It has been a long day of phone calls. A couple of times I was on the phone, call waiting was beeping and the call phone was ringing. This was one of those days when I want to cry out,"Lord, why did you call me to be a goodlistener ?? During the day God gave me a message, seems so many are WORRIED !! Losing jobs, too many bills, not enough money to go round, Obama is President, what will happen ??
Jesus admonished us to not worry, he even said it was a sin. At one time in my life worry consumed me, I would become worried if I was not worrying about something.
When we worry God can not help us, as worry is a condition of the mind and does not mix with faith. How did I condition myself to not worry ? It was a time of learning to trust Him.
One day as I was reading Rom. 12 v 2, Paul talks about renewing our mind to the Word and not being conformed to this world. I had a Holy Ghost moment and saw clearly that as long as I was always worried my mind could not become renewed to His Word.
I have heard it said many times 90% of worry never happens and the 10% that does we could not stop or change the situation. It is our attitude and how we react that will weaken or strengthen us. I want to share a couple of things that I have used that have helped me to overcome worry.
1. Take worry apart, do not let your thoughts run away.
Find scriptures for the worrisome thoughts, memorize them, when you worry attack it with the verse, use it consistently, you will begin to see the thought fade away and come less often. This becomes a lifestyle and over time you will become victorious in this area.
2. There is no worry/problem/situation/trial bigger than God and His Word unless you allow it to be so.
The Word is the TRUTH and the TRUTH sets us FREE !!
3. Rise above the worry by using Bible principles, apply Scripture to your problems. Worry will lose its power over you. If you dwell on the problem too long you will become confused.
4. This is a process, as you make it a lifestyle it becomes easier to apply, you will begin to see your life take a turn, where you where you were once full of fear and worry you will now be able to find a place in the Word to fit your problem, pray and know the He is able to see you through no matter what it looks like in the natural.
God works in the Supernatural !! "Jesus said,"Without Me you can do nothing". It took me years to realize how true these Words are. My prayer is you will learn to attack worry with the truth of the Word.
Jesus said, "Without ME YOU can do NOTHING !"
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Before they call........~ Althea
This is a beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa .
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).
We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).. 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.'
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough,mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'
As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland.
I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.
From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
'Of course,' I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).
We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).. 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.'
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough,mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'
As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland.
I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.
From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
'Of course,' I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Joy In The Journey #4
I have been sharing in this article from a teaching I have been doing entitled, “Joy In The Journey.” Today I want to talk about a very key element in living the abundant life that God wants us to live. That element is FAITH! The Word of God lets us know that, “the just shall live by faith.” Faith is the way that we are able to receive the things we have need of from God to help us in this life. I am thankful for the gift of faith, which we have all been given.
We need faith in God to raise our children, to help in our relationships, to manage our finances, and in every area of our lives. When we exercise faith, God has the supernatural ability to meet our needs, solve our problems, get us out of troubling situations, open doors of opportunity, and give us divine direction. That all leads to a more abundant, joyful life!
The older I get the more I realize just how limited my own ability is! But, with God nothing is impossible. Colossians 1:4 in the amplified bible says this in talking about faith, “[the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.]” We all need to learn more about leaning everything in our lives on Him! In fact, Heb 11:6 tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
He wants us to trust in His power, His wisdom & His goodness! Make a decision to exercise faith right in the middle of whatever you may be going through. When we do that, then He has the opportunity to show Himself strong on our behalf! Living a life of faith may not always be easy but, it will definitely help us to find “Joy In The Journey!!”
We need faith in God to raise our children, to help in our relationships, to manage our finances, and in every area of our lives. When we exercise faith, God has the supernatural ability to meet our needs, solve our problems, get us out of troubling situations, open doors of opportunity, and give us divine direction. That all leads to a more abundant, joyful life!
The older I get the more I realize just how limited my own ability is! But, with God nothing is impossible. Colossians 1:4 in the amplified bible says this in talking about faith, “[the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.]” We all need to learn more about leaning everything in our lives on Him! In fact, Heb 11:6 tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
He wants us to trust in His power, His wisdom & His goodness! Make a decision to exercise faith right in the middle of whatever you may be going through. When we do that, then He has the opportunity to show Himself strong on our behalf! Living a life of faith may not always be easy but, it will definitely help us to find “Joy In The Journey!!”
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Joy In The Journey #3 ~ Cheryl
I have been talking about “Joy In The Journey.” I think it is important for us to realize that God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to just struggle through life depressed & down & out. In fact Jesus came that we might have life AND have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) I love that the Amplified bible says, “…Live life to the fullest, till it overflows.” That is not just talking about financially, but physically, spiritually & in every way.
The last 2 weeks I have said that in order for us to enjoy our life we must, make a choice to enjoy it, even in the routine, everyday times and also in the difficult times. I also said that we must not look at others lives & judge our own. Everyone has their own problems & weaknesses whether we see them or not.
Today I want to share what I feel is the most important aspect. That is to be sure to involve God in your everyday life! God never intended for us to struggle through life with only our own abilities & talents. He wants to be involved! He has strengths that we cannot possibly have on our own. My possibilities are so limited, but with God nothing is imposible!
When we involve Him daily through prayer & bible study, He can help us to have the wisdom to raise our children & handle our finances. He can give us the direction we need for our lives, and also the peace & strength we need to get through difficult situations. He will instruct us in making better choices. Better choices results in less regrets. There is no way to have true joy in our life without Him. He is the source of our joy!
Let me encourage you to ask God daily to be involved inyour life. Ps. 25:1 says, “Unto you O Lord , do I bring my life.” In John 15:11 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” He never told us we would have a perfect life, in fact he told us in John 16:33, “ These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Praise the Lord for that!
The last 2 weeks I have said that in order for us to enjoy our life we must, make a choice to enjoy it, even in the routine, everyday times and also in the difficult times. I also said that we must not look at others lives & judge our own. Everyone has their own problems & weaknesses whether we see them or not.
Today I want to share what I feel is the most important aspect. That is to be sure to involve God in your everyday life! God never intended for us to struggle through life with only our own abilities & talents. He wants to be involved! He has strengths that we cannot possibly have on our own. My possibilities are so limited, but with God nothing is imposible!
When we involve Him daily through prayer & bible study, He can help us to have the wisdom to raise our children & handle our finances. He can give us the direction we need for our lives, and also the peace & strength we need to get through difficult situations. He will instruct us in making better choices. Better choices results in less regrets. There is no way to have true joy in our life without Him. He is the source of our joy!
Let me encourage you to ask God daily to be involved inyour life. Ps. 25:1 says, “Unto you O Lord , do I bring my life.” In John 15:11 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” He never told us we would have a perfect life, in fact he told us in John 16:33, “ These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Praise the Lord for that!
Monday, November 3, 2008
A Merry Heart ~ Janet
INNOCENCE IS PRICELESS…
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, 'Good morning Alex.'
'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this? The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.' Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked, 'Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?'
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, 'Good morning Alex.'
'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this? The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.' Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked, 'Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?'
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