Prayer for the New Year

What can we all do for the new year? We can all make resolutions that some we will keep and some we will fall short on or we can go into action!

Action sounds good, doesn't it? We are finally going to do something! Something big! We need to pray for the new year and all that it brings. Remember, in James it says Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. (The Message)

I read a story about a young girl in England. It was the year 1872 and she was bed ridden in her home. She prayed that God would bring a revival to her home church of which she was a member, but was unable to attend. She had read the story of Moody and all that he was doing in Chicago among the poor children. She placed the story under her pillow and began to pray that he would visit her church.

The little girl had no way to reach Moody only prayer to God. The only worked! Her pastor met Moody at a conference that he planned to do no work, just attend. He approached Moody and requested that he preach in his church (the little girls church). Moody consented and after the evening service hundreds came to Christ. He seemed surprised and again he requested that they rise if they would decide for Christ. Again the same response.

Ten days of meetings and four hundred new members taken into the church. Moody told the story "I wanted to know what this meant. I began asking questions and could not rest until I found one little girl that was bedridden that had prayed that God would bring me to her church."

God heard her and brought Moody over four thousand miles at her request!!! WOW!!!

The little girl's name is Marianne Adlard and Prayer does Work! Let's pray that God will be with us as we make choices and decisions in the new year, that peace will finally come to this world we abide in and that love will show through each of us for Our Savior!

I read a quote that simply says "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. Edmund Everett Hale...Powerful and we need to all remember Marianne and the power of a woman's prayers!!

God Bless You in the New Year,

Debbie

Full Live!

New Year ~ what do you think about when you ponder a new year?

I have a list of things I need to do, things I want to do, some things I know I will do, and some I know that I will probably cross off the list. We had a lesson Sunday about resolutions and things that we could do and would we commit to doing some of these things.

I know one thing for sure that I am going to do ~ read the Chronological Bible through the year. I am taking on a challenge that Proverbs 31 Ministries issued. I think over 300 women are going to accept this challenge together. I know that by taking on this challenge ~ I will make some of the changes. I will be transformed by THE WORD!

In the new year, I want to rise to new heights! Live Full lives, full in the fullness of God like it talks about in Ephesians 3. I know that by reading God's Word daily and taking on this challenge that I will be like the butterfly and transformed. (I took this picture on vacation in St. Martin) Don't you love the beauty of God's work shown with the sun shining through the Butterfly? Isn't that how our life should be? God shining through us!

My new year's resolution is for others to see God shining brightly through me!!!!

Blessings,

You are extraordinary!

Do you think of yourself as extraordinary? I don't have that in mind when I think about myself. Let's see most of the time things like you didn't do your best or you could have done better, I really need to lose weight...you know the thoughts don't you? We don't quite measure up in our own minds?



A couple of days ago I went to see Marley and Me the movie. It was wonderful and I recommend it. The owner at the end was thinking about the journey that he and Marley had taken together. The lines about their relationship hit a note with me. He stated that Marley thought (the owner) was extraordinary and how Marley loved him just the way he was and is....



I read a quote one time that said, " I wish I was half the person my dog thinks I am"...So true...Our puppies love us just the way we are.



Does this sound familiar to you? It reminds me of the scripture from Psalms that tells us in Psalm 18:19 " He brought me out into a spacious place, he rescued me because he delighted in me." God delights in you and me! He thinks we are extraordinary! Don't you just love God's word?



Start your week remembering God delights in you!

Blessings,

Blessed by the Fire!

Today in church the topic is "Blessed by the Fire" and boy can I relate! It is true I was blessed by the fire that took my home and belongings as I knew it at the time!

I am now back home and blessed to be back home. My home is lovely, but that is not the true blessing of this event in my journey. The true blessing is the intimate relationship that I now have with My Savior! Oh I've had a relationship, but not the one I have now! Now I look for Him everywhere! The experience of the fire taught me that God is with me and I knew this before the fire, but not like now. Oh how I wish that I would have looked for him before like I do now.

Why do we wait for the difficult times to look for God? Why don't we share the good times as well as the bad? God wants us all the time!!

The fire blessed me because I now have the relationship with God that I know He wanted me to always experience! The laughter, tears, and most of all just knowing that God is right there with me every step of the way.

Recently, I got a letter in the mailbox from a Doctor that would have scared me for weeks before the fire. Now I haven't given it much thought ~ I gave it to God. I don't know what that appointment will hold for me, but I know that God will hold my hand good or bad news. I'm finally trusting and believing with all my heart and it feels good!!!

Don't wait until your fire! Look for God and share the journey with Him!

Blessed by the Fire,

Believe

Wow! Don't you love it when God gives you a message and you know without a doubt He sent it?



This morning for my devotion I went to Luke to begin the story of Our Savior's birth. I wondered what the Lord would share with me in our intimate time together. Once again, He shared a huge message for me and all believers! Look at Luke 1:45 "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

What other message could any of us possibly want or desire? The word believe means to have confidence in the truth without absolute proof, isn't that so huge in this season of Christmas ~~

Truth and Belief and we will be blessed! I'm blessed how about you?

Blessings,

Praise and Thanks

The next couple of days are all about "the baby" that was sent for each of us. Isn't it amazing that the Savior came as a baby? Which one of us doesn't just melt with a baby around?

I feel so that it is a time to "give thanks" for this baby and to praise God for All He is! It doesn't matter what this year held for any of us we were never alone. God was holding us up and holding our hand as we celebrated or cried!

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. Luke 1:68 ~~

Gather with your family and friends and Praise Our Savior over the holidays. Celebrate His birth, so that all of us are saved! What a celebration it will be to remember the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!

The LIGHT!

I recently read a story about a young man that dreamed he held an unlit candle in his hand. Jesus stood by peacefully with a candelbra. The young man slowly moved toward Jesus and Jesus lit his candle with His. The young man moved off very fast eager to share his light with others and his light went out. He turned toward Jesus once again to ask to light His candle once again. The Master relit the candle.

Have you ever noticed the further we get from His flame how our own candle goes out? During the busy season of Christmas and all the rushing to get things done our light goes out, doesn't it?

We rush and get caught up in the hustle and bustle and forget the meaning of Christmas. Christ was born into the manager all those years ago for us! Don't forget to relight your flame for Christ during the season and let it shine for all to see! The light of the star guided the wisemen and we need to let the same Light guide us!

Following the Light,

Anticipation

Waiting and waiting....

Since Friday afternoon about 5:00 that is exactly what is happening in my life...Broken wrist for my mom..that my puppies got between her feet and tripped her up...

Emergency room until midnight..plus guilt of my dogs being responsible..oh the things we put on ourselves...in this area..guilt room is full of folks just like me...

We are presently sitting in a hotel room waiting to go across for Kenny's surgery. It is truly amazing what they do now days with surgeries..we should be out later this afternoon.

The waiting is tough, but I know Who is waiting with me and The Lord never ever leaves me or you!!!

Please lift us in prayers! Will return soon.

Blessings,

The joys of a drive thru

Early this morning after a night of visiting nephews for the night, we approached the drive thru with anticipation. Do you know what I mean? You are in a hurry and they never seem to get the order right?

We made our order and waited. Waited. Waited.

Finally, she opened the window and of course the order was not right. The boys began to say I ordered such and such, and then the other began the same. We told the lady what we had ordered and waited some more. Of course, it still wasn't right when we finally got our food.

Do you think God ever looks at us with the same why don't you get it right? After all, He gave us instructions and the how to book, didn't He?
Remember this scripture 2 Peter 1:5 (The Message)
5-9So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

Sometimes we just don't get it right, do we? We need to remember the scripture and take it to heart..Because of Jesus we do have the wrongs wiped off the book...so does the person in the drive thru so remember during this busy season to practice passionate patience (don't you love that) warm friendliness and generous love and the world will be a better place!!!!

Blessings,

On Eagles Wings

Isaiah 40:31 is one of my favorites...

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Have you heard about Challenger the eagle? I was reading a fascinating story about an eagle that was about 5 to 6 weeks old in Louisiana, when the during a storm the eagle was blown from his nest. He was rescued and raised by people. He was declared non-releasable' by the authorities, so he was trained by the AEF to perform at such events as the World Series, BCS Championships, etc. by flying into the arena as the first bald eagle to learn to free-fly into a stadium!

Watch him on you-tube! He is gorgeous and he teaches us that just like the scriptures tell us our hope is in the LORD!

Remember during this holiday season when things get so crazy and you feel so overwhelmed that God will renew your strength and that you can soar just like an eagle!

Holidays are difficult and we need to share with those around us about the hope that we have because of a little baby that was born into this world to give us so much more than just hope! A baby was born to give us healing, to save us and to give us all new life! Share the love of Our Savior and whose birthday we celebrate this month!

Blessings,

Fill ~ Er Up Please

Welcome to my blog! We are on a journey and we are All Sisters in Christ! I began to think about doing this blog months ago and it is finally happening! We will share thoughts together and hopefully together it will make our journeys easier because they are shared together.

I want to encourage all of you to look for God in your every day life. I don't believe in coincidences - I believe in Divine Appointments! I had one last Tuesday morning that was awesome! I pulled into the gas station to fill~er up! I definitely got filled up that morning!

A beautiful lady approached me as I stood pumping gas into my tank and requested to share a word with me. I was so excited that someone was bold enough to approach people in the gas station! The lady had the most beautiful smile and she began to share with me from Joshua 1: 6 -9 and I became even more excited. The scripture was the same scripture that after my home fire in February was in a tree in my front yard from an old family bible. Please take the time and read the whole scripture. I'm going to share from verse 9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
I thanked her for her sharing this Gift from God with me! I was so happy because God showed up once again and filled my tank with the fuel I needed for that day and everyday He is with me!!

Welcome and I hope you will visit me often to share this journey together!
Blessings,