The Truth!

We ask for prayer in a time of crisis, in a time of distress we see nothing wrong with our leaders standing before our nation asking for everyone to pray.  In fact, we encourage that---we want that---we feel a sense of comfort when our leaders are seeking God during difficult times.  Yet when times are good, when we are simply gathering for a ballgame or graduation, we ask that no prayer is said unless it is being lead by a student, we question whether we should mention God’s name or not---we wonder if we are crossing the line between church and state.  People what are we doing?  We can’t have it both ways!  We can’t live good days without God and then expect Him to be at our beck and call on bad days.  Now don’t get me wrong, I fully believe that no matter how you are living, when you truly seek God, he will come to you, he will hear you, and he will answer you, but God does not exist just to please us.  We exist because of God and it is us that need to be living according to his guidance, his will!  He is our Creator and we have to acknowledge that daily, not occasionally!

What happened in Connecticut on Friday can never be explained, it was pure evil that walked into that school, but having more gun control policies, setting up a new committee, having more counselors, having a stronger safety plan, nor installing a metal detector at every door could have or will ever prevent things like this from happening.  We are not humanly capable of stopping evil, however, I know who is and that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  There is a reason we call him Lord and there is a reason we call him our Savior.  He is the only one that can save us from evil.  He is the light in the midst of all this darkness.  We have people that want to blame God, yet it is those people that never want to give him credit for good.  Again, we can’t have it both ways!

We have to wake up to the call of God and we have to do it now, for I feel very strongly that there is not a lot of time left.  I have been saying we, meaning us as a nation, but now I say we, meaning us as Christians.  We can no longer sit back, we have to stand and fight if we must for the truth!  Although I try to live everyday as a Christian serving Jesus Christ, I also feel like I am not doing enough.  It seems that everyone thinks that something major is about to happen in our world, and I see so many people preparing for difficult times, but is that what it’s going to take to survive.  Shouldn’t we be preparing ourselves spiritually more than physically?  As I watch people prepare and store up material things, I cannot help but think of all the people that are lost, the people that don’t know the truth or even refuse to see it.  My concern is more for them than even for my family and myself.  I know that if something were to happen and my family and I did not survive we would still be fine, because I know who we serve, I know that we will one day be with Jesus, but my heart aches for those that have not chosen Jesus.  He is truly the only way---he is the truth, the life and the way and I have no other choice but to share that truth with everyone that comes across my path!

My God is Greater!

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

I John 4:4

 

Man, my mind is racing with so many things after reading chapter 3 in Genesis, but what I continue to think about is that Satan is no different today and we are no different than Adam and Eve.  Satan will do anything in his power to convince us to do something destructive and make it seem like what we do will be for our benefit---that he is really looking out for our best interest!  Yeah right!  God does not call him the father of lies for no reason---what a liar he is!  He not only lies, but he steals, kills, and destroys.  So how do we stop his evil plan?  Well, we can’t, but God can! 

And aren’t we just like Adam and Eve, we think what will it really hurt, it can’t be that wrong, and you know they just ate an apple and not even the whole thing, just a bite---really, compared to the sins now, how minuscule is that?  Well, let me just say that I have always read that a sin is a sin and I have always heard that sin is sin, there is no big or little, but you know that human part of us that looks at the ‘level of sin’ and determines for ourselves how bad a sin is.  However, this got me thinking tonight and it’s true---sin is sin and when we disobey God, whether it is taking a bite out of an apple or killing another human being, we are sinning against God.  Now I know that I am not perfect and I certainly don’t always obey every command of God, but when I think about that my sin hurts God as much as it does me---now that stops me in my tracks.  While I do desire to be good to others and to do the right thing, I also know that it is not just about being good. God not only created man, he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die for me.  He died---he suffered great persecution---so that I may have life, so that I may have a way to God.  Why would I not want to live every moment for him?  Why would I not want to obey his every command?  I know that Satan does everything in his power to prevent me from following Christ, but because my life is no longer my own, because I have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside me Satan has no power over my life.  There is no doubt that Satan is a powerful force, but there is also no doubt that the power of my God can make Satan melt with fear.

One Flesh

So this could go in so many directions, but as I read through Genesis 2 several times all I could focus on was the beauty of man and woman.  How the connection between a man and a woman was meant to be strong from the very beginning.  That woman is truly from man and that man should eventually leave his mother and father and become one with woman.  What a connection---a connection that was God’s plan from the beginning.  So why is the divorce rate in the United States at an all time high?  In fact I actually looked up some statistics on divorce rates and I was more than shocked.  I am sure you have heard the phrase “50% of all marriages end in divorce” and while that is not exact, it is pretty close.  The fact is 50% of first marriages, 67% of second marriages, and 74% of third marriages all end in divorce, while the people between the ages of 20-24 have the highest rate of divorce.  All this is according to http://www.divorcerate.org/.  When I looked at the worldwide divorce rate I was even more shocked.  With the average divorce rate being 49% for the US, we were ranked 12^th in the top twenty countries with the highest divorce rate---yes you heard me right---there are 11 other countries with an even higher divorce rate than the US.  How sad and disappointing is that.  So what is the problem?  Why is something so ordained by God falling apart?  I believe the answer to this problem goes to the very root of each of us---selfishness.  The top 3 reasons for divorce are money, infidelity, and lack of communication---all of these involve some form of selfishness.  We are more concerned about how much money is in our accounts than how much love we are showing our spouse.  Instead of finding solutions to problems with our spouse we just look for someone new.  Instead of trying to talk things out we just don’t talk.  It saddens me deeply to think about all this, but then it also makes me realize how blessed I am to have such a wonderful marriage to such a great man of God.  To be raised by both parents in the same house is even more of a blessing than I have ever realized. 

Even knowing all this I look back at the words in Genesis 2 and continue to see the beauty of the creation of man and woman.  God created man in his own image and then he uses a part of man to create woman---he knew that we would be lonely without a partner---he knew we would need someone to love---he knew we would need someone to lean on during difficult times---he knew and still knows what we need.  I have often wondered if there were any truth to finding a ‘soul mate’---having that one person that makes you whole, but I can say now I do.  Just look at Genesis 2:25…Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Webster’s defines cleave as ‘to adhere unwaveringly’---how powerful is that? And to not only have a partner, but to become one flesh---even more powerful!  So to me that means: when my spouse hurts, I hurt, when my spouse is happy, I am happy---we are one and when we are one there is no room for selfishness.  However, none of this will work as planned until God is put first---until God is at the center of it all---until the will God and the concern for another is put first.  God created man and woman out of love and there is no doubt that it is designed to work with that same love!

Much Given! Much Required!

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required;

and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Luke 12:48

Been thinking about this scripture all day and I certainly feel like I am the person that Jesus is talking about here.  I have been blessed with so much, I have been given things that I don’t deserve, and I feel like my life is overflowing! So am I fulfilling my requirement? Of course not!  Am I doing the best I can for Jesus? Of course not!  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the Lord and I have moments when I feel like I am doing exactly what he wants me to do and it is in those moments that everything feels perfectly right.  In those moments I just feel right, but there are plenty other times when I am not.  It’s not even like I am doing something wrong, I am just usually being a little selfish and giving in to my flesh and doing what I want to do.  Now I know that I will never be perfect and live every moment perfectly for the Lord, but shouldn’t I be striving to anyway?  Should I ever be completely satisfied with how I am living or should I always be trying to do more, to do better?  Well this is how I look at it, I can never do as much for God as he has done for me, but I should always want to try.  So will I ever be completely satisfied with how I am living---I hope not!

Don’t get me wrong I am not down on myself; I am just inspired to do more!  For example, I know God has called me to write---not for everyone to read, but for me to draw closer to him.  As you know when I first started writing it was and continues to be like therapy to me---it is a time that I feel closer to God, that I hear His voice.  The fact that others get something from it as well is just another blessing from God.  However, lately I have not been writing and I can tell a difference in my life.  Oh, I have had plenty of excuses, but none of them really matter---the bottom line is I am not doing what God has called me to do and I know without a doubt that I am missing things in my life because of my selfishness.  I am not spending this time with God, I am not getting the message out, and I am missing all the blessings that come along with doing God’s will.  Which leads me back to the scripture in Luke---“to whom much is given”---that’s me---“much will be required”---and that’s me too!  So even though I am not doing all that God has called me to do, He loves me so much that He continues to bless me abundantly above anything that I could ever ask for!  Why would I not desire to do more for my Lord!

Happy Birthday Brett!

So today my son Brett turned 16---I remember when he was little and everyone would say enjoy every minute it goes by fast, he will be grown before you know it.  I would smile and nod, but I never really thought too much about it, but now I see it with my own eyes, I have experienced it with my own heart.  Every moment is truly a gift and we are to cherish them as such.  I think sometimes that there are so many things that I would do differently if I could go back, but then I think again because although there is some things that I could improve on I certainly wouldn’t change the person that Brett has become.  I never have to wonder about the person that Brett will turn out to be, because he is that person already.  It seems he has always been that person.  He has always, always been the most kind-hearted person that I have ever known.  He has taught me so much about who I am and the person that I want to be.  He is honest and sincere, and honestly doesn’t care what the world thinks---he never has and I hope he never will.  I will never forget one time when there was some questionable language and actions from some other students at school and I was asking Brett about it.  He said, ‘mom, I would rather not say those things in front of you, it just doesn’t feel right to repeat some things in front of your mother’.  I never pushed it further; I just thanked him for having such respect for me because I know that the respect will carry over to the girls that he will date and eventually the woman that he marries.

I have always tried to be a good mother to my children, but very often I find myself in awe of my children and how truly good they are.  I know that the goodness they have inside can only come from one thing and that is the goodness of Jesus Christ.  They truly love the Lord and trust him with everything that they have.  It seems that we feel such a burden to be a good parent, to make sure we teach our children the way they should go, to ensure that they turn out to be good, productive people, but all the while God is using them to show us the way we should go, to teach us how to be good, productive Christians.

Just as I will never be a perfect person, I will never be a perfect parent, but when I turn it over to God, when I seek Him for guidance over me and my children He will work everything out for the good.  Brett has turned out to be such an incredible young man, but I can truly say that it is because of the grace of God that he is the person he is.

Brett, I love you more than you will ever know---but even that love doesn’t compare to the love that our Savior, Jesus Christ has for you.  I will never be the perfect parent, I will make mistakes, and I will even fail you at times, but always, always remember that there is someone who is the perfect parent, that will never make mistakes and that will never, ever fail you and that is Jesus Christ.  Brett, hold on to Jesus with everything you have and He will take you to places that you can never even dream of. 

Happy 16^th Birthday Brett!!! Love you, Mom

Trust God and Doubt Nothing!

Well here I go again, not sticking to the plan---like writing about Genesis 2 tonight, and although I read it I have to write something else.  That something else has been on my mind all day and I just have to share my thoughts with you all.

I know I have posted some things about my brother, but today I have been completely overwhelmed with what a powerful miracle God has performed in his life and so with mine as well.  His prognosis was not great to say the least, but I can’t go into detail about it because I never asked about it---I just didn’t want to know what the doctors were saying, mainly because I didn’t want those thoughts getting in the way of the promise that God had given me.  You see from the very beginning I had an overwhelming feeling that he would be alright.  Now I am certainly not saying that I wasn’t scared or should I say terrified when his survival was questionable, but it was like my body was telling me one thing, but my spirit was saying something else.  While I was physically ill, I still felt a sense of peace that was unexplainable.  As difficult as this was, as scared as I was, I felt closer to God during all this than at any other moment in my life.  Each day was a new challenge, but I can clearly remember the most difficult day for me.  My family had been on an emotional roller coaster ride for days, but this day was different.  I clearly remember waking up with an overwhelmingly strange feeling and so I immediately started to pray.  As I prayed I again became overwhelmed with a sense of desperation, so I continually prayed, but today I could never find that sense of peace.  I began trying to call the rest of my family who were at the hospital with Eddie, but I never could get an answer.  I continued praying, now even more desperately and then God spoke to me… ‘will you trust me no matter what?”.  I kept on hearing it over and over… ‘will you trust me no matter what?’.  At first I thought that it meant Eddie may not survive, and I kept on questioning God about his promise of healing and then I finally surrendered and said ‘Lord I don’t want you to take him, but if you do I promise I will trust you no matter what’.  Then I received the phone call, Eddie will probably survive, but there is lots of brain damage.  This was my lowest point…I collapsed into my husband’s arms and begged God to take this all away, I just wanted for all this to stop and have my family back.  I cried out to God and said, ‘I don’t know what else to do, I don’t know how else to pray, and what else God do you want me to do?’  At this point my husband took me by the shoulders and said “you are not going to do this.  This is when we have to depend on God because if we don’t trust him now, at this very moment than why do we believe in him, why do we go to church, why do we pray?  You have always told me to trust in God, so if we are not going to trust him now than there is no use in doing all the things that we have always done, forget praying, forget church, forget God---you can’t trust him with some things, you have to give him everything, you have to put every ounce of trust in him.”  This shook me back into reality and I once again found myself on my knees and digging into his word.  I was physically ill for the rest of the day, but my spirit was growing stronger than my flesh.  All this came to my mind today as I was driving home from spending the day with my brother.  He was walking with a walker today, talking up a storm, and cutting jokes with everyone.  What a miracle!  It is so hard to believe that just a month ago he was not talking, not walking, not sitting up on his own, and not eating regular food.  And I did it again, I said something that within our family we decided not to do, we decided that we were going to stop saying we can’t believe anymore.  How can we say ‘we can’t believe’ something that we have been asking God to do.  If we believe that there is nothing impossible with God, than we can doubt nothing!!!! 

In His Image

So I have had so much going on, both physically and spiritually lately that I haven’t written much at all and like always I have missed it tremendously.  No need to go into details except to say that God has been so good to me and continues to bless me beyond anything that I will ever deserve!  Although I began this blog in the New Testament and felt like I needed to continue there until completed, I now feel God leading me into the Old Testament.  For the last few weeks God has been telling me over and again that in order to know where we are going we have to know where we came from, and then last week I began reading The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn, a powerful book about the connection between the prophesy of Isaiah 9 and America.  Interesting thing, I did not find this book on my own, I was never seeking out a book like this at all, but I was told that I needed to read it by a couple of friends and I kept on saying that I would, but never got it.  Then it was lying on a friend’s desk and when I asked him about it he said for me to take it on with me and read it, so I did.  Wow, what God was telling me and what this book revealed was no coincidence.  I don’t want to reveal too much about the book, but I do want to encourage everyone to read it.  Although it focuses on America, it is also about preparing yourself for the time of judgment and reveals so many instances where God is calling His people back to Him.  I deeply encourage each one of you to read it as soon as you can---it is that powerful!

 So here we go, all the way back to the beginning!

Genesis 1

God spoke and it happened!  The beginning of the true ‘Word of God’ and how powerful is that Word.  I continue to be amazed at our God and who he truly is, he is the only true God---he is it---the creator of the universe!  Everything, including man, was formed by him, and how he loved us to create us in his own image.  Now I do have a question about that, you know creating us in his image.  Look at verse 26, now read it again.  Did you catch something?  ‘Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…’.  Us? Our? Who is God talking to? Who is he referring to when he says ‘let us’ or ‘our image’?  Well I have no idea, unless it is his angels---that is all I can think of, but like I have said before I am no theologian, I am just a person who loves God and strives to grow closer to him through his Word.  And while there are many things that I don’t understand, many things that I don’t know the answer to, the thing I do know is that God is God and his love for us is greater than anything that we will ever comprehend.  We will never, ever understand everything about Him or His Word, but all that does not change the fact that he is God, will always be God and will always, always be in control of this world.  So as I read through the very beginning of creation I am consumed with the thought that he really does know everything about everything, he really does know how many hairs are on my head, he really does know the desires of my heart, he really does know how much I desire to serve him even when I mess up, he knows all these things because he not only created the universe, he created me and he created me in his image with love.

Thank You My Lord!

As I woke to this day I began by thanking God for the many, many blessings in my life.  I am now over 40 and feel more alive today than at any point in my life.

Today as I turn 41 I thank you my Lord for blessing me beyond anything I could have ever dreamt of.  I thank you for the grandparents and parents that I was born to.  While they are not perfect, they, each and every one, taught me about you---they never wavered in the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior.  They taught me to trust in you no matter what life sends your way.  They have shown me that during times of peril that we are to always, always turn our faces to you and fall upon our knees. 

Thank you for the husband that you joined me with.  He is truly my soul mate and loves me more than I deserve.  We are not only growing old together, we are growing in God together, which is greater than anything else we could ever do together.  Thank you my Lord for my wonderful, wonderful children.  They love me, but they love you even more and for that I am eternally grateful.  These two precious people have blessed me from the very moment that I met them and each day with them gets better and better. 

I stand in awe of my life, not because of the things that I possess, but because of the love that I feel from all those in my life.   And through that love I can sense your presence in every part of my life.  How fortunate am I that I have always known who you are.  How blessed am I that I never had to live a day without knowing your name. 

So as I think about all the blessings that you have bestowed upon my life, I also think about what I am doing in return.  I know that we don’t make it on works alone, but there is no doubt that there is a great work to do and I do want to be a part of that.  My goal is not just to make it to heaven, but to serve you daily, to lead others to you, and to make you smile when you hear my name.  I want to live my life for you because if I have learned anything in my 41 years, it is that living my life for you, following your will, is the greatest thing that I will ever do!

So I thank you once again for everything in my life and I ask you my Father, to be with me and my family, to guide me and direct me, and to lead me in the direction that I should go. In your precious, precious name I ask all these things.

Thank You Father!

Father, you saw me each time I knelt, each time I cried, and each time when I had no more words to say.  You saw me clinching my Bible as I begged for you to speak to me.  You always saw me.  You were there the entire time, you never left my side.  When I became so scared that I didn’t know what to do you held me in your arms. Father, even now when my mind can’t rest I find calmness in your Word.  If you are for me who can be against me? 

You are the God of the universe yet you listen to me.  You are God and have the whole world to watch over yet you saw my tears, you heard my cries, and you chose me to be your child.  You are my Father and I am your child---I am a child of the Most High God.  I am an heir to the throne.  I am humbled beyond words at being your daughter.  I say who am I and you tell me who I am.  You show me daily who I am.  You remind me who I belong to.  You guide my every step.  You hear my every word. You never leave my side.

I have always loved you, but it is so different now.  I never doubted that you perform miracles, but I doubted myself.  You have given me a love that I have never known.  You have lifted my faith to new heights.  You have cleansed and renewed my very soul.

I can now say that I have physically seen the healing hand of God.  I will no longer say ‘I can’t believe this’ when it is what I have been praying for all along.  Why do I say I can’t believe something that God has done?  He is God and there is absolutely no limit when we believe.  God is all powerful and truly blesses us beyond measure.

I find myself in complete awe most of the time about what I have had the privilege of being a part of.  God truly turns everything bad into good for those that love God.

I can never put into words what God has done for me and my family.  I will never be able to thank him enough, but you know what all he wants is for me to live my life for him, and my friend, that is what I am trying to do.  I am not perfect and I will make mistakes, but I will love him, praise him, and serve him all the days of my life.

Thank you my Father for everything that you have done and all that you are going to do.  This life would be no life without you!

What a Gift!

Luke 11:1-13

Well I have to just say that I am a little blown away tonight at how our Father always leads us in the right direction and then shows us bits of confirmation along the way.  When my brother got sick of course I began to pray immediately, but as the days started going by I began to ask God to show me how to pray.  I asked him to please show me what I should to do, what I am to say, to give me the right words---I know the words in the Bible say to come boldly before His throne, I know it also says to be humble, I know it says to ask for what your heart desires, I know it says to take authority over sickness, I know it says by His stripes we are healed, but I desperately wanted to make sure that I was praying in the will of God.  My prayer life changed drastically and it was more than just my brother’s illness, I wanted to be in the right will of God when it came to everything in my life.  So along with talking to Jesus, I read and studied God’s Word, along with other material about praying, healing, and God’s will.  What I kept running into was the involvement of the Holy Spirit.  When the disciples spoke with boldness it was always after they were filled with the Holy Spirit. 

So then when I read these scriptures tonight several things immediately jumped out at me…. ‘teach us to pray’ in verse 1, ‘your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven’ in verse 2, ‘yet because of his persistence’ in verse 8, ‘seek’ in verse 9 and ‘how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’ in verse 13.  So it is not just me, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  Then when I read the words in verse 2, I remembered where I had read about this scripture and it explaining that his will on earth as it is in heaven means his will in heaven is no sickness, why would he want one of his children to be sick here on earth?  And then there is seeking and persistence, to me that means keeping on, keeping on---seeking the Holy Spirit and being persistent by never letting go of the promises of our Savior including by his stripes we are healed!  But my favorite part comes in verse 13, why did it say he would give us the Holy Spirit and not simply say he would give us what we asked for?  Because when he gives us more and more of the Holy Spirit, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are more and more in God’s will, we are closer to Jesus, and we are capable of greater things when the Holy Spirit is leading us.  Want to know God’s will---then seek the Holy Spirit.  I am so excited about this and I am not sure if I can put into words what I feel.  Seeking the Holy Spirit is so, so important----that is where our boldness comes from, that is where healing comes from, that is how we will know how to pray, that is who will guide our every step, our every word!  My entire life I have heard about the trinity, the Father God, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit---but I have never experienced the Holy Spirit like I have lately, but then again, I have never sought it like I have been either.  It is truly as Jesus said in Acts 1 when he told his disciples to wait for the gift from his Father---it is truly a gift that we can receive over and over and more intimately and intense each time.

Thank you my Jesus, for loving me and for wanting to fill me with your sweet, sweet guiding Holy Spirit.

Mary or Martha?

Luke 10:38-42

Alright well I am definitely by nature a Martha, but I am learning to be more like a Mary.  All my life I have been the person that has to have everything just right before I do anything extra.  By this I mean that everything would have to be clean and taken care of before I would read, write, or do anything fun.  I remember when my mother gave me this poem about not worrying about all the cleaning while your children were little, but instead spend time with them for that time passes quickly.  I see now, just how wise she is.  I think we get busy with all the daily tasks and forget what is truly important, but here Jesus is showing us what is important.  Time spent with Him is much more important than any housework that doesn’t get done.  Time enjoying your family through interaction and conversation is much more important than having everything in order.  I love when Jesus says that Martha is worried and upset about many things, but that there is only one thing that is needed.  So many times I am guilty about looking on the outside, but I have to look much deeper.  I am sure Martha was very upset with what Mary was doing, she looked at her as not doing anything except spending time with Jesus and that she had to do all the work, but that is not what was really happening.  Martha may have been doing the physical work, but Mary was doing the spiritual work, she was listening to Jesus and drawing closer to her Savior.  Although I still like to have everything clean and in order, I have definitely learned that other things come first.  My God and my family are much more important than a clean house.  After all, how much will my faith deepen or will my spirit grow because my house is spotless and everything is in its right place?  Now I am not saying that one needs to be a slob or nothing ever needs to be cleaned or that food doesn’t need to be prepared, but I am saying we have to keep everything in perspective and realize what is the most important.  If someone draws closer to Jesus or even finds Jesus because of something I did today, but I go to bed with a messy house than I feel that I accomplished my task for the day.  It is truly about one thing and that is Jesus Christ!

And the Greatest is Love!

Luke 10:25-37

So today I am going to do my best to get back on track with my daily Bible reading and blogging, but you all know how I am, I can be off track before you know it.  Funny how we look at it as being off track, but God looks at it as keeping us on the right track! 

So what is the greatest commandment?  It is funny to me how all these ‘high up’ people were always trying to trick Jesus by asking him questions, and yet he always, always turns them around into a lesson that they could neither question nor deny the truth of.  It seems that everything goes back to love and if we love Jesus Christ first and foremost than we should have no trouble loving our neighbors, should we?  Or should I say do we?  Do we have trouble truly loving everyone?  So I know this is hard to believe, but I do have trouble with this.  Even though I know that when I love Jesus with everything that I have in me then I should love everyone else automatically.  Right?   I do want to love like Jesus and I can honestly say there is not one person in this world that I would not try to help if they were in need, but I want to love everyday like Jesus.  Not because I want to be that good, but because I know that when I truly love like Jesus did then people will see Him in me and not me---and that could make the difference in someone’s eternity.  I know that Jesus’ heart must ache each time we don’t show love toward one another, after all, he created us in love and to love.

Through my brother’s sickness my eyes have been opened to things that I never really thought of before.  While he was in the critical care unit, I began to look around at the desperation of the families in the waiting room, including us.  We were all at a point where nothing else mattered except the love that we had for our families and our Savior.  The little things that may have bothered us before never even crossed our minds now, we were desperate for our Father Jesus Christ.  We were calling on Him to please take care of the situation.  We knew we were at a point where there was no other way.  You see I have always known that Jesus is the only way and that he should always be at the forefront of everything in my life, but like so many of us, I would get busy and not focus on Him completely.  And then came this moment where nothing else mattered except reaching my Savior.  This is how it should be at all times; we should be so desperate for Jesus and his love that nothing else is worth anything without it.  For the last few weeks we have been in several different places with my brother, icu waiting rooms, ccu waiting rooms, nicu waiting room, and now a rehab/nursing center.  I have witnessed so many emotions throughout each place---I have seen desperation, sadness, overwhelming grief, loneliness and so much more, but what I also saw was that people are desperate for something more and that something more is the love of Jesus Christ.  When we chose Jesus Christ as our Savior, when we decided to live our lives for Him, then we also chose to show that love to others.  So I ask myself, how do I do this, how do I love like Jesus?  After much prayer, I have decided that I don’t have it in me to love like Jesus, so that is why I have to obey the scriptures and deny myself everyday---I have to ask that Jesus remove anything in me that will hinder me from living for him today and replace those things with the Holy Spirit.  Until we come to the realization that we don’t have it within ourselves to love like Jesus, we will never be able to love like Him.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  Luke 9:23

He must become greater; I must become less.  John 3:30

For those of you who want to keep up with my brother’s progress here is the link to his facebook page.  I try to keep it updated a couple times a week.  Thank you in advance for the continued prayers! http://www.facebook.com/#!/PrayerChainForEddieWhite

God's Promises

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.  II Corinthians 1:20

Gosh, I really don’t know where to start.  It has been a month since I last wrote and so many things have happened.  My brother was moved to a facility closer to home and is making great improvements daily, and I  cannot say that without giving God all the glory for every single thing that has happened because it is only by his healing hand that my brother is not only alive, but growing stronger every day.  I truly stand in awe of my Lord and Savior.  I have looked back over my writings and realized that all that I thought I knew about Jesus has only become more real and the love that I have for my Father has deepened beyond anything I could ever describe.  I truly feel like he was preparing me for this time my entire life.  As I look back over those difficult days all I can think about is how God sustained each member of my family.  Each day that comes to mind, God was always at the center of it all.  When we became weak, he truly became strong.  His Word was no longer just words, but they were life.  My family has faced and is still facing a battle that we have never known, but my Father has strengthened us and our faith has deepened like never before.  I have been taught my entire life to trust in the Lord, but this trial put those words to the test and I have learned that trusting in the Lord is the only thing we can do---there is nothing else that we can or should put our trust in.

As you know my brother, Eddie, was diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephilitis and was in a coma for weeks.  There is no treatment for this disease in humans and it is usually fatal.  We were told that if he did survive he may never wake up and if he did that might be all he did.  The prognosis was not good, but our God is and that is where we put our trust.  There were days that were extremely difficult and I have never been more scared in my life, but now when I look back on those days I have to apologize to my God for not completely trusting Him.  I can honestly say that even on the worse days Jesus never left my side and he showed me things, along with others in my family, that I have never known.  Eddie’s progress has amazed all those working with him.  He is now saying some words and even phrases, he is moving his arms and legs, he is eating some food, he is following instructions, giving kisses, and smiling a lot!  With each new thing he does we would say ‘I can’t believe it’, but we have now even been convicted of saying that.  As believers, we should never say we can’t believe something that God does, after all, we have been asking him for complete healing, why wouldn’t we believe that he could and would do that for his children?  So instead of saying I can’t believe it, I will thank my God and stand in awe of who He is and what he is doing for my family.  My family has stand together on the promises of our Lord and Savior and we will never be the same.  I say all this to tell those of you that read this to never let go of the promises in God’s Word, for they are true, they are real, and they are for us…his children! 

As I say this, two very powerful moments come to mind.  The first happened while my family was in the chapel at UAB praying for my brother.  It was at a very critical time and we were all pouring our hearts out to God.  At that moment my mother went to each person in the room and said, ‘children, if one promise in the Bible is true, then they all are, you cannot believe one promise and not believe them all’.  How true is this?  I know her words came from God and this was just the beginning of understanding the true promises that God has given his children.  The next moment came when I was alone praying desperately for my brother’s healing.  I was being really honest with God and begging him to just speak to me, to tell me that Eddie was going to be alright.  I kept on saying ‘God if you will just speak to me and tell me that Eddie will be healed.’ This went on for several minutes until I finally laid my head upon my Bible and cried like I never have before.  Then I heard the voice, God spoke to my heart and said I have told you over and over in my Word.  I knew exactly what he meant, because I have been reading the promise of healing in God’s Word over and over and He was just confirming what my mother had already spoken to us!

God has truly shown me so much through all this, but he most importantly he has shown me the realness of his Word.  He has shown me that we have to ask him for healing and sometimes we just have to hold on to the promise that he gave us with everything we have.  I have learned that healing doesn’t always come instantly, but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming.  I have learned never to settle for anything but perfection from our Lord, for when we settle for anything less we are doubting what our God can do.  I will never let go of the promise of complete restoration and healing for my brother because when I do I am limiting my God and my God has no limits!

Save Me!

How good is our God?  There are just no words to describe just how good, but I can tell you that even in the midst of the worst of situations He will not only comfort you, but he will strengthen you and show you things you’ve never seen before.

I have many stories, but the one that has been on my heart the most comes from me praying Jeremiah 17:14 on behalf of my brother.  “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved.  For You are my praise.”  I have said it and proclaimed it over and over again, day after day, but this time was different.  The Lord spoke and said there is no difference…I am the same God that heals and saves.  I can heal people just as easily as I save people.  I thought I finally get it, Jesus died for us, not only to make a way for us—to save us, but he died also for our healing.  He did all this so that I could be His child and I could come before him and ask him to heal just as I asked him to save me.  Then as I was praying again and proclaiming his words in Jeremiah, he spoke…. ‘Rosanne, have you prayed this hard for those that are unsaved as you have for your brother who is sick in body, for those that are not saved are in much worse shape than Eddie.’  With these words my body fell to the ground while tears poured down my face I responded, ‘no, my Lord, I have not and I am so sorry that I have been so selfish in my praying’.  As I prayed I continued to apologize to my Father, but my heart had been opened to something so refreshing to my Spirit.  I saw things in a new light, I saw, finally, with the eyes of Christ, if it was but a glimpse---it changed me forever.  I love my brother and I will continue to proclaim the promises of God’s Word over him, but I know that while he may be sick in body now, he is not sick in Spirit.  There is so many that are sick in body, but there is even more who need salvation.  While we pray, we should come and lay at the feet of Jesus with even more desperation and compassion for those that are lost than we do for those that are sick in body.  Jesus has been so good to my family throughout this entire ordeal, but I pray that he continually reminds us that miracles happen every day when someone bows before our Father and asks ‘Save me, O Lord!’

Prayer Request for my Brother, Eddie

"For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

Jeremiah 30:17

So it has been a little while since I have written and things in my life have surely changed since I last wrote.  My brother, Eddie White, was diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) a rare disease in humans that has no treatment.  He has been in a coma since June 30^th, but has improved daily.  He has came a long way, but still has a way to go.  There is no question that God has intervened and performed miracle after miracle already, but we are now waiting for him to wake up.  The doctors have told us that the infection has caused some damage to his brain, but to what extent they do not know until he awakes.  My family and I have stood firmly on the promises in the Word of God and held on to Jesus throughout this entire ordeal.  I have so many stories to tell already, as do the rest of my family, but for now I am asking all the people that read my blog to pray for my brother and his complete healing.  He is married and has 2 sons that he loves very much.  He is a man of God and I know he will have an unbelievable testimony from all this. 

Thank you in advance for all of your prayers.

Called!

Luke 10:1-24

So fired up after reading this section of scripture, I have read over it the last few days, but until now I couldn’t get a grasp of what Jesus was trying to tell me and now there is just so much that I can’t get it all down.  My favorite part in these 24 scriptures comes in verse 21…At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.  Jesus was excited to know that his Father had revealed to these children, his children, the truth of who he is.  Why?  Because he knew and he knows today who those children are that are willing to serve him, that are willing to go forth into this world and spread the wonderful news of Jesus.  He is calling you and me to do the same.  Verses 2 & 3 say: He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.   Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.  It is no different today, there is so many people that are desperate to know Jesus and they don’t even realize it, they know they need something, they know that are not happy, they know that they long for more, but they may not be sure of what that is and they may even be looking in the wrong places, or worse they may even be led to the wrong places.  This is where you and I come in, we were not called of God just to be happy ourselves, just to receive blessings on ourselves, we were called to serve.  Webster’s define calling as a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence.  Calling and called show action, they are not who we are, but what we do!  Jesus is very upfront with his children and lets us know that the task will not be easy, ‘we are like lambs among wolves’, but we have to remember that he didn’t ask us to save anyone, our tasks is to tell everyone about Jesus and what he can do, it is Jesus, and only Jesus, that can and will save them.  As difficult as the task may be, we can never forget that he is with us each step of the way and is full of joy and praising his Father with each task that we complete.

Nothing Greater

Luke 9:37-62

"You unbelieving and perverse generation"

"Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you"

"For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest"

"For whoever is not against you is for you"

"Follow me"

"No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God"

                                                     

As I read through these scriptures several times it finally became clear to me what God was trying to show me and I found such truth in the quotes listed above.  As I read through these specific quotes it is as though I hear God’s voice speaking so loudly to me and everyone else.  He is saying just listen, I am saying it loud and clear, but you get so busy with everything else that you are not paying attention to me and my guidance.  Throughout the entire Bible, in the middle of all the history, all the stories, all the highs and lows, you will find the voice of God ringing out with words of guidance.  All he asks us to do is to listen and follow….this is not a guessing game.  As a Christian, I don’t have to wonder where my guidance is coming from and I have a book that has as many answers as I have questions.  Now I am not saying being a Christian is easy because it is not, in fact at times it is very difficult, but I would rather have a terrible day and still know God, than to have a wonderful day and not know him at all.  And really, at times I tend to make it a bit more difficult than it has to be.  There is nothing greater than having Jesus Christ as my savior, my guide, my provider, and my love.  I could not imagine living this life without full dependence upon him, how empty my life would be without him.  I have heard my grandmother say so many times… “I wish people would realize that it is so much more than just being saved in order to go to heaven, it is the life that you are given now, when people don’t give their life to Jesus now, they are missing so many things that he has for them.”  There is truly no greater life than the one lived for Jesus Christ and I am so humbled and glad that he chose me as his child.

MADE FOR SO MUCH MORE!

Proverbs 10

So this is not my daily ‘scheduled reading’ for my blog, but it was in my devotion this morning and has been on my mind ever since I first read it so of course I am going to share my thoughts. 

I just keep on thinking how exact God is, how precise he is to make sure I am reading and/or hearing the right scripture at the right time in my life.  I needed to hear every word in Proverbs 10 this morning and I needed to read the devotion that went along with it.  Needless to say this is definitely not the first time this has happened to me and I am certain it won’t be the last.  God is so good to me and continues to steer me onto that righteous path that he has laid for me even when I trail off in the wrong direction.  He loves me and he loves you just that much---he is everywhere and in everything we do, we just have to be looking and listening. 

I had a job interview this morning and of course I was nervous and wanting to do my best, but God reminded me through these scriptures and through a song this morning that I am made for so much more!  So much more than any job I could ever have, so much more than any material possessions that I may ever obtain, so much more than any worldly accomplishments that I may achieve.  No matter where life takes me, I am reminded that I am made for so much more and that ‘much more’ is my service as a child of God.  I was not made for this world’s purpose, but I was made with a Godly purpose and that should be my only goal---to fulfill the purpose that I was created for, everything else is just a small part of that.  Through the words these scriptures I was also reminded that I am not called to say ‘the right words’, but I am called to say ‘the true words’---it is that simple, just tell the truth, don’t try to act like you know any more or any less.  Let God guide my thoughts and words and my true character, the spirit that lives within me, will shine through.  So when I don’t necessarily say the things that people think I should say or the things that people don’t want to hear, it will be alright because the truth that is within me will spill out.  As a child of God, I never have to worry about forcing things to work out for me because I know that my Father has the best plans in mind for me and they will work out according to his will and his way.

I just have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for always, always reminding me of who I am and what I am made for!  I love to read your word, to hear your voice, and to follow your way.  You are truly my Savior in so many ways!

Salt and Light

Matthew 5:13-16

 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Thank you heavenly Father for sending these scriptures my way today.  Thank you for the wake-up call and reminder of what I am here to do.  Thank you for reminding me that it is truly not about me and all about you!  Thank you for the wonderful time spent with my family today---it was truly a special time just with the four of us and no words can express how much I love you for all the blessings that fill our lives.  Thank you for touching my niece, Kellar, with your healing hand.  Thank you for all my family and friends, but especially to the strangers that I met tonight, that are now no longer strangers.  I can honestly say that I find myself in awe over all that you have done for me and my family---we are truly blessed beyond measure!

So my reminder from you came through your word, more specifically these four verses found in Matthew.  I was reminded in such a gentle but powerful way that I am called to be the salt and the light, but if I am not salty nor shining then what good am I?  Really what good am I?  It is not about me, it is about you and my mission is to show others that by doing what you have called me to do.  My calling, I know without a doubt, is to write and share my thoughts with others.  So what good am I if I am not doing that?  Not too much good and since I haven’t been writing much lately (almost none at all) these scriptures hit me pretty hard.  You know we are all called of God to do something, but God is not ever going to force any one of us to fulfill that calling---that part, my friend, is up to each of us.  Sometimes we make excuses and think that we are just waiting on Him to move, but the truth is we don’t wait on God because he is always moving, he is always working out the plan, he is always in control.  So many times I think he is just waiting on us to make that move, to finally realize what he has been showing us all along. 

I want to be the salt of the earth, I want to be full of flavor and let that spill over onto all that I do.  I want to be the light of the world, I want to be shining that light so bright that people cannot help but to see Christ in my life.  I had someone, one of the strangers that I met tonight, tell me this…. “you know when we are shining that light, it is like shining a flashlight on Jesus so that others can see him and if we are not shining it and pointing it towards Jesus the people around us may never see him because the darkness of this world is covering up what we should be lighting up.”  I thought this was such a powerful point to make and so true…if we proclaim to be a Christian then we are to be the salt and light of this world, there is no other way to be.  We are all living at this very time and find ourselves in the moments at the exact time that God has chosen for us, but we have be shining at those moments in order to fulfill the mission that God has called us to complete.  As long as we are here on this earth our mission is not complete, as long as we have breathe left in us we still have something left to do.  I don’t know about you but I do not want to be trampled underfoot and I don’t want to be hid under a bowl.  I do want to fulfill my mission---I want to be the salt and the light---I want to show others the love of Jesus that fills my heart with such joy.

My Goal: To Lose My Life!

Luke 9:21-36

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?  Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  Luke 23-26

Jesus teaches us many things by using parables, but this my friend is no parable.  This is it, put straight out there as plain as day.  This is what we are to do, not what we may want to do or choose to do, but what we must do---there is no way around this scripture.  It is the truth spoken plainly to God’s children.  As I look deeply into these words from my Savior I see many things that contradict what the world tries to teach me.  Deny myself, carry my own cross, follow someone else, loose my life, don’t try to gain the whole world, and don’t be ashamed of following Jesus.  I have to be honest, I do desire to be a disciple of Christ, I want to be different from the world, I want to lose my life and serve Him completely, but I don’t always do these things.  It’s not that I don’t want to, but I let the busyness of my life deter me away from what God has called me to do.  You see, I have no doubt that Satan knows exactly how dedicated my heart is to serving Jesus, he knows how much I desire to know Christ more and he knows that the same old tricks and temptations do not sway me any longer, so he uses something else.  Time.  The more time I spend being busy with stuff, the less time I have for Jesus, and I will have to be honest again and admit that it is hard to stop the busyness; it will jump on me before I realize it and I will find myself sunk deep down in a pile of work of some sort.  So how do I break away from all the stuff that keeps me so busy?  I can’t just quit my job and stop doing everything else I do, but I do have to find a way to slow down.  I don’t know how I am going to do it, but I have to trust that God will lead me and show me, I just have to be looking and listening for his direction.  I have to learn to say no to some things, things that are not necessarily bad things, but things that keep me too tied up.  I can no longer try to please everyone, but my goal should be to please Christ and if I do that then everything else will begin to fall into place.  I have always been the type of person that wanted everyone to like me, I have always wanted to please everyone, but I have learned that that is impossible, so I have to change my ways and concentrate on the plan that God has for me.  I have to learn to let go of what I think is right, to let go of trying to please everyone, to let go of the busyness…I have learn to lose my life everyday!  Really what would it matter if I gained the whole world, but lost my soul in the process?  I don’t want any part of this world that would cost me my life with Jesus!