WALKING AWAY

 

walking away doesn't always mean literally walk away, not everyone can walk with us on every journey whether they be friend family or foe, it is in these times we must focus on the journey we started on & where it is leading us, so many times the enemy will try to pull you off to the side of the road, & when you find yourself hitting your head against the rock it is then he swoops in & tries to destroy the purpose of your journey, it is in these times we must shake ourselves... & keep walking, it doesn't mean you don't love, you simply recognize the source of the problem, for we wrestle not against flesh & blood but rulers of darkness & wickedness in high places, wipe the dirt from your shoes, pray for that hedge of protection & place it in God's hand , we can't fight spiritual battles alone , the battles not mine said little David, Lord it's thine, Lord I'm in your favor, I give it all to you, I know not what to do, Lord I give it to you, keep on praying, keep on believing but do not pull off the side of your road to try to fix it, keep going & know God's got this!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE AN HOUR MAKES!

be sure to click the pic’s for the best view

 as I rose early one morning s I often do to catch Mother Nature waking up, I noticed the moon had moved to the other side of the house & one little star off in the distance all alone

within an hours time the sun began to peek it’s head above the trees, hummingbirds waking coming to the feeder

the morning was coming to life, everyday seems to be the same yet different in so many ways, another hour goes by & the sun is shining it’s rays across the lake, as I sip my coffee & embrace all these wonders of God’s creation, I am reminded of the garden of Gethsemane what a difference an hour makes!in  Gethsemane Jesus asked the disciples to watch with him only to find them sleeping & said unto Peter could ye not watch with me one hour? ( matt:26:38-40) how many times are we caught sleeping while our loved ones lives hang in the balance? are their souls not worth one hour of our time? not only were they caught sleeping once but a 2nd time (v43) we need to know in whom our help comes from for there will be times we cant get to a prayer partner & we must live in such a way we know without a doubt that we can touch the hem of his garment in that midnight hour!

CHOICES TO STAND STILL

Hand wash or dishwasher?

 standing over a sink filled with dishes requires us to stand still,I can remember mama having us wash dishes in a certain order & if you didn't do it in that order you re washed um lol

glasses 1st then silverware then plates then pots & pans, we live in such a busy fast paced world that there seems to be no time to stand still,

God tells is in his word stand still and know ...that I am God (Ps.46:10) when we are are still we hear the voice of God like when he told Job hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God (Job 37:14)

I am thankful my dishwasher is by my side & ready when all those jars need sterilizing or when I need it to be a drying rack but give me bubbles from dishwashing liquid that brings back memories of my grandmother, a moment to sing along with the radio, a moment to ponder, a moment to stand sill

SHIFTING

Exodus 10:9 The LORD responded by shifting the wind, and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt.

there has been a shifting in the atmosphere, can you feel it? I can ! within the walls of my home, the lives of my grand children, my church family, doors that are yet to be opened, God is defiantly up to something for there is a shifting in the wind, as I look around it all seems the same yet there is a stirring as rain you can see from afar off, don't let go of your dreams, don't let the enemy rob you of your blessing, stand strong for there is a shifting in the atmosphere, embrace the rain that is coming!

 

HOW DO YOU DEFINE JOY?

 

JOY

a feeling of great happiness
the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying

if you look closely you'll discover you don't have to go far to find things that bring you joy, the sound of birds singing, a cool breeze on a hot day,for me it can be as simple as watching my grandbabies, fish, being in my sewing room, making cookies with the girls,the list is way too long to list

you can take joy in a hard days work

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.( Ecclesiastes 2:10 )

there is joy in the Lord

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Habbakuk 3:19 )

JOY! such a little word, but so much impact!

BACK ON LINE!

 

goodness! it’s been way too long! upon moving our new cable company sent someone out who didn’t fully know how to hook up my internet, so round & round we go with them telling me I’m on line & me telling then not finally my son-n-law to the rescue! he got my laptop up & running, then he got my desktop up & running 

there’s much to tell & much to show , so I’ve got to get to blogging!

PEACE IN OUR SURROUNDINGS

 

As I watched the geese come across the yard this morning I noticed how they seemed at peace with no worries as though they knew they were safe here I begin to recall how the word speaks of peace & how the Lord gives us peace in our surroundings

Psalms 4:8 tells us I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only, makest me dwell in safety

it is a good feeling to know we can have peace when we lay our head down at night, whatever storm we face he gives us strength to face it & through that strength he sends peace like a mighty rushing wind

Psalms 29:11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

 

HAVE A GOOD CONSCIENCE

 

1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

I love this scripture as it reminds me as long as we are doing what we know to do right there’s no need to worry about those who falsely accuse for it will out weigh all the negatives

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

 

(click for better view)

this weekend many dads grand dads & great grand dads will be showered with love , gifts & family, I pray for my friends & family members whom recently lost their dads & that this special day the memories will out weigh the pain, I am thankful to still have two amazing men in my life, the love of my life of 40 yrs, paw paw to 8, God has showered us with mercy throughout the years & we are truly blessed, the years are taking their toil on my sweet little daddy, today he struggled to read his cards yet his conversation was sharp, yes our family has troubles, heartaches & pain like any other family but it is because of that Amazing Grace we can see light at the end of the tunnel

INSTILLED

What comes to mind  when you hear the word “instilled”? such a little yet powerful word

INSTILLED: to introduce by gradual prersisant efforts, to pour in drip by drip

as I pulled out my quilt to work on, my granddaughter's  asked what is that & can I help?, I begin to tell them how I had quilted that with my Aunt & how she taught me to quilt the old way no fancy short cuts for her &  how we’d had it on 100 year old frame & how she is why I love to quilt

so as you can probably guess by now we were off to Wal-Mart for extra hoops as I’d forgotten my huge one

Proverbs tells us that if we train up a child in the way he should go when they are old they will not depart from it (Prov.22:6)

I smile as I think am I instilling the love for quilting in them along with other things like cookie making  which was instilled from the beginning as they’re always asking to make cookies, yes we get out the cookie cutters, flour flying everywhere

INSTILLED: to introduce by gradual persistent efforts, to pour in drip by drip

I love the definition of this word, gradual persistent efforts, the same is with the word as we read, study & digest it daily it will begin to pour into our soul drip by drip I am proud of my daughter,  & & son—law who are instilling the love of God into their lives, I am Nanna to 8 beautiful grand children & I want them to grow up to instill things into their children & some day their grand children but more importantly that they see Jesus in me

 

 

 

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE

 

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalms 42:5

 

we all have things that we face in this life, this past week my son-n-law lost a dad, a church member's life hangs in the balance, my sister-n-law who lives in VA also lost a dad, it seems that death is all around us but the word reminds us that as long as we have breath we have reason to praise him for he understands our grief , our pain, our hearts & it is through praise the healing comes

 

 

 

 

 

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

he is my shepherd

I want for nothing

he restores my soul

he leads me in paths of righteousness

he is always with me

he maketh my cup to overflow

goodness & mercy follow me

I will dwell with him

 

SUNDAY SELECTIONS

THIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

how sweet it is to trust in Jesus,just to take him at his word, to rest upon his promise are you trusting in him today? are you taking  him at his word? are you resting in his promises?

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, "Thus says the Lord!"

Refrain

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Refrain

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Refrain

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain

"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"

do you ever stop to think where our songs come from? what inspires them? the History?

(internet source)

According to the story: It was a beautiful sunny day. Louisa M. Stead, her husband, and her daughter Lily, decided to go for a picnic. They went picnicking on Long Island Sound. While having their picnic, the Steads heard a scream. It was from a young boy. Mr. Stead ran to the rescue. Louisa Stead and young Lily watched helplessly as Mr. Stead and the boy drowned. Their troubles were not over yet, however, and without her husband, Mrs. Stead became very poor and destitute.Yet God never left her. He provided for her always and she and her daughter made it through. Louisa learned to trust God, and thus the words to the song 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.' Shortly after this incident, Louisa and her daughter Lily moved to South Africa where they became missionaries.

The song is included in many hymnals and has been recorded by many artists

for more History on Tis So sweet To Trust In Jesus

http://ladyfiddler.hubpages.com/hub/The-Tragic-Story-behind-the-song-Tis-so-sweet-to-trust-in-Jesus

I am glad I can say whatever life throws my way I can still trust him, I may not understand everything but I can take him at his word when  he says he will never leave nor forsake me, he is my savior, my friend, I trust him

 

 

 

 

 

 

STILL POWERFUL!

 

as far back as great grandmothers, childhood, the white one I won by answering a Bible question on the radio back in the 70's, I noticed in the big one from Terry's grandmother she had written in a simple but powerful scripture on the first page, be sure your sins will find you out.........even generations before they stood in the gap & instilled the word, how powerful!, they sit on a shelf in our office among other precious memories, they may appear as just old tattered & worn to you but I promise you the words between the pages are still just as powerful!

 

HE WILL WATCH OVER YOU

 

1: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2: My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

 
3 :He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

4:Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalms 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 :The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 :The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

 
8 :The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore

(Psalms 121:1-8)

SPEAK THE WORD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rCbSfc9Jz6U

sorry I couldn’t get the video to come up but the link will take you right to it, the word is a powerful thing,  does your heart ach to hear his word?  are you willing to go where he would have you to go? let this song minister to your soul

 

ATTEND MY WORD

My son  attend to my words, incline thine ear unto my  saying, Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the mist of thine heart, For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh (Prov.4:20-22)

Deut. 11 tells us not only to bind the word in our heart but in our soul as well

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings (Prov.4;20)

attend: to listen, to heed, to wait upon, to apply, to be ready to serve

incline: to lower or bend the heard or ear or body as in a nod or bow, a deviation from a definite direction

when we listen with  a whole heart, take heed to what the spirit is saying, not deviating from the left nor to the right but stand firm in one direction looking straight ahead with our ear leaned toward the word, waiting, willing & ready to serve it is then the flood gates of heaven will begin to open

 

NEVER ALONE

God always puts just the right thing in our eyesight at just the right moment, as I was standing at the edge of the lake taking pictures when a group of 4 baby Canadian geese swam by ,but where was mama? surely she didn't think they were big enough to go it alone? but I'm sure she was close by watching me as well & standing by ready to attack if need be, isn't that the way we are with God? there are times when we feel we're having to go it alone but he is there with an all seeing eye, when we're in the middle of our storm he stirs up the faith within us & reminds us that we are covered with his wings ,did you know that when you have faith not only are you not alone, but faith does not come alone , it comes with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness & goodness? we are truly never alone!+

SIMPLY SAY THANK YOU

do not be so quick to dismiss your pain for pain causes us to look up as David did, pain gives us strength to stand firm when storms come, pain stirs up the word within us & causes us to only go deeper, the enemy comes to steal kill & destroy, it is his mission to devour you, little does he know that what he meant for harm only pushed you to a higher level where you'd be in the right place at the right time to receive blessings beyond your wildest dreams, if he only knew he was setting the stage for that next door to open!

so the next time someone or something causes you pain they are just setting you up to draw closer to God as David did , causing you to go deeper in your faith allowing that new door to open in your life so instead of trying to figure out all the whys, simply say THANK YOU!

 

IS HE UNDER YOUR FEET?

 

Is the enemy under your feet? don't let him bring you down, the word tells us we have authority to put him under our feet! " Thou hast madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet! once you realize who the 'whoever is" & put him under your feet, you'll begin to walk in Victory!

 

 

THE ESSENCE OF EXSISTING

 

Praise ye the Lord  Praise the Lord oh my soul while I live will  praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I have any being

Psalms 146;1-2 

lets focus on “while I have nay being I will praise him”  the fact that you woke this morning is proof you exist, while I have any being is the pure essence of existing & being independent of our own minds & have actual knowledge of it

if you woke this morning you have no reason not to praise him ,& if you woke in your right mind , you certainly have something to praise him for

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee wither thou wouldest not. John 21;18

the mere fact that you exist is  a gift  from him, the mere face that he exist he deserves your praise today! 

JESUS I GIVE YOU PRAISE!

PERCEIVE

to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses: to recognize, discern, envision, or understand:to grasp mentally; take note of, observe

such impact for such a little word!

to become aware of!

to know!

to identify!

to sense!

to recognize!

to discern!

to envision!

to understand!

to grasp mentally

to take note of!

to observe!

there’s some powerful words there!  challenge you to look them up & apply them to what’s going on in your life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE NEED THE RAIN

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit(.James 5:18 )

rain can be troublesome sometimes especially if we've somewhere to go, just like our bodies need water to stay nourished, refreshed, to push impurities out, we need the rain!

(Hebrews 6:7) For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God

even in a dry & dusty land rain came bring forth life, hope & restoration, there's another rain that brings hope, life & restoration, begin to praise him & let him pour out that latter rain on you today

(Hosea 6:3) Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth

 

 

 

HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT GOD

 

Oh God thou art my God, early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee  in a  dry and thirsty land where no water is

To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary

Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee

Thus will I bless thee while I live, I will lift up my hands in thy name

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips

When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee  in the night watches

Because thy has been my help therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice

My soul followeth  hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me

(PSALMS 63:1-8)

These few verses pretty much sums it up that we should think about him morning, noon and night, if you woke in your right mind, you should praise him before your feet hit the floor for it was his mercy that granted you another day, were you able to take your own self to the bathroom, as you savored the aroma of the coffee going up through your nose did you think to praise him? did you think to thank him for that hedge of protection as you go about your day? As the sun began to set did you think about all he’d done for you that day, did you set things right before you said goodnight? for after all we’re not promised tomorrow,thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy name!

 

BITTER HERBS

do you cook with herbs? cooking with fresh herbs is new to me, I found it interesting how that fresh rosemary could give a rather nice flavor to baked new potatoes  but yet bitter when eaten alone or with the potatoes this got me thinking & investigating herbs, now we all pretty much know what herbs are, how they can be used to enhance flavors in what we cook , oils etc.

dictionary:

herb/hɜːb; US ɜːrb/ noun

1.a seed-bearing plant whose aerial parts do not persist above ground at the end of the growing season; herbaceous plant

2.any of various usually aromatic plants, such as parsley, rue, and rosemary, that are used in cookery and medicine

(as modifier): a herb garden

 

HERBS IN THE BIBLE

(1.) Heb. 'eseb, any green plant; herbage (Gen. 1:11, 12, 29, 30; 2:5; 3:18, etc.); comprehending vegetables and all green herbage (Amos 7:1, 2). (2.) _Yarak_, green; any green thing; foliage of trees (2 Kings 19:26; Ps. 37:2); a plant; herb (Deut. 11:10). (3.) _Or_, meaning "light" In Isa. 26:19 it means "green herbs;" in 2 Kings 4:39 probably the fruit of some plant. (4.) _Merorim_, plural, "bitter herbs," eaten by the Israelites at the Passover (Ex. 12:8; Num. 9:11). They were bitter plants of various sorts, and referred symbolically to the oppression in Egypt.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

the book of Daniel  deals with

FASTING
PRAYING
BELIEVING
VICTORY

isn’t that what our walk with the  Lord today is all about?  we

may not think about herbs too much when w e cook with them , enhance the oils we use in cooking ,start with looking up the word herbs and see where it leads you, you will find that over in Exodus   proverbs herbs played a big role in the Passover, the children of Israel were commanded to bake unleavened bread with bitter herbs, this was to be a symbol of the bitterness they felt when they were slaves in Egypt

and ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread for their selfsame day have AI brought your armies out of the land of Egypt therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever( EX.12:17)

you might find these  links interesting

http://www.learnthebible.org/bitter-herbs.html

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/herb/

it’s amazing where one word will take you, go ahead look it up…herbs…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THROUGH THE LIFE OF DANIEL

 

We’re taking on the Daniel fast challenge with Kristen Feola Author of  The Ultimate Guide To The Daniel fast again this year

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is an inspiring resource for Christians who want to pursue a more intimate relationship with God through the 21-day commitment to prayer and fasting known as the Daniel Fast. The book explains the Daniel Fast in easy-to-understand language, provides 21 thought-provoking devotionals for each day of the fast, and shares […]

resource: http://www.ultimatedanielfast.com/

I’ve decided this time that I would take it a little bit deeper than just avoiding meats, refined sugars etc. for three weeks but  to dig deep into the life of David as well as try new recipes that may be outside our comfort zone, so join us as we share inspiration & encouragement through the life of Daniel

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

why was this fast so important at this time in Daniels life?

(Daniel chapter one )