the Gospel instead of only inspirational talks. Besides a Preacher who preaches about sin is going to make us uncomfortable. This is not the time for Christians to be only concerned about feeling good when we leave Church. We need to be in a Church where the Pastor is not afraid to speak about sin and hell and speak the truth no matter whose toes he steps on. A Pastor who makes you feel good in your sin and comfortable living in a sinful relationship is a devil in sheep's clothing that is cuddling you right into hell. He or she is not your friend. They are not only your enemy but they are God's enemy. You might say that my Pastor is the kindness person I ever met. How kind is someone who is feeding you cotton candy sermons that will send you to hell for eternity? When persecution comes to America, will cotton candy sermons be able to substain you to stand for Jesus or will you deny Christ to save your life? These are harsh words and as I have written them I have stopped several times and asked God if this is really what He is given me. I know these words will offend and just typing them my hands are shaking. Yet, I have given God my word that I want Him to tell me what to say and guide me with what to put. I like others would love to just post feel good and uplifting post. That is not what is giving me today. I believe it is time for Christians to come out of Churches that are not longer preaching all of the Gospel. It is time to get into a Church that is not afraid to preach the meat of the Gospel. Bottle fed Christians are going to be in trouble as things get worse in America. We need to hear and know the truth. I am not going to apologize for writing what God gave me. I will pray that if you are convicted that God will help you receive and accept His truth. Let us Christians seek first to be right with God and then try to get along with others as best we can. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, As I was doing my chores this morning, I was thinking about the soon return of Jesus. The signs of,the times point to a soon return, but how do we flourish for God now? How do we keep our light shinning when we are sick, tired, or discouraged? It would be so easy to tell God that we are just going to rest until He comes back. Those of us over 60 can even rationalize that we have done our part and it is time for the younger ones to pick up the slack. While it is true we cannot do the jobs we once could, there are still jobs we can do for God even over 60. Everyone can pray, from the youngest to the oldest. Pray not just for yourself and your family but for the leaders of our Country. Always pray for our lost loved ones. Pray for Israel and her leaders. Prayer is never wasted. Prayer is never insignificant. The more we pray the stronger our faith will grow and the stronger our trust grows and the stronger our hope in God grows. Even in this world of violence against one another and natural disasters, we can have hope, because we serve a living God. In Eph 6:11 We are told to put on the whole armor of God so we can stand against our enemy the devil. When we trust and put our faith in God we can stand in trust, hope and joy and not fear. Remember perfect trust will destroy fear. We are so close to the finish line. Let us not give up. There will be days when it seems the enemy is winning, but that is the time to fall on our knees and seek the face of God. In our battle armor that God supplies, there is no white flag. A Christian should never surrender to the devil. Remind yourself daily that there is victory ahead. Keep trusting, and believing in your Savior, Jesus Christ. He has already defeated the devil and He wants to protect and guide you and defeat the devil when he works in you life. Never surrender! Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust Hebrews 11-6. Faith Psalm 38:15. Hope Gal 5:22 Joy Eph 6:11 Stand Betty A few birds and a squirrel this morning. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Monday, Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. This morning here in Magnolia and in the Houston area streets are flooded. The veterinarian called and said and cancelled Bertha, my dashund's appointment because of street flooding. This morning before I even got out of bed I was reminded of the verses where David prayed for God to search his heart. I believe now more then ever we need to be checking the temperature of our spiritual health on a regularly bases. I think the longer you have been a Christian the easier it gets to just be calling it in. You can become complacent. You are doing all the right things but your heart has checked out. This is very dangerous because we can become lukewarm Christians. Remember what Jesus says in the book of The Revelations about lukewarm Christans. He is going to spew them out of His mouth. This should be enough to scare us back into reality. We cannot coast our way into Heaven. We cannot rest on our past spiritual victories. We need to be fired up and on fire for God. God does not want a Sunday only relationship with His children. He wants a relationship where His children seek His face on a daily bases. We must not put God in a box. He wants to apart of whole lives. Let us ask God to measure our spiritual health daily and then ask Him to show us where we need to change. We want to hear: "Well done, my good and faithful servant" when we see Jesus. If you have any question about how unpleasant lukewarm water is try to drink some. It is nasty. We want to be fired up Christians. I know I need to make changes in my life. If you see areas you need to change, ask God to help you. Betty Under one tree this morning was three squirrels and 4 doves and a redbird. If you are in the area affected by the storms stay safe. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Blessed Sunday, Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. In the 70's there was a popular show called "Maude". Whenever Maude got upset at her husband or anyone else her favorite saying was: "God will get you for that!" As Christians we can have that state of mind. We forgive someone because we know we have to but we take pleasure in knowing that God will get our revenge. Waiting patiently for the time we see our tormentor suffer just as they made us suffer. While the Bible does say that revenge does belong to God, is looking forward to the day revenge is given to someone really forgiving? Do we really have a heart of forgiveness when we are waiting to see another person suffer? What did Jesus say when He was suffering on the cross? Did Jesus say to those who were watching Him suffer and hurling insults at them: ". I look forward to the day I see you in hell"? No! He prayed for them. Remember it was not just physical suffering that Jesus suffered, but He bore upon His back the sins of the world and yet His heart broke for those who were tormeting Him. The last year God has been dealing with me about forgiveness. A year ago I would have said I had forgiven everyone and I had. But, in my heart I was thinking God will get my revenge. Recently God has asked me to take forgiveness to another level, to pray for mercy and gentleness for those who have hurt me. There a new level of peace when you no longer pray for revenge but pray instead that God will treat those who hurt you with gentleness and kindness. When we are honest with ourselves we will admit we want God to be merciful and kind to us inspite of our past sins. Does our brothers and sisters in the Lord deserve anything less? Let us as children of God stop wasting valuable time and effort seeking justice for others, when we fell upon the altar of God and begged for mercy for our sins. None of us want justice for ourselves. We want God to treat is with gentleness and mercy. Let us treat others the same way. When we forgive, let is forgive with a full heart that prays for mercy, kindness, and gentleness to those who have offended us. When we do this we will have a heart not filed with anger but full of peace and joy. I am not saying it is easy but pray that God will help you and He will. May you and your families be blessed today. Betty At least three squirrels today. My grandson got married yesterday. My body is sore from the long drive to the Wedding but I was so blessed to be able to attend. I took enough medicine and did not eat before hand so I was not bothered by sickness. I thank God for that. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Today is my grandson's Wedding Day. Like all grandparents I am happy for him. We as children of God never think about how God looks at the milestones in our lives. At least I don't. When we get saved and baptized of course we know God is watching but He cares about what we care about too. Our Wedding day, the birth of each of our children, the happy milestones in our children's lives. These important events did not go unnoticed by God. God does care about our happiness and joy. Our joy and our strength is increased by our relationship with God. Today my thoughts will be on my grandson and his wife. Of course I am praying for not just their marriage, which is important, but prayers for their Spiritual health. As the grandmother of the family, I would love to see all my family in Heaven. Praying for your family is never wasted. Sometimes it takes years for salvation to take place in your family or friend's lives but never give up. One day God's children will have a great reunion in Heaven, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. What a glorious day that will be! Have a blessed day today and seek away to be a blessing to someone else. Betty, A neighbor's chicken has gotten lose and has been wandering the neighborhood. No one knows who the chicken belongs to. The chicken has been taking advantage of the bird food I put out from time to time. The squirrels are afraid of the chicken and so are the birds. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Friday, Gal 5:But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. I pray everyone is doing good today and not bogged down by troubles. For those who work Friday is a day you look forward to, though it seems you are quite busy doing work on weekends. This morning as I did my chores and was praying, I was reminded of the gifts of the Spirit. Not only does God want these gifts to flourish in our lives but He wants us to pray and seek them. These gifts are like muscles the more you use them the stronger they grow. Just look at someone who has hate in their heart. The more they give in to hate the more angry they get and the more hate grows in them. It gets to the point that no one wants to be around them, because of the hate and bitters that spews from their mouths. As Christians as we give ourselves over to God, we can see ways of using the gifts of the Spirit daily. The more often we are kind and loving, the more kinder and loving we will become. When our life shines forth with the gifts of the Holy Spirit then we become a walking testimony of God's love and kindness. This does not mean the devil will not seek ways to try to make us sin. He wants us to hide our light or lessen lights wattages. So our testimony is weaken or blown out. We will sin but when we do we repent. When the devil tries to get us to hide our testimony in shame, remind yourself that your sins are forgiven. Remind the devil you have read the end of the Bible and you know God wins. Then go out into the world and shine your light so others can see the light of Jesus in your life. God is not calling perfect Christians. He is calling willing Christians. Seek the face of God and pray that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will grow in you for the glory of the Lord. Betty The woodpecker is eating regular by my living room window, now. Two squirrel come up regularly, too. Even on bad days with my health, they bring me comfort and I know that God is blessing me. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Thursday, It is a beautiful day here in Magnolia, though the sky is white with clouds instead of blue. The air is fresh and clean and the birds are talkative and the squirrels ready to eat. As I did my chores I prayed as I do every day for God to guide me in what I should say. My heart was filled with the wonder and magnificence of the wondrous God we serve. We are so blessed that we can talk to God anytime and anywhere about anything. Yet along the way we often forget the majesty of the God we serve. I have heard people refer to Jesus as "Baby Jesus" and some think of Jesus still being on the cross. Neither is correct. Jesus is in Heaven seated at the right hand of the Father. He is no longer a babe and He is no longer the dying man. He is in Heaven, fully in His glory and power. With just the words of His mouth, this earth and everyone one it could cease to exist. We are so blessed as Christians that Jesus considers us as His friends. But to the world He will one day be a powerful and horrible judge. You might say how could God be so cruel? Yet Jesus left the beauty and comforts of Heaven to become a man to live and die for mankind. It is mankind that has rejected Jesus, not Jesus who rejected man. God has offered us a ticket to Heaven, if we refuse the ticket then it is our choice to go to hell. We might say we want to go to Heaven but on our terms. It does not work that way. Last week a big basketball event was played in Houston. Women were not allowed in the game with purses. Women could easily say that was unfair. Women go every where with purses but that was the rules. You could have bought a ticket and be left out because you refused to leave your purse at home or in the car. If you want to enter Heaven, you must not only repent of sin, but you must turn away from sin to get a ticket. God is a Holy God and sin cannot enter Heaven. Forgiveness is more then being sorry it is seeking forgiveness and turning away from sin. There is no sin and no person worth spending an eternity in hell for. Yes a relationship with God is a wonderful daily blessing, but let us remember what a marvelous gift God has given us and have an attitude of thankfulness toward our God and Savior. Jesus is indeed the Sweetest Name! Betty There's Within My Heart a Melody The United Methodist Hymnal Number 380 Text: Luther B. Bridgers Music: Luther B. Bridgers Tune: SWEETEST NAME, Meter: 97.97 with Refrain 1. There's within my heart a melody Jesus whispers sweet and low: Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still, in all of life's ebb and flow. Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go. 2. All my life was wrecked by sin and strife, discord filled my heart with pain; Jesus swept across the broken strings, stirred the slumbering chords again. (Refrain) 3. Though sometimes he leads through waters deep, trials fall across the way, though sometimes the path seems rough and steep, see his footprints all the way. (Refrain) 4. Feasting on the riches of his grace, resting neath his sheltering wing, always looking on his smiling face, that is why I shout and sing. (Refrain) 5. Soon he's coming back to welcome me far beyond the starry sky; I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown; I shall reign with him on high. (Refrain) -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Wednesday Proverbs 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. It is hard to trust God when you are in pain every day and the Doctors cannot find the cause. It is hard to be trusting when your job that you planned on working till you retired may be coming to an end. Yet it is during these times that we need to trust God more than ever. When we are in good health and our future looks bright, trusting God is easy but is that really trust? When your light bill is paid you do not need faith to believe the light will come on when you flip the switch. True faith in God is when we trust Him when we are sure about the future, when our health is in doubt, and when we do not know how long we will have our job. Trusting in God when we don't know what lies ahead grows us spiritually. Even when we have given it to Jesus, there will be days that we wonder. I have released my life to Jesus and given Him control but that doesn't mean that aren't days that I don't get discouraged. Just like when we suffer bad days at work we can become discouraged. This is when we remind ourselves that our trust in God is secure. David was a man after God's own heart and yet many times he had to encourage himself in the Lord. The devil will bring discouragement to our hearts but we can find peace by reading God's Word and in prayer. Remind yourself that God knows the future, even our personal future and nothing that happens to us will take God unaware. If you spend anytime on Facebook, you will see there are others who are discouraged and worry about the future. Just as we remind ourselves, remind others if they put their trust and hope in Jesus, He will not fail them. There may be bad things happening to us and our Nation in the future but we can sleep peacefully, if we keep our trust and our eyes on Jesus. Betty Several squirrels this morning. I don't see any birds in the back yard this morning. Hubby just told me that at when he was up at 8 this morning the storm last night had knocked down the feeders in the front yard and seed was everywhere and birds where everywhere. So I would guess they are napping after their feast. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, As we begin our day in many ways it is like a clean slate. We do not know what the day will hold for us or our families. This is the same through out the world. There are people who begin today who will not be alive tonight. There are some who are dying because of illness but many die because of accidents or violence. Only God knows how our day will end. As Christians we say a quick prayer of protection but do really realize how important that prayer is? As we pray, are we willing to accept God's will for our day? Let's face even for us Christians there is fear in our hearts when we pray for God to have His perfect will. There is an desire for us to pray for God to do what He wills today except for A, B, or C. This does not make us a bad person it makes us human. Yet there is a blessing when we can say God have your will in my life today without reservation. Some days I can say that and other days fear of the unknown is strong. The Bible says perfect love removes fear. When we love God strong enough we can trust Him enough to give Him our day. This trust doesn't come over night and I have found that I am not always there. Yet I want to be. So for today let us pray that God will have His perfect will in our lives and let us trust Him with our whole hearts and minds. Psalm 61:2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Betty I have several squirrels. We had to refill the humming bird feeders yesterday. In the front yard the squirrels have been eating by my living room window and the woodpecker visits every day. A black and white stripe bird has been coming to the window to eat . -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Monday, It had rained early this morning and as I did my chores, I enjoyed sweet pleasant, clean air. I was reminded of something a fellow Christian had posted a couple of day ago, on Facebook. A well known Preacher, (I will not mention His name), wrote in his book that there is no need for repentance and confession. I assume that man was surely talking about Christians. Knowing that there is no salvation, without repentance and confession. Yet I believe as Christians we should confess and repent every day. Look at it this way. Your children whether young or adults can often say something to you in anger that hurts your feelings. While they are still your children and your love for them has not changed, there is a tear in the relationship. When they come back to you and apologize to you and you accept, the tear begins to heal. It is the same with us and God. Our salvation may not be in danger but our relationship with God is strained. When we seek His forgiveness, it is like a gentle rain has washed away the ugliness and we can breathe clean fresh air. I seek God's forgiveness every day simply because I do not want to face God with unrepentant sin in my life. Sometimes we sin simply with our attitudes. Sometimes we sin because we knew we should do something and we chose not to. Let us have a relationship with God where we seek forgiveness here and can face Him in Heaven with no sin that is unconfessed. God is waiting to forgive us not slap us on the head. Remember though, just as God has forgiven us we must be willing to forgive others. A heart filled with unforgiveness is a garden waiting for bitterness to grow. Bitterness leads to sin. Have a blessed day today and stay safe in the storms that we are expecting. Betty Have had a few squirrels and birds. I especially like the doves who come as couples. Some of the birds are so tiny. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Blessed Sunday, The Parable of the Ten Virgins 1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. I used to think when I read that the Bridegroom was harsh, until this morning when I read that virgins did not take any oil with them, while the wise virgins took oil in their lamps and a jar of oil. Could it be that the foolish virgins were really not expecting the groom to come? Where their interest elsewhere? Can we look at this and examine our own motives? Are we looking forward to the return of Jesus? Does His return fill our hearts with joy? Have we grown weary waiting for His return? If Jesus was to hold off for His return for another 10 years would we feel relieved? If we are looking for His return are we waiting with hearts that are filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit? Are we praying every day for God to fill us up with His Spirit? Are we asking God to fill our spiritual cups up to over flowing? Are we more concerned about physical and financial comforts than our spiritual health? These are hard and honest questions we as Christians need to ask ourselves. Let us pray for God to fill our cup to over flowing and then share the love of Jesus with others. Betty The the three feeders have squirrels and hubby found a nest with baby squirrels in The front yard. Which is good because our animals do not go there. 1 Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day. Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King! -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, ELVIS PRESLEY LYRICS Play the Elvis Presley Quiz "Where Could I Go But To The Lord" Living below in this old sinful world Hardly a comfort can afford Striving alone to face temptation so Now won't you tell me Where could I go but to the Lord Where could I go oh where could I go Seeking the refuge for my soul Needing a friend to save me in the end Won't you tell me Where could I go but to the Lord Life here is grand with friends I love so dear Comfort I get from God's own word Yet when I face that chilling hand of death Won't you tell me Where could I go but to the Lord Where could I go but to the Lord Where could I go oh where could I go Seeking the refuge for my soul Needing a friend to save me in the end Won't you tell me Where could I go but to the Lord There are days that we wake up ready to meet challenges and defeat the devil. Yet there are days, we feel defeated before we get out of bed and our tempted to cover our hands with our blanket and stay there. We are humdan beings subject to moods, illness, and just plain laziness at times. What I wish I had done this morning was pray for God's guidance before I left the bed and offer up an offering of thanksgiving. Sadly that was not where my mind went. I was dreading the pain that hits me when I walk instead of going to God for prayer . I do not think I am alone on this. You have a busy day ahead and instead of praying for God to give you strength to accomplish what is on your plate you wallow in self pity. Or you have to deal with a difficult person and instead of asking God to give you and that person a sweet spirit so that you can work together, you wake up plotting how you get rid of that person as soon as possible. As Christians we miss out on so many blessings because we do not ask. Jesus said that "you have not because you do not ask". We miss out on so many blessings because we try to do everything on our own. I have never read in the Bible that there is a special crown waiting for someone who insists on doing everything on their own and never seeks help from God. God wants us to come to Him. He wants us to seek Him for guidance. Just as we as parents take joy in helping our Children, I believe it brings God joy to help us. Let us set aside our pride and seek God for guidance each day, remembering to give Him praise and glory that He deserves. Betty This morning there is a squirrel at two feeders and one on the ground. Earlier was a blue bird as well. Watching nature can bring hope to your heart and a smile to your lips. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Friday, Prov. 8:17I love those who love me,and those who seek me will find me. Do you ever feel like God is far away, or that your prayers are hitting the ceiling? We all feel that way at times. God is not hiding from us but often it is because we have stopped looking at Him and are focused on our circumstances. The more we focus on our circumstances the bigger it grows until it seems that there is no solution or answer to our situation. In our own strength that may be true but there is no problem or no circumstances that is beyond the control of God. This doesn't mean we go to bed and pull the covers over our heads. There may be some actions that we have to take. First we must seek the face of God for guidance to know what actions to taken. Many times in my life, I have jumped in head first and then had to pray for God to fix my mess. Yes He did, but things were much messer and there were consequences because I did not seek the will of God first. So much better to seek God's will before we begin. God wants us to seek Him. He wants us to long to know Him more and more each day. This takes more then a quick prayer of protection before you get in your car in the morning and a quick prayer before you fall asleep at night. Just as in a relationship with a person takes time and effort so does a relationship with our Heavenly Father. We are going to spend an eternity with Him. Don't you think it would be good to get to know Him before we get to Heaven? Today you may have situations to deal with and unexpected problems may arise, take a moment to seek guidance from God before making a decision. His solutions are always going to be better than ours. Have a blessed day and take time to give praise to our Savior, Jesus. Betty I have had a couple of squirrels. Bertha chased off a few when she was aggravating one of the cats. One has come back and Bertha is in the house for her morning nap. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Thursday, The Untamable Tongue. James 3 3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed,[a] we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.[b] James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. As Christians just like non Christians are mouth often gets us in trouble. We speak in anger and with sharp words that wound others. In anger we react and our words can tear down a person's self esteem. We comfort ourselves by reminding ourselves that the person in our opinion deserved it are started it. Yet we forget that many times the only Christan that person knows is us. We are in our anger a poor example of Christianity and a bad reflection on God. I know because I have been there many times, myself. It is not just cursing but our words can degrade a person and cut them down. When our anger is over we forget but that person may be haunted by words that make them feel less of a person and questions their abilities. People often joke about cutting a person down to size, but the reality is words can cut a person's self esteem and make them feel less then others. Words can never be taken back. We can apologize but only God can heal the hole in someone caused by evil words. The Bible reminds us how powerful words are and how powerful the tongue is to wound and destroy. Reputations are destroyed by words. Marriage can be destroyed by words. A child can be wounded for life because of growing up in a home where words were used in anger to cut the child. As Christan's we need to be more careful of the words that come out of our mouths. We all get in arguments from time to time, but maybe we should start a pattern of putting the conversation on hold. Just tell the other person let us end the discussion at this point and spend several days in prayer and then we can take the conversation up again. True the other person may get mad and hang up on you or if it is in person that may walk off mad. If this is the case you do the praying for both of you. Even if it is a non Christian, you can tell the person that you care for them and you do not want to speak in anger and need to take some time to seek God's help on a way to solve the situation so it is in favor of both of you. As Christians we need to start the day in prayer and ask God to not be with us and protect us but to help us to only speak words that will bring glory to Him and not to shame Him. Of course there will be times we goof up. We are human. When this happens and it will, as soon as you get a moment, pray a silent prayer of confession and seek forgiveness for yourself. Then pray that God will comfort the one you hurt. Our words do not have to be evil they can be words of comfort and blessings to others. Let us encourage our fellow workers and people we meet every day. A simple thank you can go along way to a worker who feels unappreciated. You might say that no one at my job ever says any encouraging words to me. This is when you remind yourself that God loves you and sent His only Son to die for you. One day God will take you to Heaven there is a mansion and a crown waiting for you. Encourage yourself in the Lord and remind yourself of your eternity in Heaven. May our words today be pleasing to God. Betty This morning two squirrels eating. One squirrel is sitting in the bowl to eat -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Afternoon and Happy Wednesday, 1 Cor 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. Years ago one denomination removed songs that mentioned the blood of Jesus from the Hymn books because they found it offensive. Yet it is the precious blood of Jesus that bought and paid for our salvation. Today many Churches no longer talk about the Cross and the Precious blood of Jesus. Sadly many Churches have become more of a place to hear a inspirational speech and not a sermon reminding us to repent of our sins. We are apt to hear how wonderful we are and how much God wants to give us, in finances, good health, and success at work. God does want to bless us, that is true. Yet not every Christian will attain wealth, not every Christian will have good health and not every Christian will have success. When everything is going great for us, it is tempting to think that the guy or gal at Church that is having a bad time in life, must not be right with God. Yet that may be far from the truth. That person may be a stronger Christian than you and I and God is taking them on a path that you and I are not spiritually mature enough to handle. As Christians sadly, we often are quick to judge one another when only God knows the heart. The reality spiritually growing Christians will walk down stony paths and will travel down into the valleys. When they do, they need more than an inspirational speech on Sunday morning. They need a Preacher who will feed them meat from the Gospel. Let us not run from the blood or ignore the cross but embrace them. As the old song says, let us embrace and cherish the Old Rugged Cross. We are living in the day when indeed the Cross is despised and rejected and those who believe in repentance and confession are considered ignorant and misguided. Yet it is those who have knelt and laid their sins out at that cross who will be in Heaven. Never be ashamed of the blood of Jesus or the old rugged cross. Jesus still bears the scars from that cross. He is not ashamed of what He went through to save your soul. Let us as Christians NEVER shy away from admitting we are saved by the precious blood of Jesus. Jesus says anyone who is ashamed of Him on earth, He will be ashamed of in eternity. Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. We cannot get saved any other way. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday,    This morning as I did my morning chores, I was in pain as usual, but I felt discouraged, today. I had to remind myself that I had just this weekend promised my family that I would not give up.  It is hard not to give up when you carry a burden a long time.  As Christians we often carry burdens over a long period.  While in our head we know that God has a reason and we realize that we can grow spiritually, we are human and long hauls can be physically , emotionally, and spiritually draining.  If we are not careful we can give into discouragement  and instead of growing spiritually we can instead lose ground spiritually.  As Christians we want to stand tall and firm like an oak tree, and most of the time we do.  Yet there are our bad days when the devil can get a foot in the door and lead us down the path of despair and discouragement.  This is the time that we have to encourage ourselves, not beat ourselves up.  Let's face it we are often kinder and more gentle with others than ourselves.  When the devil whispers in our ears words of discouragement, let us go to Scripture and remind ourselves of the words of God where He promises to be with us.  There is victory ahead, though we may not see it today.  Let us not give into discouragement but cry out to Heavenly Father and ask for an extra blessing on those days that we are struggling.  The enemy the devil, seeks to destroy us, while Jesus is leading us into victory.  As in battle victory is won through sweat, tears, and blood, spiritual battles are won the same way.  Jesus never promised a easy road to Heaven, but He did promise that Heaven will be worth every battle we go through on earth.  If you too are getting discouraged, post your name and I will pray for you.  I do not need to know the circumstances,  God does.  Let us as Christians pray for one another and encourage each other until the day that God calls us home. Betty   I have 6 squirrels this morning and am listening to chatter of the birds. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Monday, Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He knows every hair on our hair and He wants us to know Him. In 1992 there was a hit by Bette Middler called "In the Distance", it showed God watching us from a distance. It was a nice song and I liked the song but the philosophy was wrong. God is not watching us from a distance. He is with us daily and He wants His children to know Him better. We say we want to know God better but are we making the effort? Are spending time to get to know God better? Do we worry what God may hear or see when He walks with us on a daily bases? The other day hubby had a bad day in his shop making pens. He joked that he was glad the Pastor was not there to hear a few choice words come out of his mouth after he had blown out his fourth pen. But he forgot that God was there. Before we judge my hubby think about the last time someone cut you off on the freeway, or you were trying to put the fridge back together after you cleaned it out. Us ladies have our own choice words while they may not be as bad as the men, we wouldn't want to say them in front of our Pastor, and yet God is there. I say this to remind us that God is always with us so why not try to get to know him more personally? The more we get to know our Heavenly Father the sweeter our relationship with Him will grow. God is not some mad judge off in the unknown but our living Heavenly Father who cares about our daily struggles and our daily pains. Let us seek to know Him each day in a more intimately way. Talk to God about what is bothering you. He cares for you. Tell Him about what hurts you and allow Him to soothe your hurts and pains. I see a blue jay and and a yellow flower. The trees are dressed in their green leaves and are standing proud. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Blessed Sunday, It did not take long after finishing my morning chores to realize that I am too sick to make it to Church this morning. So me, my iPad, and my dog have gone back to bed. Some times we have to take care of our body and give it the rest it needs and acknowledge that we are just sick to leave the house that day. The same with our soul. Sometimes we have to realize that we have not spent enough time with God and our soul has suffered. This is when we need to spend more time in prayer, in the Bible, and praising God in prayer and songs. Our souls are living and breathing just like our hearts and other organs, without spiritual food they will whither and shrink. The devil knows when we have neglected our soul health and he would like nothing better then to attack us, when we have starved our soul. Even when we are to ill to go to God's House we can feed our soul at home. It is great to be in Church when we can because there is nothing like the fellowship among Christian brethren. But we need to feed our souls every day, just as we feed our bodies every day. I remember hearing a verse in the Bible that says may you prosper as your soul prospers. Sadly there are times that if my life was going like my soul was, I would have been living on bread and water. As Christians we need to be aware of our spiritual health. We need to be aware of our spiritual needs. As we become aware of what we need then let us pray and seek God for our spiritual needs just as we do for our physical needs. When we have prayed, studied Gods Word and spent time praising God, then we can be used by God to be a beacon of hope in a world of fear and despair. May you be blessed today. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, Proverbs 3:6New King James Version (NKJV)6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He shall direct[a] your paths. We live in world where it is important to take care of your needs first. If I am happy and content then I can be nice to others. If I have what I want then I can share with others. It is all about me and my needs. This is how the world turns today. This is not what the Bible teaches us. It is often when we offer encouragement out of out of our own depression that we find our hearts being filed by God with encouragement. God often meets our needs when give to others in the midst of our needs. I am not saying that it is not important to take care of your physical and spiritual needs. If you are running on empty, then you can hardly give to others. But everything does not have to be perfect in your world before you work for God. I have found that I can pray for healing for others even in the midst of my own pain and suffering. We can pray for the needs of others when we also have needs. While the world is focused on everything being about me. The spiritual world of God is focused on the glory of God. God sees the big picture, while we only see what is happening here and now. Even worldly people complain when they spend too much time around someone who cannot talk more then 10 minutes if the conversation is not about themselves. As Christians how often do we talk about God and the goodness of God? If God was to play back the audio of your last 48 hours would your conversation be about encouraging others or about how bad your life is? If you are being convicted do not feel as if I am pointed you out. I believe every Christian has been there before. Instead ask God to forgive you and seek to make your conversations be more about the goodness of God and more about encouraging one another in God. Let us seek to build up one another's faith instead of making them feel defeated. Would it not be wonderful if everyone who talked to you walked away with their faith in God stronger and their trust in God stronger because of the conversation they had with you? In these days of confusion and fear let us be a beacon that points the way to Jesus and reminds our fellow Christians that Jesus is the perfect hope for their lives. Let others see Jesus in you! I have two squirrels feasting in the back yard this morning. The temperature is pleasant and the cats and dog are napping. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Afternoon and Happy Friday, Hebrews 13:5King James Version (KJV)Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. When we read this we believe this with all our heart, but when we are in a midst of the storms of life, it can seem like we are alone. We can feel like not only have our friends and loved ones abandoned us but God must be busy elsewhere. This is a trick of the devil. He likes to divide and conquer. What better way for him to do so then convince us that God is not aware of our circumstances or worse yet convince us that God does not care about our circumstances? Yes we often feel abandon and maybe this is the time for us to grow our faith and trust muscle. To have faith and trust in God no matter what our feelings say to us. It is one thing to read Scripture it is another to believe the Word of God all the way into our bones. To trust in God no matter what our circumstances say or the devil and his demons whisper out our hearts. Every Christan goes through times when we feel abandoned but we can remind ourselves that God is with us by reading the Bible, praying, and singing praise and worship songs. This last Tuesday I drove hubby and I to Bible Study. I was to sick to eat that day and I try to minimize my situation but the leader saw and at prayer time she had the others lay their hands on me and pray for me. This was God's way of letting me know that He knew the pain and discomfort I was in. I was blessed by having others care enough to pray for me. God has not healed me yet, but I know healing is coming and my trust in Him may waver at times but I know healing will come. Sometimes we are healed here on earth and sometimes in Heaven, but I pray that my trust in Gos will be strong and that I will never be an embarrassment to my Savor and Lord. I do not know you situation but what ever you are going through there will be times your faith will waver. When this happens do not beat yourself up over it. Remember you are still living in a human body with all its weakness. Just repent and seek the face of God. We were not called to be perfect Christians. If God wanted perfect Christians, He could have made mankind with not free will and the inability to sin. But he wants us to love Him through our weaknesses. When overcome by trials seek God's face and ask Him to give you strength to overcome and faith to trust Him through your trials. Seek our someone you trust and ask them to pray for you. It is good as human beings to have a fellow Christian wrap their arms around us and show love to us when we are down. God did not call us to be a Christian living on a island with no contact with fellow believers. Just as you can attain comfort from fellow Christians be willing to comfort others. Share God's love and hope with one another. Be a beacon of God's love until He comes for us. May God bless you in a special way today. Betty I have had a few squirrels this morning and birds. Yesterday the woodpecker and a squirrel ate right out side my living room window which made me happy. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Thursday, The trees are clothed again with leaves and the rain last night has left the leaves glistening like diamonds. The flowers are blooming and showing off their glory. Nature is a small reminder of how beautiful the Garden of Eden must of been. Only a slight reminder because the Garden of Eden had no sin, no weeds. Adam and Eve where in charge of the garden but they did not have to weed and toil and do back breaking work to keep the garden in a constant state of beauty. As I took the water out for the garbage men and the mail lady I prayed to God telling Him how much I looked forward to Jesus' thousand year reign on earth when sin will no longer rule the earth and nature will be back to her original glory. What a day that will be! We do not have to be reminded that we live in a sinful world that is getting worse every day. Someone had posted on Facebook: "Please stop saying "I don't know how it can get any worse " because some people are taking it as a challenge". Sadly it that seems to be true. Every time I think I have heard the worse I hear about a new depravity committed against a child or another adult. I honestly do not think we can even imagine how bad it will be on earth after the rapture when the Holy Spirit will no longer be restraining. In the Middle East a Priest was crucified on Good Friday, yet not a peep from the media, for fear of offending Muslim. The attack on Easter in Pakistan that was at a children's park that targeted Christians, the media barely mention and those that did left out that the terrorist targeted Christian children and their mothers. The world is down playing and hiding the evil that radical Muslims are doing while at the same time in America are children are being indoctrinated to believe that Allah is the true God. The School have been pushing humanism on our children for years. We are raising a generation of children who will either turn to the Muslim religion or be atheist. It is no wonder Christian parents often feel overwhelmed and fearful. This is the time to be strong in our faith. This is not the time to be Sunday only Christan's. If you have children make sure to read the Bible with them and pray with them. We all need to pray that God will give us the faith and strength to face the future. None of us know what that will be. Many of us are praying that Jesus will come and get us soon. I know I am, but until that time, let us pray that God will give us what we need to stand strong and firm in our faith and not bring shame to the precious name of Jesus. This is not a time to fear though there are plenty of things to fear, but this is the time to drawl close to God. Remember nothing can happen that He cannot control and be with you every step of the way. Even in the midst of our trials, He can fill our heart with peace and put a song of praise upon our lips. Let us rejoice in our Lord and Savior. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, As I did my morning chores, I heard this funny noise. I was standing at the Mail box, when I realized that it sounded like a woodpecker pecking on aluminum siding. Sure enough the woodpecker that I have know since it was a baby was pecking away at the siding. I was standing in the road laughing out loud at a bird that could not understand why it was not getting the results it wanted. I remember when that bird was so small and was first learning to peck a tree. Now it eats at my living room window frequently and brings me joy. Surely God must look at us sometimes and laugh out loud and the things we do and say. Yet there are times that He must weep when He sees us step back into the same on pattern that led to sin in the past. Or when right after a victory we become fearful. Look at Elijah after God brought down fire from Heaven and burned the offering and alter filled with water, Elijah became so overcome with fear at the Queen that He ran away to die. He did not just run away to hide but to die. Sometimes our biggest failures come immediately after success. One would think at that time our trust would be at a all time high, and yet, that is not always the case. Reading about Elijah should not make us more fearful for ourselves. It should make us realize that after success we need to drawl closer and closer to God. Knowing that enemy is set to defeat us should make us seek out the one who can defeat the devil, God. Remember while the Church will be with Jesus at the battle of Armageddon, the Church will not be involved in the fight itself. The Bible says that Jesus will defeat His enemies with the Words that come out of His mouth. God did not call us to defeat the devil but to trust in God and lean on God for our victory. As long as we live on this earth in our earthly bodies we will sin and we will fail. When we do, let us seek forgiveness and turn from our sins. There is coming a day when we will no longer walk in sinful corruptible bodies but will live in a glorified body and walk on streets of gold. Until the day let us seek to walk close to God and seek His will daily. There are man things we do not understand and will not understand until we see Jesus face to face. Until that day, we should totally lean on Jesus, walk by faith, and trust Him. God is still on His throne and He still in control. He is allowing mankind to have their own way and allowing Countries to choose to wallow in sin but one day Nations and their leaders will stand before God and give account of the choices they made. Those who chose sin in order to win elections will answer to the Almighty God. Those who have blood on their hands will give account for that. For now it seems that sin is winning but one day sin will be defeated and sinners will be judged. Do not be wise in the ways of the world but be wise in the ways of God. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, Have you ever felt like you were stuck in the Valley of Tears? You had been in a situation so long that it seemed like you would live the rest of your life there? Even if you did not give in to despair and depression, it seemed if the devil had his demons there singing their duet day after day? I believe most of us have to some extent. We do not understand why God allows to be stuck there especially if it is long length of time. Yet there is a purpose a higher purpose for our suffering. There are many things we can learn in the valley of tears. We can learn to commit ourselves wholly to God; body, soul, and mind. We can grow spiritually as we give ourselves to God. We can be a shinning example to others that even in the valley a Christan can still have a heart of love and kindness for others. God does not abandon us in the valley and even on the darkest days He will comfort us and surround us with His love. There will be times that you will feel that people have abandoned you. Sometimes that is a lie from the devil and other times it is true becomes people tend to run from the valley for fear they will become ensnared in your suffering. Don't become angry at them they do not mean to hurt you but instead pray for them. In the midst of your suffering you will be encouraged by praying for others. There will come a day when God will plant your feet in the mountain top and give you your own personal revival of joy, but for today accept your valley with grace and peace. Pray every day that God will help you grow and guide you into the position that He wants you. The greatest place to be, whether it is in the valley or on the mountaintop, is to be where God wants you to be. Where ever we are let us always be seeking to do God's will and be thankful to God in all or circumstances. There is victory ahead. We may not see it from the bottom of the valley, but God has a plan and He will work everything out for our good. This morning I have two squirrels chasing each other up and down the tree and another squirrel eating at a feeder. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Monday,     The Monday after Easter can be a let down.  Easter Services were so glorious and we felt so blessed and here it is Monday.........   Boring Monday.   It is like falling off the mountain top to the trenches below.  We need to remind ourselves that it is in the day to day mundane living that we best serve our Lord and Savior.  It is on your job that you shine your light for Jesus.  It is your daily living that others can see Jesus in you.  Sunday's are when we get refueled but it is the weekdays that we work for God.  God doesn't call us to live in the Church but to go out into the world and share the Gospel with others.  We are to be the light in a world of darkness.  Our world is getting darker every day and sin is no longer something that is done in the dark but it is glorified and admired.  The light of God needs to be shinning through His children so that the world can see it.  Not everyone is embracing evil but they do not know the answer.  We as children of God have the answer.  Let us be loving and kind as we deal with people so that others will want to know what it is that we have.  Let others see Jesus in us.  Pray that God will use you to reach hurting people for Christ.  It is safe to say that many people feel alone today.  Even in a crowd they do not feel like anyone cares about them.  Let them know with your smile and  kindness that you care and then you may get the opportunity to share with them the One that cared enough about them that He died to save them. Be blessed and share your blessings with others.   Have  couple of squirrels this morning.  Dog is in an ornery mood and wants to aggravate the squirrels.  I had to bribe her with a cookie to stay in the house. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Easter, "I serve a risen Savior He’s in the world today. I know that He is living, Whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer; And just the time I need Him He’s always near. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart. 2 In all the world around me I see His loving care, And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair; I know that He is leading, Through all the stormy blast; The day of His appearing Will come at last. 3 Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs To Jesus Christ the King! The Hope of all who seek Him, The Help of all who find, None other is so loving, So good and kind." We often look at Christmas as Christians as our favorite day of the year. True if Jesus had never came to earth as a baby there would be no Easter. Without Easter there would be no salvation. We would live the best we could without guidance from above and without the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us and spend eternity without God. We would be most hopeless in life and in death. But praise God not only did Jesus choose to leave the glories of Heaven to live as a man but He chose to die on a cross to pay for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God. How sad it is that so many reject His precious gift and choose to spend eternity in hell rather in Heaven with God! As Christians today let us rejoice because of what this day means to all of us and let us praise Jesus for His sacrifice that has paid our way into Heaven. May we never forget that our salvation was bought with precious blood. This morning Jeff and his fiance, Sarah are joining us for Church. I am very blessed. My daughter would have to drive and hour and half each way but I am grateful that she will be in her Church this morning. I have two squirrels eating this morning. Be blessed my friends and be thankful. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, John 19:25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,here is your son,” 27and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. We often think of Good Friday and Easter, but little is made of the Saturday in between. This day had to be filled with depression and despair. Mary who had sacrificed her youth to bring forth a child in a way that was sure to cause gossip must have wondered why God allowed her to go through all of that only to see her son die a cruel death on the cross. The disciples who gave three years of their lives following a man who they believed would save Israel and become a King on earth, saw their dream go to ashes when He was crucified. Not only were they afraid that the Pharisees would come after them next and kill them but their hearts were broken because the person they loved and put their trust in was dead. All their hopes and dreams had died on that cross. How could they trust in a God who would allow His son to die such a cruel death? All of their hope was gone and their hearts were filled with despair. They could not see that in one day the greatest miracle of all would happen before their eyes and what they had seen as the end would actually be the beginning of everything. Sometimes our lives are like this. Sometimes when we feel we have hit bottom and there is no escape we are actually on the verge of a miracle. Sadly, some of us give up right before a victory. There is a victory coming. We will soon walk on streets of gold. Yet, between then and that great day we may have to walk on roads that seemed to be paved with broken glass and filled with pot holes. Let us not give up. Let us not grow weary. Victory is ahead my friends. Encourage yourself in the Word of God. We may be living in that Saturday but praise God the Blessed Sunday is coming when Jesus will call His children to come up and we will be given glorified bodies that will never know pain or disease again. We will be having a Shout -in time in Heaven that will out shine every revival we have ever attended. Stand firm in your faith and stand strong for the Lord, our Resurrection Day is coming soon! Let is be mindful today of the sacrifice God made. Let us be grateful and thankful that because He sacrificed His Son, we will spend an eternity with Him. God loves us so much that He gave His most precious gift to reconcile us to Himself. Let us not be guilty of taking that gift for granted. As we await that glorious day when God tells Jesus to go get His children, let us be working for God. Let us have a spirit of praise and worship. Try to be in God's House tomorrow as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. What a joyful day to be worshipping with fellow believer the day that brought salvation to mankind. For if Jesus was still in the tomb there would be no hope for us. Praise God that He is alive and sitting in the throne in Heaven. Betty This morning I have several squirrels enjoying their feasts. The dog and cats are taking their morning naps. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Afternoon and Blessed Good Friday, "I had a debt I could not pay, He paid the debt He did not owe, I needed someone, To wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song, “Amazing grace” all day long, Christ Jesus paid the debt, That I could never pay." For the most today's significance is forgotten by the world and taken for granted by many Christians. The greatest gift ever given to mankind and yet sadly most of man kind reject the gift and some Christians take for granted the gift of salvation that they received. I have been guilty myself in the past of taking this gift for granted. Sadly even some Christians do not get serious about their soul until they are seriously ill. I understand that we get caught up in living day to day with daily problems and stress. When you are young, you think that you have all the time in the world to be concerned about your soul. Sometimes you do and sometimes people die young. Most all of us have heard a Preacher plead for people to get saved emphasizing that you do not know if you will have a chance to get saved again. It's easy to dismiss that as a fear speech but the reality there are people in hades who rejected their last sermon. Let us never go to sleep at night with out making peace with our God and creator. As Christians let us not take for granted the precious gift Jesus gave us when He shed His blood and died for us on the cross. Today let us be more aware of what this day means. Let us have a spirit of thankfulness for the sacrifice Jesus made for us. He chose to die on the cross to purchase our salvation. Let us choose to have a heart of thanksgiving and praise to our Savior and Lord. If you have not accepted the gift of salvation, accept Jesus today. No one is promised tomorrow. Not only does Jesus want to provide a home in Heaven for you, but He wants to walk with you every day. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Thursday, Full Definition of empathy 1 : the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it 2 : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicitmanner; also : the capacity for this Full Definition of compassion : sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate As I was doing my chores this morning, I was reminded of a conversation I had with my hubby last night. I had told him of a situation when a waitress had left a nasty note on the receipt because she was offended by one of the customers health issues . I told him that people today lack compassion and empathy. When I was a teenager there was a hit son called "What the world needs now is love ". I believe the world as a whole needs a fresh dose of empathy and compassion for others. Even as Christians when we are having a bad day can be quilty of thinking "better then then me" when we hear of someone has a serious problem. We may not phrase ours words that way but if we are honest our first feeling is relief that is not us instead of heartfelt compassion for the sufferer. If we are not careful the devil can take us further so that we find a way to blame the sufferer for their problem. It's if we can blame them we do not have to feel compassion nor have to ask if there is anything we can do to help them. We can walk away with a clean conscious, without having to do anything. Of course we are not always in a position to help everybody, but there is no excuse for not praying for those hurting. Is our first thought to pray for people when we hear they are in trouble? I admit it is not always my first thought. When you are in the grocery store checkout line, glance at the magazine titles. Often the headlines is trashing one half of a couple that is splitting. Gossip and trashing people's reputation sells, compassion doesn't. As Christians we do not have to be like to world. If we hear of someone divorcing or losing their home, we do not have to spread the gossip to others. We can choose to have heartfelt compassion and pray for all concerned. Sometimes we use pray request as a way to gossip. This is not necessary. We can be the Anderson's of the Brown Family on the prayer list as unspoken prayer request of just ask people to pray for the family. If someone presses you for the details just remind them that God knows the situation and leave it at that. Do not add to a family's suffering by spreading gossip about them. Let us as God's children be compassionate towards one another. Let us pledge to God to be a source of comfort to the suffering and not a cryer in the streets repeating gossip about them. God will bless you as you seek to comforter and be a healer to the suffering and not a destroyer. Let us pray that God will give us a heart with empathy and compassion for others. Jesus bore our suffering can we not be compassate on others that are suffering? Seek each day to show compassion, kindness, and empathy towards everyone you meet. Betty Psalm 111:4King James Version (KJV) 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Matthew 14:14King James Version (KJV) 14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, I remember when I was a young and our Church would have Revivals. The Holy Spirit would work and the shyest man would dance in the Spirit. There was shouting and you could feel God in that place. When you left to go home, you felt like you weighed less because you were so blessed by the Holy Spirit. As Christians we love our Mountaintop experiences. There are needed to refresh us in the Lord and God loves to give us the gift of the Mountain top experience. Most of us would love it if our whole life we lived on the mountaintop. We can imagine living in a place where it is Heaven on earth, where all prayers are answered instantly, and no one gets sick or dies. Yet, if we looked at the big picture, we would see that if God put all His children on the mountaintop protected by the Holy Spirit, we would all be baby Christians. Our faith would never be challenged so like a muscle never used, our faith would never grow. We would not have trust because like faith trust would never develop. The great Mission God gave the Church would go unfulfilled because we would be so busy feeling good that we would never leave the bubble to share the Gospel with others. So our generation would be the last people to be saved. Our idea of having a lifetime praise and worship gift to God would become clear soon that it is a selfish desire. Except for those called to be Missioners, God did not save us to leave out jobs and families to go live on a Mountaintop. He wants us to live for Him where we live and on our jobs. And along with our daily lives comes valleys. Valleys are hard and uncomfortable but very necessary. It is in the midst of the valley that you learn trust and your faith grows. Spiritual growth comes in the dark and often scary valleys. It is in the hard times that you learn to lean on Jesus. That you truly know the power of the Holy Spirit working in you. As humans our natural indication is to fight against the valley, but when we submit to God's will we can let go of fear and trust God even in the midst of the valley. We all want to be strong Christians, but we often try to escape the valley. God wants us to trust Him and allow Him to do a work in us. Remember God is with us on the mountaintop and He is with us in the valley. Whatever place God has us, let us live every day with a prayer of thanksgiving on our lips and a willingness to submit to God's will. Betty God of the mountain by Lynda Randle Verse 1 Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain And you've got peace of mind, like you've never known But things change, when you're down in the valley Don't lose faith, for your never alone Chorus: For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, he'll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night Verse 2 We talk of faith way up on the mountain But talk comes easy, when life's at its best Now its down in the valleys, trials and temptations That's where your faith is really put into the test Chorus: For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, When things go wrong, he'll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, Psalm 10:10 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? When we look around and see the wickedness that is abundant in this world that seems to go unchecked, we often wonder if God has gone on vacation. Or does He just not care anymore? What we see as inactivity is actually God's patience. Giving everyone a chance to get saved before the trumpet blows at the rapture. The guilty will not go unpunished and God will have His justice. God does see the evil in the world and he will repay. As we wait for God's timing are we redeeming the time? Are we living for Jesus? I waste so much time. I often get caught up in games and other things that keep me from working for God. Other times I give into depression, as my body hurts and the symptoms of the disease become unpleasant and uncomfortable. I would love to say that I always serve God with a serene smile on my face and my faith is always strong, but that would be a lie. There are times that I give in to despair. Times that I cry and question God. Yet I have found that I serve God that is over flowing with mercy and love and in my dark times He wraps me in His perfect love and peace. Never give into the devil's lies. He will try to convince you that God doesn't care about your pain, desperation, and loneliness. God does care and though there are sometimes we may not feel Him there, He never leaves us or forsakes us. It is as we begin to pray and worship God that the Holy Spirit will cover us with grace and love. In your distress and through your pain call out to Jesus. Reject the lies of the devil who would convince you to run from God. As we worship God and praise Him in the midst of our struggles, He will strengthen us. Life is such a short time and our suffering such a short period compared to the eternity in Heaven, that awaits the children of God. We can rejoice in the midst of our pain and we can praise God in the midst of our despair. Let us not give up when we are so close to the end. Keep your eyes on Jesus and when the devil whispers lies in your ears drown out his voice with songs of praise and worship. Praise God today for the victory that is coming tomorrow. This morning there is several squirrels and the humming bird has made a visit. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Afternoon and Happy Monday, I was awake until 4:30 this morning so I slept late, but that is okay. Since I have been sick I am learning sometimes we have to cut ourselves some slack. As we enter Easter week we should remind ourselves of the great sacrifice that Jesus made to save us from our sins. This is a good time to not only be more grateful to God but to express our praise to our Heavenly Father even more. Easter Sunday is a day that some people go to Church who only go once a year. Let us be praying that God will open hearts to be receptive to the calling of the Holy Spirit to receive salvation. What a wonderful Easter it will be if many people accepted Jesus as their personal Savior! We should be praying for our Pastor, that God will give Him the right words to say and that the Holy Spirit will be on him when he shares the Gospel, Sunday. Sometimes Easter Sunday can be chaotic, with grown kids and grand kids visiting Church with family. This would be a good time to pray that the Holy Spirit will move in the service. As we draw closer to God, we find we have a strong urgency to see our loved ones saved. This is a good thing. Take time this week to pray for your Church, your Pastor, and your lost loved ones. Our Heavenly Father is gracious and kind and even in our trials He brings comfort and peace to our hearts and mind. When you are overwhelmed by life take a moment to reach out to God in prayer and ask Him to give you peace and to guide you. We will go through things that we may not understand until we get to Heaven, but we do not have to go through them alone. Not only is God with us but we can reach out to fellow Christians and ask them to pray for us. This morning I have had several birds at my feeders. We purchased 135 lbs of bird feed yesterday because it was on sale so my birds should be set for awhile. There are some days as I sit in my chair and look out the window, that I am hurting or depressed and I will see the birds or a squirrel right outside my window and I say a prayer of thanksgiving to my Heavenly Father who loves me so much that He sends the birds and squirrels to encourage me. What a marvelous God we serve! Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Blessed Sunday, Psalm 139: 23Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. As many of us go to worship in the House of God today may those verses be our hearts prayer. May we be open to God not only pointing out areas that we need to change but open to change. May we be willing to allow Him to work in every area of our lives and commit ourselves to Him completely. Let us be willing vessels for God to fill with His Holy Spirit and willing vessels to work for His glory. Let us seek to be Holy in the eyes of our Father and pure in His ways. This can only come by allowing Him to work in us and through us. May God bless you today and keep you and your family safe Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, We live in a world that is both simple and complex. A person who lived in the 30's would be shocked at all the electronics and machines we have to make life more simple like: dishwashers, microwaves, and slow cookers that can be set to start and turn off themselves. Yet we are probably one of the most stressed generations with many of us having to take pills to cope with stress and depression.. More stuff is supposed to save us time and yet we are often running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get 30 hours of work done in 24 hours. Women are expected to have it all a powerful job, perfect children, and a social life. Men are protrayed on TV in movies as fumbling fools and then we wonder why kids do not respect their dads. Sadly even worse the last two generations the women did not even want a man in their lives even though they chose to have children. Parents are raising young people with no respect for authority and entitlement agenda. This has led to a generation in college who think that they should not have to earn anything and should be given everything they want . In college they are taught to disrespect Religion and God. We have a generation that is not only ripe for socialism but ripe to accept the anti-Christ. Those parents who try to speak the truth are considered old fashioned and less educated. Yet in the midst of all this if you go to a good Bible preaching Church you will find young people who still believe in God, the Bible, and family values. While most colleges have not only kicked God out but are actively teaching Satan's agenda, there are still parents who are raising their children in God fearing homes and in the House of God. We who not longer have children in schools should pray for our young people at our Church. Pray that they Schools will not discourage them and that they will not lose their faith in God. Being a Christian today has its challenges but being a Christian young person has many more. Let us pray that they do not lose heart. The times we are living in has it's good and bad, there is no doubt. There is every reason to believe that we are living in the time that the rapture will take place. This alone makes this a troubling but wonderful time to be living. Let us be pray warriors that will stand in the gap for our Christian young people. I believe God is calling more and more of us to be prayer warriors. The news is troubling today with different groups threatening riots in November. We have seen riots in other parts of the Country and we know this is a legitimate concern. Remember we cannot control other people but we can pray that God will protect us and guide us. It is okay to have some concerns. That is normal. Let us not lose heart or our faith, because we trust in a living God. He has not left His throne nor has the world spinned out of His control. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Friday, Gal 6:9. And let us not be weary in welldoing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Why is this verse in the Bible? Is it not because God knows His children well. He knows that even in the joy of serving Him, we can and will be tempted to grow weary. It is not a threat but a promise that if we continue inspite of our physical and emotional weariness we shall reap a reward in season. Add in the devil who loves to whisper fear, doubt, and despair in your ear and we can grow weary even if we enjoy the task God has given us. In every position in the Church, the person can be tempted to give up or half heartily do their task. A pastor studies for hours to preach the sermon that God has given him, only to look out at the congregation and see many people who are not paying attention. One person might be playing games on their cell phone and another writing notes back and forth to the person next to them. The Pastor might me tempted to just go online and grab a sermon and just forget about praying and sacrificing his time, when it seems some people are not even listening. The singer who practices for hours only do see a few people use their song to be the time to run to the restroom. As you can see it is easy to feel unappreciated when you are working so hard doing God's work. What is the problem here? It is simply when people are judging the worth of their work by the acceptance of people and not the value of their work to God. We cannot see into people's heart. We do not know when God is reaching someone with our words or our songs. It is when we do everything for the pleasure of God then we can relax and allow God to work in the hearts of men. Of course it is great when someone tells us that the words we say or the song we sang touched their hearts. But our main goal is to do everything for the glory of God. One day in Heaven we will receive our rewards if we faint not. This doesn't mean we do not need physical rest. This is talking more about giving up and quitting. It is sad when a person has used their talent for God has given up and cannot be bothered anymore. Do we as children of God seek to have a servant's heart? Are we willing to be used by God in the way and will of God? Are we open to step out of our comfort zone and allow God to use us? That is a question for every Christian. The answer comes through prayer and trust in God. We can know that God will never call us to do something that He does not equip us for. He will not send you out on a limb and leave you there alone. He will be with you and guide you every step of the way. What is God calling you to do? My sweet mom had a heart for the elderly. Even when I was in High School, my mom visited old folks home regularly. She would walk the halls and talk to strangers and touch them in a loving way. When we lost my youngest sister instead of mom growing bitter to God she stepped up her visits to the elderly in nursing homes and in their own homes. I was a witness going with her many times to see how God began to heal my mom's pain as she gave herself lovingly to others. Are we willing to serve God in the midst of our pain? Are we a generation of fair weather Christians who are only willing to serve God when things go our way? Growing up in Church I knew many Christan's who served the Lord out of their physical weakness's and disabilities. Today I fear that me and other Christians have become spoilt and only want to work for God when God makes our path straight and the walkway smooth for our feet. As the world becomes increasingly angry and hateful to Christians do we have the spiritual fortitude to stand for God? Are we just bottle fed Christians who at the first sign of persecution are going to hide our faith so no one sees? You may say that I am harsh and how dare I ask these questions of you. Yet my heart is wounded and my soul is convicted because I know my own weakness and my own failures. Anyone who knows me well, says you should be talking your self and I am. I once told Pastor Trent after Church that his message stepped all over my toes. He patted me in the back and said that the message stepped on his toes, also. God is calling His children out of the playpen. It is no long the time that we can coast until we die. We need to pray and seek wisdom and spiritual strength so that we can withstand the wiles of the devil. Let us be the Christian Soldiers that God has called us to be. This will require us to pray for ourselves and one another. God's grace is sufficient for us. We do not have to hide in fear but pray that God will equip us with His power and strength. Be blessed today, my friend. If my words offended you, I pray that God will comfort you and allow you to see His will in your life. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Thursday, Deut 10:17. For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:18-22) As Christians we often make the mistake of comparing our lives to other Christians. We wonder why they receive blessings in areas that we do not. We wonder why sometimes children of God receive healing on earth and others receive their healing in Heaven. Why is it our friend prayed for a job and got a job in a week while we suffered for 6 months before we got out job? The Bible makes it clear that God is not partial towards His children and yet He doesn't always treat His children the same. This is something that is hard to wrap our brain around. Even Peter question Jesus about his future compared to John's. Jesus quickly let Peter know that John's future was none of Peter's business. As Christians we are to walk by faith and in the will of God. We can know with out a doubt that God has a reason for everything. If you are around someone that God chooses to heal in Heaven who have made their peace with God in their situation, you will see a person not struggling against their path but waking in grace as they accept the will of God. When we are waiting on that job we can use the time to grow spiritually and grow in faith and trust. Waiting is hard and is never easy but when we struggle against God's will we make ourselves and those around us miserable. Of course there are times that we grow tired and depressed over our situation, but instead of reacting in anger, let us take our tears and questions to God and lay them at His feet. Be honest with God. Tell him that you are hurting and are sad, telling him about your desperation, remind Him of your human weakness just like King David often did. As your cry out before Him, you will find that He will strengthen your heart and spirit. God will meet your needs, but maybe not in your time period. Learning to be patient and having a sweet attitude in God's time is often how we grow as Christians. Do not give up though the temptation may be great. There is victory ahead. Share your burdens with fellow Christians so that you can gain comfort and support. God does not want us to walk alone as if we are orphans. We are apart of the body of Christ. Let us lean on one another and inspire and be inspired by others.. Remember your hope is in Almighty God, Himself. God still answers prayer and prayer daily making your request known to God. As you wait for your answer take the time and pray for others, also. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, When we look beyond ourselves and our problems at the wonderful universe God created we can see just a small part of His creative genius. We live in a sinful and corruptible world but we can still some of the beauty that existed at the beginning. It is enough to allow us to imagine to some extent how the earth was when she as just an infant in all her glory before sin. Knowing that one day God will not only give His children glorified bodies but He will heal earth and nature, should fill us with joy. When lions will lie down peacefully by lambs and children will be safe around snakes. When no longer will evil run amok and sin be the normal on earth. This is the future that we as children of God, can look forward to with great expectation and great hope. The Bible says that nature itself groans for that day to come. When our eyes are set on our wonderful future then we can live our days knowing this present pain is just a short period that will soon pass and our future is one we can look forward to, with much joy and hope. This does not mean we do not have to live today. Today does have its troubles and we are encouraged to seek God's help and mercy each day to survive. Yet when we remind ourselves of our heavenly future we can realize that our troubles will only last a short period and a new glorious day is coming. Let us not live like children of no hope, with our heads hung down and our hearts heavy laden. Instead let us serve our Heavenly Father with joy and thanksgiving. Troubles, we will have, but we can choose to trust and praise God through them. Set your eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of your faith. The King is coming! Let us seek to live in a way that will be pleasing to Jesus. May we all hear "My good and Faithful Servant" when we see Jesus face to face. This morning just a few birds and there is a gentle breeze that is gently moving the tree branches. As I look out the window, I long for the rapture and as I often do. Whatever this day holds I know that I am not alone for God is with me. Have a blessed day, my friends. I pray that God will meet your needs today. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, Yesterday was a hard day for me physically, in fact it was several days in a row that I felt worse then normal. Yet this morning as I put food out for the squirrels and birds and of course my babies (my pets), there was a slight breeze that was cool and with the flowers it was a pleasant scented breeze. This morning I felt I was walking in a blessing from God. Those of us that have diseases that are chronic know that as time goes on that the disease will progress and get worse. This does not mean we have to give up. Even if God chooses not to heal us on earth, He brings our way blessings and encouragement that not only brings smiles to our faces but keeps us going day to day. Some of you deal with people who are either not Christians are not right with God, they bring into the relationship their doubts, anger, and bitterness. There are times that you feel you are living in a toxic dome. We wonder why God doesn't knock that person in then head and change them. Most likely because of your prayers God is working on them. But remember God gives that person freedom of choice and while He will work on them, He will not change them against their will. For now keep praying for them. Do not give up. Remember sometimes people get worse before they get better. So keep praying for them and live an example of a loving caring Christian in front of them. This may mean you have to bite your tongue sometimes, but you are honoring God by but not flying off the handle. Sometimes you man have to walk away and pray and regroup. But remember that person who seems to take pleasure in being ugly to you is a miserable unhappy person. Because they choose not to seek God to help them change they do not have to option of waking away from the toxic environment they live it. Whether it is they are too prideful to seek God's help or blinded to the sin in their own life they choose to live a down trodden sin beaten life. Keep praying for them. As you go through today let us look for the little things that God brings our way to help lighten our load. With me, the squirrels are getting brave enough to eat close to my living room window. I can sit and look them in the eye. This one of the blessings God brings my way. The best thing we can do for ourselves is remember how the wonderful things that God has done for us. The devil prefers we dwell on the bad things in our lives, because he wants us to be depressed and ungrateful Christians. But, we start counting our blessings like the old Gospel song says we begin to get a spring in our step and we encourage ourselves in the Lord. There are so many things in our lives to be thankful for. Let us dwell of them and not dwell on the bad. Keep praying for your lost loved ones and friends. Remember it is not too late to pray. May God bless you today and bring joy, hope, and peace to you. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Monday, Even when we have our best intentions, there are times that we can be rude and unChristian in our behavior. Sometimes we do not even realize it at the time. Yesterday I made it to Church but I was in pain all during Church and at times I had trouble breathing and had to use my inhaler. After Church service my friend asks if I was going to Bible study on Tuesday and said that I planed on it and she moved away rather quickly. It was not until I got home that God convicted me of being rude and taking my discomfort out on Sherry. I texted her and I apologized. She told me I should have told her and the Pastor that I was suffering and they would have prayed for me. It never entered my mind. I know that I am not alone on this. As Christians we often suffer alone. Our brothers and sisters in Christ would love to pray for us but we do not share out burden and we become overwhelmed and exhausted rather then admit to another Christian that we need help. Sometimes it is because we feel unworthy. We feel our needs our not as important as others. Sometimes it is pride. We are ashamed that we cannot carry our load on our own with a huge smile on our face. Sometimes we just don't want to be a burden to others. Yet God wants His children to pray for one another and to lift each other up. We are the body of Christ and we are not successful, when we try to be lone Christians living apart from the body. Today you might need to lean on a fellow believer and tomorrow a fellow believer may need to lean on you. When we insist on carrying our load alone we will find ourselves overwhelmed and we will either lash out at others or worse give up. This is something I know I need to work on. We do not have to go into every embarrassing detail. All we have to do is ask someone to pray with us. We can just say we are having a bad time of it. God knows the details. Let us Christians be open to having others pray for us and be open to pray for others. When brothers and sisters stand in the Lord together we can be strong in the Lord Jesus. This morning as I put out the seed, I noticed how pretty and blue the sky is today. I have seen some squirrels and birds. I refilled the humming bird feeder yesterday. I haven't seen the humming bird today but a few bees eating. Have a blessed day. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Blessed Sunday, Hebrews 13:5. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. There are times we do offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. Sometimes we praise God through physical pain. Sometimes we praise God through the midst of emotional pain, but remember your sacrifice does not go unnoticed. I believe there is a sweet fragrance to our praise when it comes from a place of sacrifice. Not only does God bring you a healing touch here and now but I believe there is an reward in Heaven when you praised God even through your tears. I do not know your circumstances but God does. Take time to praise Him today what ever your circumstances are. Not only does he deserve your praise and He most surely does but He will reward you for your sacrifice. If you can be in His house today, make that extra sacrifice of attending Church. May God bless you today as you give to God out of your need and want. Remember nothing we give to God is wasted. Betty We bring the sacrifice of praise Unto the house of the Lord. We bring the sacrifice of praise Unto the house of the Lord. And we offer up to You The sacrifices of thanksgiving; And we offer up to You The sacrifices of joy. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Saturday, Psalm 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Sometimes we do not feel that God is blessing us with His loving kindness. We are overwhelmed by life and our circumstances. Our boss who seems to have problems of his own is making us a scapegoat to vent out his anger. Our mate does not seem to appreciate all we do for them. Every day our own bodies fight against us to the point that we wonder why even bother to get out of bed. If we are not careful we can wallow in self pity to the point that we become bitter and soon no one wants to be around us. I seen a picture of a cat on Facebook with the caption: "I am so grumpy, that I am not even speaking to myself". Funny but sad. The devil will try to convince you that no one else is suffering like you are. The reality is everyone is suffering in their own way. I have yet to run into a Christian in the last year that is not under attack from the devil. He knows his time is short and he seeks to overwhelm Christians and get us so befuddled and depressed that we give up, not our faith but give up working for God. We miss out on opportunities to grow in grace and to share our love and faith with others. But, if we go around defeated and our head hung down then we are no witness for Christ. No one is going to want what we have. It is not about putting on a fake smile and pretending to be happy. Anyone can see through that. It is about looking at the big picture. The first thing we can do is pray for ourselves. Pray that God will open our eyes to any hidden sin in our lives and confess it. Then instead of hating the one who is hurting you, pray for them. Pray sincerely that God will remove the pain in their lives. As you are praying for someone, you will find the healing of forgiveness in your heart. When this occurs you can go around with a real smile on your face. For us that have health issues it is good to remind ourselves of what we can still do. Are we still able to dress ourselves? Can we still drive? Are we able to go to Church? Instead of dwelling on what we cannot do, let us be grateful for what we can do. It is not about positive thinking, it is about being genuinely grateful for the good things that God has allowed in your life. The devil likes to get our focus on the bad things in our lives and he can get us to over look all the good things in our lives. We will one day have that perfect life and that perfect body in Heaven, but for now we live in a corruptible world and body. Yet we can sing praises to God through the pain and joyfully carry our burden for Jesus who suffered so much for our salvation and our redemption. Because of His sacrifice we will spend an eternity in Heaven. As Paul says our suffering on earth is so short compared to the glories of Heaven. Be encouraged, my friend, you are not suffering alone. Not only do I care but more important Jesus cares. Not a tear that falls from your eyes will not be repaid in Heaven. One day as we walk across that golden street we will look back and say that every thing we suffered here was worth it all! This morning the humming bird has visited, squirrels and red and assorted birds. This morning started with its usual physical challenges but as I sit and look out the window, I know that I am blessed and that God is with me. Betty -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Afternoon and Happy Friday, I slept late this morning. I woke up at 10 and decided that I would sleep another hour. I decided to take my own advice and get the extra rest my body needed. My three animals waited patiently for me to get up and feed them. As I walked around outside feeding the birds and squirrels, I was reminded of the song "Beulah Land". A song about longing for Heaven. I admit there are times that I feel a desperation for the Lord to come back because of health issues and everything that is happening in the world today. But today that was not the feeling. I was struck by a feeling of the joy of knowing what awaits us children of God after the rapture, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Jesus said He was preparing a place for us, a place not built with human hands, that will never decay. John said that he could not even find the words to describe how beautiful Heaven must be. We look at the beauty of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park, and are filled with wonder at their beauty. But they will pale in comparison of the beauty of Heaven. We are still here on earth and we often struggle under our personal load we carry, but when we remind ourselves of our future in Heaven, our hearts should soar with joy and gladness. Our struggles are such a short time when we compare them to the eternity we will have God, our Heavenly Father. Yet we can be assured that the same God that has prepared a place for us, is concerned about our daily struggles. We don't have to wait till Heaven to have a personal touch from Jesus. Seek Him daily and ask Him to walk with you and hold your hand as you deal with your daily struggles. He does care about you as an individual and your personal struggles are not hidden from His eyes. Often we struggle because we do not ask for help. Sometime it is pride thinking that we should do everything ourselves and not ask for help. There is an old saying that says "God helps those who help themselves". This is not even in the Bible. God helps those who admit they need help. God even says that we have not because we do not ask. If you found out one of your children went without food for one day and did not tell you, you would be upset. You would tell them to never go without food and to call you and you would feed them from your own table. Do we not know that God wants to bless us from His own table? Let us not try to be a super Christian who doesn't need help from God. That is a lie from the devil. We grown strong in the Lord the more we learn to depend upon Him and seek His face. Let us not begin one day without asking Jesus to walk with us and guide us in His will. The closer we walk with Jesus the more the Holy Spirit can work in us for our own good and for the glory of God. It is in our weakness that God makes us strong. This morning I watched two squirrels fighting over one feeder, even though there are several feeders in the yard. It was funny to see the act like little children. I am thankful everyday that I get to enjoy nature. I pray that God will bring happy moments today that will encourage you. Remember to be like Paul and remind yourself to look up for our redemption is coming soon. Praise the Lord! Rev. 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |  Betty Louise Advanced Member Member # 7175 posted                       Good Morning and Happy Thursday, Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. As Christians, we like to believe that our faith is strong and steady as an old oak tree. But is it? I believe most of us our faith is more like the tree that is moving here and there with the wind. As long as everything is going well we feel strong in our faith, but when blindsided by unexpected life moments we are knocked off kilter and our true measure faith is revealed, and often the reality is not pleasant. We do a lot of praying and try to get fuel up on faith in a hurry. God is merciful and He does see us through those dark moments, but faith that last the distance is not a hurry up procedure, it takes months and years to grow. Let's face it takes trials and hard times to grow faith. The Bible does say faith comes from hearing the Word of God. So another good reason to be in the house of God. Strong faith often comes through hard times and tears, but it is growing through those hard times. Peter told the people how much he wanted to be feeding them the meat of the Gospel, but they were still babies drinking milk. If we reuse to grow in our faith and trust in God, we are choosing to stay babies. We are refusing to grow in the Lord. What a sad state for a Christian to be in, to refuse to grow up and choose to be baby Christians all of our lives. The devil will convince you that your life is easier that way, but look at all the blessings, you are missing out on when you stay a baby. A parent of a newborn often jokes that I wish he or she could stay this way. The reality is, no one wants a 30 year old baby. One of the joys of being a parent is watching the journey of our children as they grow up. Every new step a child takes has its pitfalls and pain, but it is worth it when you see your adult children, grown up living successful lives. God wants the same for us. He wants to see us grow spiritually and see our faith grow and in action. Let us give up being a baby and choose willingly to grow spiritually into the person that God wants us to be. Make the choice to walk by faith. Make the choice to refuel in the Word of God so that you have the resources to grow in faith. Pray and ask God to give you wisdom. We pray for things. When is the last time we prayed for our spiritual needs? I am guilty myself. I often just assume God will give me what I need spiritually. Maybe God is waiting for me to realize I do have spiritual needs and for me to ask. There is nothing wrong with asking for physical needs, but let us remember we have spiritual needs as well. I have seen a bluejay this morning and a few other birds. The yard is soaked and muddy, but we needed the rain. Have a blessed day. Betty JEREMY CAMP WALK BY FAITH LYRICS Last updated: 10/23/2013 08:18:27 AM Would I believe you when you would say Your hand will guide my every way Will I receive the words You say Every moment of every day [chorus] Well I will walk by faith Even when I cannot see Well because this broken road Prepares Your will for me Help me to win my endless fears You've been so faithful for all my years With one breath You make me new Your grace covers all I do yeah, yeah , yeah, yeah, yeah, ya [chorus] Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace [chorus x2] Well hallelujah, hallelu (I will walk by faith) Well hallelujah, hallelu (I will walk by faith) I will walk, I will walk, I will walk by faith I will, I will, I will walk by faith my momma Thanks to my mom for submitting Walk By Faith Lyrics. -------------------- Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Posts: 5051 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged |

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