Feeling Overwhelmed?

We climbed the tough hill, pushing a wheelchair of a dear lady, who wanted to take part in this extraordinary event, after the passing of her daughter the prior year. Looking behind us, the view of  white and pink speckled the ground. The unusual covering, representing struggle, heartache, hope, strength, determination, unity and Love. Men, women and children all walking for a cure for cancer. 

The scene, reminded me of God's never ending Love for each of us. No matter what we're going through, He is walking up each hill, carrying us through our struggles, diseases, pain and heartaches. Speckling our aching, hurting hearts with an amazing covering of unexplained hope, strength, determination, unity and Love. Giving us a Savior, Jesus Christ, to forgive our past mistakes and show us His Restoring, Healing Power! He is for us...He is our support...He is our Savior...He is our cure...He is our everything!

Stop running from Him and RUN TO HIM! Let Him set your feet on solid ground. OH...HOW HE LOVES US!

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." 
Hebrews 2:1

"But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God." 
Isaiah 49:4

"For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." 
Psalm 57:10-11

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." 
Psalm 59:16-17

A Promise in a Rainbow

My first day in Maui, I awoke early & sat out in front of the ocean to do my scripture study, before the noise of the day began. It started sprinkling, a warm, fresh, drizzle, causing me to look up and see if I should head for cover. To my amazement, a glorious double rainbow appeared over the ocean, touching down on the island directly in front of me. After witnessing the first one, I found myself setting my alarm for 6:30 a.m., every single morning. I was not disappointed. A rainbow appeared each day...God's Promise, Shining in front of me, while I soaked in His Words.

 

God Promised to never destroy the earth by flood again (Genesis 9:16 "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.") That Promise still holds true today. God spoke of rainbow's in the beginning of the Bible and also closes the Bible with another scripture about rainbow's~His Promise (Revelation 4:2-3 "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.")

When I see a rainbow, it reminds me that God is with us always. A rainbow, with it's fluorescent colors, stretching across the sky, also let's us know that we can trust in His Word. He holds true to the things He tells us. The rainbow symbolizes a lasting trust, allowing us to truly, let go of the burdens that are weighing us down and pick up His Holy Word...the Bible, His Promises, strengthening our Faith in Him. When you begin to flip through the pages, looking for comfort, encouragement, guidance and wisdom; His Words fill you with life, Peace and a renewal of Hope.

When you see a rainbow...stop what your doing, take in God's Glorious, Promise. Let it strengthen you, lifting you above the cares of this life...to a place where His Love fills you with an indescribable Peace. HIS PROMISE!

CONTINUE IN HIS WORD & HE WILL SET YOU FREE!

"My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Psalm 27:8

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 27:14

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

Psalm 28:7

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness."

Psalm 29:2

"Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth." 

Psalm 31:4-5

"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all."

Psalm 34:19

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."

Psalm 34:4-5

Hidden Treasure In Your Home

Do you know that you have a priceless treasure in your home? With so many t.v. show's out now about people coming into your house, sifting through years of 'stuff' and often coming across something very valuable, you may be wondering, "Do I have a hidden treasures? 

Well, I'm here to tell you, "YOU DO!"

It may be out in the open, or shoved away in a box in the garage, or under your bed or sitting on your night stand under a pile of books. This priceless item, once found, can change your life forever. It can bring, Peace, Stability, Comfort, Wisdom and Love into your life.

This treasure is worth more than any amount of money. 

And it's the one thing you need to change everything! 

It's found in the Living Word of God, THE BIBLE.

When you make it a point to seek and find this treasure, the Lord's Word's will change your life. It cannot be bought, it requires nothing of you but a little bit of your time each day. The Masterpieces within the pages WILL be revealed to you. Slowly, the dust will be washed from your eyes, the veil of darkness is lifted, as God's Holy Words transform you and your life.

 You begin to see your situation, life and other's through Jesus' eyes. 

Today, don't leave your Treasure hidden away, find it, open it, read it...

The Holy Bible, God's Loving Priceless Gift to You!

"To you, O Men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding." Proverbs 8:4-5

"Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion." Proverbs 8:10-12

"My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." Proverbs 3:21-26

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Unmistakable Image of Christ

Hiking two mile's, 800 feet up, to the top of the glorious, Seven Sacred Pools waterfall; braving the slippery, treacherous rock path over the river. Standing in awe, gazing at the beauty in front of us, we realized the journey was worth it. The sight of the waterfall, cascading hundreds of feet over the rocks, plants and moss, took our breathe away. It wasn't until we got home however, when my husband, while looking through the pictures we'd taken, saw something even more glorious than the waterfall. It was unmistakable. It was in almost every single shot. The picture, taken with my cell phone
was the most brilliant.

At the bottom of the waterfall, on top of the water, the image of Jesus Christ, clothed in a robe of white, with His arm extended upward, toward Heaven.

We didn't notice it while we were there, right in front of it. It wasn't until we stepped away and looked at it from another view. Through the lens of a camera, were we able to see this incredible 

picture of Christ. We were overwhelmed and consumed by so many things, 

we missed His image right in front of us.

In your life, you may not know why things are happening, as you view the situation from close-up.  But God's View, is All Seeing, All Knowing, All Powerful. Seek Him and His View of your situation. Step back and ask Him for His Strength, Comfort, Courage and all consuming Love. He will fill your heart with a Peace that will enable you to view things differently than you would relying on your own strength and limited view.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” 
Joshua 1:9 

This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.' 
2 Chronicles 20:15  

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:9 

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."
Jeremiah 31:3

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:4

"YOUR WILL BE DONE?"

Why is it we only tell God, "Your will be done," on things that aren't close to our hearts? We have a harder time letting go of our needs, wants and desire's in situations that are BIG...sickness, job, money etc. But somehow, with smaller issue's, it's not a problem for us to pray this.

Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret...God's will, WILL BE DONE, no matter what, in all situations. Praying and telling God, "Your will be done," is simply letting Him know that you're putting your COMPLETE Trust & Faith in Him, even the important things that matter the most to you. We need to tell the Lord and show Him that we Trust His decisions for He is the Maker of Heaven, Earth and ALL things.

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them-the Lord, who remains faithful forever." Psalm 146:5-6

Continue to ask Him to intercede on your behalf, and remember...Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God is also interceding for you. Then say, "Your Will Be Done, Lord."

"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? " Romans 8:34-35

Jesus knew the importance of praying this and showed us by example, as He knelt down to pray on the Mount of Olives, and in anguish, began sweating drops of blood.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42

This simple Prayer has the power to release fear's grip over you and the situation. It'll allow you to come to your Heavenly Father with childlike Faith.

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15 

Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:39-40

LET GO AND LET GOD! 

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:8

Is Your Friend A True Friend?

We all have certain people we call friends, we say Hi, have small talk conversations, but don't feel close enough to share our deep feelings and secrets with. Then, there's those special, CLOSE friends. People whom we've established a bond with. People we can trust with our hearts. They have our 'backs,' they're always there through good times and bad. We feel safe, secure and comforted just by talking to them.

There's an obvious difference in our level of relationships with people. There's also a difference in our level of relationship with God and our Savior Jesus Christ. 

You'll never get to know Him on a deeper level until you begin to stay in His Word (The Bible) daily. This allows you to see and know God's nature, His heart, His caring, unconditional love. Getting closer to the Lord will help you realize that you no longer have to carry your burdens alone. You have a safe place to go and release everything that's been weighing you down.

Seek God daily, open up to Him and share your feelings, trust Him, lean on Him, know that He wants to help you. Allow Him to get close enough to restore you through a CLOSE, intimate, trusting relationship with Jesus Christ.

Run to your CLOSEST friend, JESUS CHRIST. He will never hurt or disappoint you. He loves you like no other...He gave His life for you! You will find the safety you've been craving. Take your relationship to a deeper level & be set free! 

John 8:31-32

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

Daniel 10:12
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Wow...Just Wow!

I'm not one to pray for things for myself. But over the past 3 months I had something that continued to weigh on me. My son, Elijah, is going to Hawaii to play football with his high school team. He is my youngest and even though he will only be a junior, the team plays in Hawaii every 3 years, giving each class an opportunity to go 1 time.

I was having a hard time knowing that I wouldn't be there for his very first game of the season. I've never missed a game, (something that is important to me and him.) I wasn't able to go see my middle son, Jullien, play during his Senior year & it broke my heart.

I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I decided to pray, "Heavenly Father, you know how bad I want to go, and if I'm being selfish or asking too much, please close the door. But if it's your will, please let it work out so we can go." As the time drew closer, my prayer was simple, "Father, Your will be done regarding the money needed for Hawaii. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"

With that, I was ready to accept whatever happened, but continued to have Faith that anything is possible with the Lord. My husband thought I needed to 'get over it' we barely cover our bills each month, let alone have extra money to take a trip. I continued to tell him, "If God decides to bless us, anything is possible, right?"

On Sunday, my husband's parents, (who knew absolutely nothing about the Hawaii trip) gave us a check...the exact amount needed for the trip. It was incredible, we feel so blessed! To know that the Lord is always listening to us. Sometimes He grants our requests and sometimes He doesn't. But the thing I've learned during our 2+ year's of financial struggle is to completely let go of the burdens I carry and PRAY. In doing this, I'm letting God know that I truly, Rely On, Trust In and know that HIS LOVE for me is NEVER ENDING. He fills me with a Peace to make it through the bad times & throw's out unexpected blessings to show His Love!

WOW...JUST WOW!

This was the scripture passage I just happened to open up after praying about the
 money."Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands. The Lord will march out like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;" Isaiah 42:12-13

Whatever your going through, don't give up on the Lord's promises. He will keep you safe in His loving embrace...Pray & Read the Bible daily. He Loves You and Hears You!

"Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes." Psalm 119:124-125

"I call with all my heart, answer me, O Lord, and I will obey your decrees. I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word." Psalm 119:145-147