Random act of Kindness

The lady to the left (Helen Keller) made the most beautiful quote ~ "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." I love this quote. Isn't it true? Don't you love it when something grabs your heart and your have a moment of total peace?

Today, I want to challenge each of you to perform a random act of kindness. It is so much fun! You don't say anything you just do it. Remember the story in 1 Kings where Elijah knocked on the door, asking for kindness and he ended up offering a miracle in return.

Kindness is defined with a kind act, favor or kind behavior. Synonyms are compassion, tenderness, generosity, good turn. Who doesn't want to be a part of showing compassion? In Matthew 12 it says something along the line of "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks and I read somewhere in today's world that would translate to "What is down in the well comes up in the bucket". What is in your heart? Show kindness today to your loved ones and to strangers and see how much better the day will go!

Remember, random acts of kindness today!

Random Searching,

Answer Yes!

One of my favorite stories about the man to the left, Thomas Jefferson is about one of the days during his presidency that Jefferson and a group of friends were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river which had left its banks because of a downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to go across the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused one traveler who was not a part of the group to stand and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger requested if one man would ferry him across. The man agreed and without hesitation helped him climb aboard the horse. Safely on the other side a man approached the stranger, "Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?" The man was shocked, admitting that he had no idea it was President Jefferson who helped him. "All I know," he said, "is that some of your faces had the answer 'No,' written on them and his face said "YES"!

I love this story! I think that is exactly what 1 Peter 4: 11 says to me If anyone speaks, he sould do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with all strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever." Our faces should say YES!

Yes, Lord! I know you have all seen the bracelets WWJD, well this is what it is all about saying Yes. Be approachable, be open and let others into your world, so that you might be Jesus to somebody today! Say Yes it's that simple!

Saying Yes,
Debbie

Are you a wallflower?

Do you remember the prom and homecoming approaching and the prayers of Lord please let somebody invite me? Were you the one that went with friends and sat on the side of the room and watched all your friends dance?

Well, recently we began the study by Angela Thomas and I learned that a flower is also named Wallflower and that is where we get the images that we all think about when wallflower is mentioned. I am really enjoying this study and recommend it to your highly!

It amazes me how God works! I love to watch His hand at work in our journey. The study is really affirming that I am following God's desire for my journey at this place in the road. Recently, I began staying home to write and spend time with God in a more intimate relationship. Really studying His word and listening for Him in my daily life. It is amazing the peace in my heart and the dance with Our Savior!

I want to encourage each of you. It is still early in the year to take a turn on the dance floor with Our Father! We always call on Him during the difficult times, but let's call on Him during the times we are filled with joy and let Him hold Our hand at that time as well! Ladies, reach out grab His hand and take your turn dancing with The Savior! Shout with JOY that He is alive and well and sharing this journey with you! Let your light shine as you spin on the dance floor with the Best Dancing Partner we have in this journey of life!

Dancing a Jig,
Deb

God is the Great Physician!

This morning my heart is heavy. I am struggling because of the pain of friends. Friends that are in difficult situations with loved ones that are hurting. I began to think about people that don't have God in their journey. How do they heal? How do they get through the difficult time without God holding their hand or carrying them through? What about these people?

God took me to the scripture in Psalm from 147 where God tells us that He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Wow, God reminded me of so many things with this scripture...First, He is with us constantly and that He will help us work through this process. He is powerful and will heal our broken hearts. He alone is powerful enough to do all of this and so much more. He names each star and calls them by name, so He is calling your name. Let Him hold your hand, let Him carry you through..Call out now Father, Comforter, Redeemer, Almighty, Lord, God, Great Physician you know our needs and you know your plan and I am holding on to you!

Praise your Almighty and Call For Healing from the Only One that heals our hearts!

Calling Out,

No worries!

Reading this morning about Joseph was so interesting! I could picture him running to meet his brothers with the long coat on and the brothers shouting among each other HERE'S THE DREAMER NOW! I could hear Joseph bragging telling them about his dreams...Imagine their pain of the little brother that father so obviously adored..

God was with Joseph. He was with Joseph in the cistern, being dragged to be sold, with Potiphar buying Joseph. The verse that got my attention was that Potiphar had no worries other than what kind of food to eat...Just because Joseph was with him in his home and the Lord was with Joseph - Potiphar had no worries. Just because he was close to Joseph he was taken care of...Do you think Potiphar really ever realized about Joseph's Lord? Once Joseph was gone, do you think he realized and believed? It tells us that he realized while Joseph was with him in verse 3, but I want to know about after he took Joseph to jail. What did he believe then?

Even in prison...God was with him. Once again, he did good things even in prison. He was at the top of the prison order in no time...God is so good..He is with us in Our prisons, cisterns, homes, churches, whatever and wherever we are and whatever we are doing...we are never alone.

The picture above is about peace and the peace that this fact should bring to each of us! We are never alone. God is with us!!!

Blessings,

How much is a mandrake worth?

I was reading the reading for January 10th. today and several things caught my attention! Serious attention!

The first thing was Esau married Ishamel's daughter. Did you catch that? Ishamel, the other son of Abraham. The one that didn't get the blessing from Abraham. Much like Esau..

Jacob left the land to find his wife ~ just like what happened with Issac. Do you feel Esau's pain? The passage states that Esau saw very clearly that his father did not want Jacob to marry a Canaanite woman. So Esau immediatly visited his uncle Ishamel's familoy and married his daughter. Hurt feelings and quick responses..how often do we do the same thing?

The next thing that caught my attention was Jacob's dream. The stairway from earth to heaven with angels going up and down the stairway. The Lord stood at the top and promised the land he was sleeping on, lots of descendants, protection wherever he goes and that he would be with Jacob. The verse that really spoke to me about how close we are to the Lord is v. 16 and 17 "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!" So true! He is everywhere right around us at work and we never notice!!!

Mandrakes~have you ever seen one? Would you take one in exchange for your husband sleeping with someone else? I don't think so! WELL, that is exactly what happened in the story of Leah and Rachel. The story of the two sisters that both loved Jacob. Jacob was tricked in to marrying Leah (she is described having no sparkle in her eyes)..Rachel's beauty is always talked about the beautiful figure and lovely face. This story doesn't even start very good, does it?
Jealously, two women one man, one fertile and one unfertile, two maids that also sleep with the main guy...trouble is everywhere...

I am also a woman that suffers with infertility issues. I read this story today and the thing that caught my attention was the younger beautiful sister bargaining for the older sister to sleep with her man for mandrakes. I thought what are these mandrakes? I went to look it up and found that they are a plant that seems to help with fertility. Sweet aroma is mentioned and a modern explanation says they help with estorgen levels..Rachel needed that plant so bad that she made the deal of a lifetime. She wanted to be a mother, so bad. It states in the next verse or so that God remembered her prayers and enabled her to have children. The picture above shows a mandrake plant and I pondered the offer made between these two sisters. God's plans and God's timing are not easy for us to understand. Rachel saw the mandrake as a possible cure and a way to get what she desired. I know the pain of infertility, but I'm not sure that I would have taken the mandrake for a cure to my problem.

Oh, how I am loving reading God's word with a new eye and open heart! Thank you Lord for all I am learning and hearing in a different way and with a different spirit! Thank you for this awesome place, your Gateway to Heaven that you share with each of us........

Learning and Growing,

The Lord Closed the Door

I love this image of doors! You know that I am presently reading the Bible in Chronological order and one of the readings that truly spoke to my heart so far is From Genesis 7. It is the story of Noah and the flood and God giving Noah the instructions on all the right things to take along in the ark. Never before had this verse jumped out at me ~ like this time...Then the Lord closed the door behind them.

How often I've wondered why it seemed like a missed opportunity or a chance just went away. Well, it hit me that God probably closed the door behind me! God took care of Noah and his valuable load on the ark and He takes care of us. Whether He is closing a door or opening the door He is in charge, if we allow Him to open and shut the doors.

Don't you love the image above? Place God in your home, office, or other places today and allow Him to open and close the right doors for you. I love the image of some being opened and others closed ~ after all only God knows the right way to open and close the next door in our journey!

Happy openings and closings,

Blurred Vision

Happy New Year! Are things any clearer today than yesterday? Do you have all the answers ~ after all we made new resolutions and in the society we all live in everything should have already happened ~ like yesterday!

Well, that is a bunch of hogwash. Things don't happen like that especially big things. At least, things that we make resolutions about on New Years Eve.

I woke up this morning to begin my resolution and I'm excited about mine. I mentioned earlier this week it is to read the Chronological Bible in One Year. I'm ready and going to start as soon as I finish this post. I want my focus to be totally on what God is speaking to me about during this upcoming year. I know He is going to talk to me in a way that I've not ever heard Him before and I am so excited about finding out what He is going to tell me!

Join me you've got time ~ Today's the day the first day of the year and you aren't behind yet! Take the challenge and follow along with the rest of us across the country that are taking the challenge that Wendy Pope mentioned on her blog. Wendy is Proverbs 31 ministries and you can search for her and keep up with people across the country beginning this step together!

I'm going to go now and get started and begin this exciting step of faith together with my new friends across the country and one dear friend (that I know of) right here at home!

Things are going to become so much clearer after this New Year's resolution,