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Lord ~ I want to have a grateful heart. I know it's in here, inside of me, but I am finding that gratitude in all circumstances of life can be quite a challenge at times. I've had a hard time losing Catherine ~ my heart aches for her friendship, to hear her voice and yet know that when I dial her phone number there will be no "Hanna Bear" on the other end of the line.
Your word tells me in James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds." Is this the kind of trial that will test my faith which will in turn develop perseverance? I pray that it will be.
You say; (James 1:4) Perseverance must finish its work so that I can be mature and complete, not lacking anything. So I pray that You will help me to persevere Lord.
I am grateful for a friendship that made me a better person. For a friendship with substance that was based on a mutual love for You. For insight into your word that only Catherine could put in such a way that I not only could understand it better, but usually got a great story and a good laugh as well.
Thank you Lord for the gift of Catherine's life and how it touched so many others. I know I was just one of hundreds of lives she affected. I can see how You used her. It was amazing to watch as she struggled to make ends meet and yet always did. And then she would give You the glory for the victory; big (like her house payment) and small (dog and cat sitting jobs.)
Lord I pray that I will be that kind of friend. The kind that loves and loves with honesty. The kind that will be grateful for every situation and every person you put in my life. (And Lord when you are ready for me I really hope you put us on the same street.)
So Lord I thank you for helping me put things in perspective; for allowing my life to be blessed by hers and for helping me realize how important the friends that I have in my life right now are. Help me to persevere this day and come back to You tomorrow for more reassurance. And Lord I pray that you would give me the grace to grow in Godly character ~ Amen.
Grateful,
Julie
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
He Calls us by Name!
Psalm 33:13-15 NKJ
13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14From the place of His dwelling
He Looks on all the inhabitants of the earth;
15He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
What a wonder it is that the God of the universe knows my name and your name and He fashions ours hearts individually.
Scripture tells that from the beginning of known time with Adam and Eve and continuing thru to our last book of the Bible that when God Speaks to His children He calls them by name.
This spring we were out driving on one of these beautifully clear and cool days looking for birds. What an excellent display of God's creation in the diversity of our feathered friends. There is such a broad spectrum of differences among these creatures with some being very large in size all the way down to the very tiny. Some with beautiful melodious songs while others speak with a croak or a squawk. Some are spectacularly colored while others are very plain or even drab in color. Some like the sea gull are brazen and will snatch your sandwich right out of your hand if given the opportunity, still others are very shy and reclusive such as the least bittern.
It is no different with God's children. He has fashioned each of our hearts very differently. He has given each person different strengths and different weaknesses, different gifts and talents.
It is the responsibility of each person to follow the heart God has given us and to celebrate the heart, gifts and talents of our Christian brothers and sisters.
I personally admire and love many women and men in our church. Some have gone before me and are now with the Lord. Some are my peers and some are the younger ones in our church including the youth. Our past, our present and our future are all woven together but our walk with the Lord is personal and individual.
The big change in my walk with Jesus was when He pierced my heart with the fact that He knows me personally and completely yet He loves me. Scott's teaching on Sunday the 11th put this across very well.
Believe it and walk in it. What a miracle!
In His Love,
Kathy
13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14From the place of His dwelling
He Looks on all the inhabitants of the earth;
15He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
What a wonder it is that the God of the universe knows my name and your name and He fashions ours hearts individually.
Scripture tells that from the beginning of known time with Adam and Eve and continuing thru to our last book of the Bible that when God Speaks to His children He calls them by name.
This spring we were out driving on one of these beautifully clear and cool days looking for birds. What an excellent display of God's creation in the diversity of our feathered friends. There is such a broad spectrum of differences among these creatures with some being very large in size all the way down to the very tiny. Some with beautiful melodious songs while others speak with a croak or a squawk. Some are spectacularly colored while others are very plain or even drab in color. Some like the sea gull are brazen and will snatch your sandwich right out of your hand if given the opportunity, still others are very shy and reclusive such as the least bittern.
It is no different with God's children. He has fashioned each of our hearts very differently. He has given each person different strengths and different weaknesses, different gifts and talents.
It is the responsibility of each person to follow the heart God has given us and to celebrate the heart, gifts and talents of our Christian brothers and sisters.
I personally admire and love many women and men in our church. Some have gone before me and are now with the Lord. Some are my peers and some are the younger ones in our church including the youth. Our past, our present and our future are all woven together but our walk with the Lord is personal and individual.
The big change in my walk with Jesus was when He pierced my heart with the fact that He knows me personally and completely yet He loves me. Scott's teaching on Sunday the 11th put this across very well.
Believe it and walk in it. What a miracle!
In His Love,
Kathy
Friday, July 2, 2010
Faith that Overcomes
1 John 5:4 - For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
I don’t know much about “blogging” but I am going to give it my best shot! We live in such different times than what I experienced growing up. Everyday some new technology comes out and I just got used to the last one!! I am sitting her thanking the Lord that the worst of the storm did not come our way. Just like in life, storms come and go but our Lord is always faithful. I am not aware of anything in the scriptures that would indicate that we are exempt from life storms. I am so grateful that God knows about each one that is coming our way before we do and we can completely trust Him to take care of us in the midst of it all. He has also provided the strength we need to overcome and be victorious.
I am so fortunate to say that I came to know the Lord as a child. I can’t remember a time in my life when I was not aware of His presence. We were living in a small north Texas town and I heard the call from God in a revival. I will never forget the moment that I realized that if I died right then I would spend eternity separated from Him. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was a sinner and I needed a savior. The Lord gently drew me to Himself and I cried most of the day thinking about all the things I had done that were wrong. I know you might think a nine-year-old child could not have done a lot but it seemed that my mind was flooded with the understanding that I deserved to go to hell, I was a sinner, and my only hope was in Christ. Now some 51 years later, I still remember those moments with clarity and emotion.
Years have past, and like many, I drifted and rebelled against the known will of my Lord. Still, He never has let me go. He continues to allow me to make wrong choices but never stops showing me His wonderful grace and mercy that makes me repent and seek Him even more. I will never stop being amazed that He loves me even when I am not lovable. It has taken me a lifetime to forgive myself of the many times I have failed and fallen into sin. One thing I have learned over the years is that God has not called me to fight but one fight.
The fight of faith is for all those who know and love Him. We must overcome the obstacles that distract, confuse, thwart our path, and keep us from trusting and obeying the Lord. We are all at different places in this fight and we need to be so considerate of each other. Believing that God does know what is best and wants the best for us is difficult when we are filled with pain and suffering. Yet it is in the times of suffering the intensity helps us learn lessons that will be with us forever. The battle rages in our minds and I think this is where the war is won or lost. First a thought and then comes actions. If we are not grounded in God’s Word we will not be able to stand against the attack of lies and deceit. Giving into wrong thinking can give access to our enemy. The enemy shows no mercy and I often forget that he is out to destroy the work that God has done in my life. We overcome this by knowing and believing what God says about us in His Word. Praying with other believers really helps because we can stand together and experience victory. Again, I am fortunate because I have many beautiful Sisters in Christ, who show me His love and pray with me. I am blessed with a Sunday school class of ladies that are the delight of my soul.
I don’t know if my “blogging” is what you expected. I hope you are blessed and know the love of Christ in your life. Fight the fight of faith……….. Be an Over comer! I promise you that there is a prize waiting all those who seek the kingdom of God first. Jesus is our prize and He is waiting to enter the fight with you. Trust Him today! He is just a prayer away!
Janis
I don’t know much about “blogging” but I am going to give it my best shot! We live in such different times than what I experienced growing up. Everyday some new technology comes out and I just got used to the last one!! I am sitting her thanking the Lord that the worst of the storm did not come our way. Just like in life, storms come and go but our Lord is always faithful. I am not aware of anything in the scriptures that would indicate that we are exempt from life storms. I am so grateful that God knows about each one that is coming our way before we do and we can completely trust Him to take care of us in the midst of it all. He has also provided the strength we need to overcome and be victorious.
I am so fortunate to say that I came to know the Lord as a child. I can’t remember a time in my life when I was not aware of His presence. We were living in a small north Texas town and I heard the call from God in a revival. I will never forget the moment that I realized that if I died right then I would spend eternity separated from Him. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was a sinner and I needed a savior. The Lord gently drew me to Himself and I cried most of the day thinking about all the things I had done that were wrong. I know you might think a nine-year-old child could not have done a lot but it seemed that my mind was flooded with the understanding that I deserved to go to hell, I was a sinner, and my only hope was in Christ. Now some 51 years later, I still remember those moments with clarity and emotion.
Years have past, and like many, I drifted and rebelled against the known will of my Lord. Still, He never has let me go. He continues to allow me to make wrong choices but never stops showing me His wonderful grace and mercy that makes me repent and seek Him even more. I will never stop being amazed that He loves me even when I am not lovable. It has taken me a lifetime to forgive myself of the many times I have failed and fallen into sin. One thing I have learned over the years is that God has not called me to fight but one fight.
The fight of faith is for all those who know and love Him. We must overcome the obstacles that distract, confuse, thwart our path, and keep us from trusting and obeying the Lord. We are all at different places in this fight and we need to be so considerate of each other. Believing that God does know what is best and wants the best for us is difficult when we are filled with pain and suffering. Yet it is in the times of suffering the intensity helps us learn lessons that will be with us forever. The battle rages in our minds and I think this is where the war is won or lost. First a thought and then comes actions. If we are not grounded in God’s Word we will not be able to stand against the attack of lies and deceit. Giving into wrong thinking can give access to our enemy. The enemy shows no mercy and I often forget that he is out to destroy the work that God has done in my life. We overcome this by knowing and believing what God says about us in His Word. Praying with other believers really helps because we can stand together and experience victory. Again, I am fortunate because I have many beautiful Sisters in Christ, who show me His love and pray with me. I am blessed with a Sunday school class of ladies that are the delight of my soul.
I don’t know if my “blogging” is what you expected. I hope you are blessed and know the love of Christ in your life. Fight the fight of faith……….. Be an Over comer! I promise you that there is a prize waiting all those who seek the kingdom of God first. Jesus is our prize and He is waiting to enter the fight with you. Trust Him today! He is just a prayer away!
Janis
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