But...

Reading this morning I was convicted of all the times I've offered excuses for something. Do you offer excuses? I thought about the times as a child, a student, an employee, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a aunt...the list went on and on. In John 15:22 Jesus told us that had He not come and wpoken to them we would have an excuse, but now we have no excuse for our sin! No pretense! No reason! It is what it is - SIN!

We don't like to see it that way, so excuses flow right out without even a thought. We know when the Spirit convicts us and yet sometimes we ignore or offer the excuse.

Jesus is walking to the Garden to pray for the cup to be taken from Him and yet He is comforting and instructing the ones He loves so much... the disciples and US! Jesus tells us what is going to happen and gives us words of comfort. It always amazes me just how much HE loves us. We know He is suffering. WE know what He is facing and yet He is still comforting and teaching all of the disciples and us. Yet, at times we still want to offer excuses as to why we aren't able to do something He wants us to do, because it might require us to step out of our comfort zone or it might make someone else uncomfortable and yet Jesus is walking to the garden knowing that soon He will die on the cross for you and me...yet we want to offer an excuse!

Forgive us Father there are no excuses that are worthy anymore than we are worthy only by your grace are we worthy!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Devil just wants to agitate us!

Debbie, Debbie, Satan has asked to agitate you! Imagine, how Peter felt when the Lord told him that Satan was after him. The Messiah was telling Peter I've prayed for you to succeed in your faith. You will fall, but you will get back up. Serving the Lord the devil comes after you...he fights for you. Judas lost the battle, Peter won the battle, which will be our fate or should I say choice?

After all, it is our choice to be strong and stand with The Lord or weak and let the devil win. The devil gets permission to enter and if we open a small crack even - he is in to fight for us! We must stand firm and stable with the LORD in repentence when we fail!

In study today, when your name is stated twice like in Luke 22, it is a sign or expression of sincere love with a warning to us. Think back to growing up with your parents and the times they might have used your full name or said your first name twice, isn't this so?

Jesus, is the way! In the reading today from John 14, we are told to trust in God, and trust also in Jesus. We must have confidence in God and know it all to be true and then the devil will not and can not win! Next time we are agitated, think about who might be getting through that crack to attack and win! Be strong and Be courageous and remember who is with us when we fight the battle - OUR MIGHTY SAVIOR!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Dirty feet are just the beginning of this cleansing...

I have to admit that I struggle with feet. Clean feet are difficult for me, so I place myself in this room with 12 men that I love, but they have walked all day in sandals on a dirty, dusty road. The smells, the rough feet, the job would not be easy, but the LORD served them anyway! Of course, He paid a price in a much bigger way on the cross, but I am struggling with this little act He did much less the bigger!

Am I alone Lord?

Do I struggle with this alone?

Such a beautiful demonstration of your love for us and yet I struggle because of dirty feet! You simply stood, took off your robe, wrapped a towel around your waist and began to serve the ones you loved in that room. What a beautiful service, what a beautiful act of love and yet I know in my heart the struggle I would feel...I beg your forgiveness for feeling so unworthy at this moment...

One commentary stated it was a true measure of humility. I struggle with the dirty feet it's not the act of humbling myself to serve, it is the act of the washing the dirty feet and I am appalled with myself, but yet I feel that I must be open and honest and beg forgiveness. I thank you Lord for showing me once again what I need to see about myself. I don't like what I see, but I admit and beg forgiveness that my heart will become more like yours and that it will not be dirty feet I see, but the feet of someone I love and that I will be ready to serve and love the ones with dirty feet as well. Lord, thank you for loving me in spite of myself and I pray that I will become more and more like you with each moment of each day. Amen.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Are we producing any fruit?

A story about Jesus being hungry and the fig tree not having a fruit on it, so He cursed the tree. (story found in Mark 11) Upon walking by it later that day Peter pointed out that the tree had died. What do you think Jesus was teaching here? Was He that hungry and angry that His stomach was growling? It really doesn't seem like Jesus to get this angry over an empty stomach after all He went 40 days and 40 nights without - right? Odd is how this story struck me always until today and a light bulb went off in my head and heart that we aren't getting it! We aren't helping to produce ripe fruit!

So, what is He teaching? First a few facts...this tree was right along the road so anyone could eat the fruit on the tree, if the tree had produced any. It was not just for a certain few. Second, the fig trees in this part of the world would have produced year round, but had this not been the case the fruit would have come first and then the leaves and it was time for the fruit. Third point to think about is that Jesus had been with them teaching for awhile now and the time was growing nearer and still people were not getting it. The Jewish people were hearing and teaching, but didn't get it. Fruit was not being produced. Here was a fruitless people that just weren't getting it and time was growing short for Him to be among them. Walking among them, teaching them directly and still they were not getting it!

No, it wasn't His growling stomach that He was frustrated with - it was the people He loved so much and still loves so much. Are we producing any fruit? The harvest is great and the workers are few, but are the few producing? Search your heart today and ask the hard questions of yourself such as: How can I help to produce more fruit? How can I help to plant seeds? How can I help to water the tree? How can I help grow the fruit? What is my role in the production of fruit?

Thank you Jesus for loving us so very much!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Be strong, Be courageous!

I stepped outside yesterday to take the dogs out for their early morning relief session and this is what greeted us! Yes, a very friendly looking coyote that I think I heard smacking coming from his jaws. Seriously, he was watching us from a distance and I was very nervous. After all, my three babies were taking care of business oblivious to this new creature in their yard.

I didn't want to show alarm, but I was very alarmed! Buzzers were sounding everywhere in my brain and yet I felt like it would be okay at the same moment. Have you ever felt that way? My Spirit reminded me of my life verse from Joshua 1:9 "Have I not told you to be strong and courageous. I go with you wherever you go!" I felt a peace, but truly this was a new experience for me. One that in a moment my babies could be in the mouth of this critter and I wasn't sure I could handle that picture at all. Over and over my spirit was fed this verse until we were safely back inside our home with the door between me and this coyote! I have to admit it is easier to be brave when you have a huge, heavy log door between you and a coyote! I felt like I had the world by the tail and I was standing looking through the window doing the old fingers in the ears, ha-ha thing, but I wasn't quite that brave even with the door shut and him on the outside!

Evil seems always ready to just snatch us up! We are busy going about our daily chores without realizing that evil is about to pounce in our area of weakness, whether that is control, gossip, lack of patience or kindness, anger, terrible words, addiction, the list goes on and on, but it is there waiting, watching, and ready to pounce! How do we keep this from happening? Do we sound the alarms and begin to surround ourselves with the Word, Music, Christian Friends, Prayer to bring our peace back? Yes, indeed! Well, all of these are great ways to tell the evil to get back behind us, because the evil just isn't going to happen we are going to be strong! We are going to be strong and courageous because we indeed know who goes with us ~ OUR MIGHTY SAVIOR! No coyote or no other evil can defeat Our Savior!!!!

So, be ready when the alarms sound to shout Get Back Evil, I serve a Mighty LORD and you don't stand a chance! He is MY BIG STRONG LOG DOOR AND YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Is it fair what we crave?

Is anything fair? You know is it fair that one person is born with a high iq and another low? Is it fair that one is born into a family with monetary means, but another not? Is it fair that one is born with one color of skin and another not? Is it fair that you could have children and I couldn't? Is it fair that your family member is diagnosed with a terrible disease and mine isn't? Is anything fair? Think about it a moment...

Fair, well first question to ponder might be who determines what fair is? Is it each person? Is it a group of people? Who determines this big factor?

I was awakened early this morning by The Spirit telling me to go and study, so I am up studying and was struck by the story from Matthew about the workers being hired one at 9:00 in the morning the other at the end of the day with only one hour to go in the days work and getting the same pay and the other story of Zack, the tax collector a favorite of mine. I was hit with what if we are craving Jesus like Zack was then maybe life would look different. It would seem fair, because He would be ALL that mattered! Instead, we Americans crave the American dream of more, more, more and we never seem to get to that place and then others scream that life hasn't handed them their fair shake...now don't get me wrong both points might be fair, but then again is that point of is anything fair?

Let's look at both of these stories a little ~ Zack we are told was trying to see Jesus. He had a burning desire, a craving to see Jesus. A man that worked for the Romans and stole from others still had a burning desire to see Jesus. He was going to do what it took to see Jesus. He wanted to experience this for himself ~ Jesus! He had a craving to experience Jesus are we able to say this about ourselves? Ponder on that a moment and then look at Matthew a moment.

Is it our call what someone should pay another whether they work a full day or only one hour? Isn't it their call? In our day and age this one is hard to take into our minds and wrap around it. We want everything equal and this scripture isn't about that is it? If someone finds God right before death and yet we have served Him a long time does that seem fair? Well, we should be rejoicing another soul will be in heaven instead of questioning whether it is fair or not, but is this our nature?

If we are like Zack then we are rejoicing that this person found Jesus before it was too late they had a craving for Jesus, so it is joyous and right and everything is wonderful! On the other hand, if we are worried about being fair then our cravings are not about Jesus it is the things of this world that control us and it is our choice what we crave, so I think it is fair...We get to decide for ourselves do we crave Jesus or the other more? I want you to think about if we are craving Jesus then we aren't worried about whether anything is fair because all we care about is Jesus! Ponder it...

So, ponder today what are you craving and if you think it is fair what you crave! I can honestly tell you that I crave Jesus, more and more of Jesus is my burning desire to know more and more and it is my prayer that this is your craving as well! I don't worry myself with questions about the why's or fairness because I know that God plans things. He understands the big picture and I don't know the big picture, so it isn't for me to worry about whether or not something is fair! So, you might want to think on that one over the weekend and know in your heart that our plans are not God's plans and we definitely do not know the whole picture!!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

I am glad

Imagine Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters a lot. So, He wanted to truly show how much they mattered to Him, so He waited a couple of days. A couple of days in a person's health matter and yet Jesus waited. He waited until He felt death happened and He loved them. Delays are sometimes a good thing God provides to show His greatness, don't you think? Or perhaps to show His perfect timing and desires for our life?

Jesus wanted everybody to realize God's glory and power His friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus and everybody else as well. He wanted their to be no doubt. He wanted Lazarus to have been gone for awhile, not a moment, not near death...gone. Had He been with Lazarus ~ perhaps He couldn't have allowed Him to suffer, but for our sakes He stayed away. He wanted all to see God's glory and believe! He wanted the power of the overcoming of death to speak to all, so the longer in the tomb the more others would believe.

Indeed Jesus loved all of us. He suffered with His friends...He felt their pain...He probably weeped a little due to the sisters thinking perhaps that He had to be with them to prevent this or to overcome this..and they were strong supporters, but He had to teach them as well through bringing Lazarus back. Continually we humans fall short, but never ever does Jesus! Jesus continually teaches of us of His love for us. Continually He showed God's glory for our Sake! Amazing love how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! Indeed, over and over Jesus shows His mighty love for all of us.

Thank you for loving me so much!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

We KNOW each other

I love the peace and comfort the words from John 10 bring to me. The words that Jesus knows my heart, my thoughts, my everything that Jesus, Our Savior knows everything about me and still loves me! I love that it goes on and reassures us that we are able to indeed know Him. We KNOW He is our Savior, that He died for us and that the Word is Him! We are in relationship with Our Shepherd and the illustrations that Jesus used are so reassuring and beautiful!

He is the gate! We are protected at the Gate by Him and because of Him. We enter through the door by knowing who He is...Our Savior! The Shepherd takes care of, protects, knows, loves, tends, searches for the lost, the shepherd is such a beautiful illustration that provides such a comforting and loving picture of our Father! Jesus is the way into the fold of God's Kingdom and He stands to welcome you with His open loving arms at the doorway, after all He is the doorway, the only way!

What a beautiful way to begin another work week ~ think about Jesus watching over you in those difficult moments when you face a problem at home, but yet the boss needs you to finish a project. Think about Jesus the protector watching over you when your loved one lays in the hospital bed waiting to be healed...Beautiful knowing just how much Our Shepherd indeed, loves each of us! Give God the Glory and Praise Him all the time ~ Good or Bad Praise Him!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Imagine, bent over with only the ground in sight...

Eighteen years of viewing the world by viewing the ground...Bent over for eighteen years by evil spirits. Beautiful words from Jesus ~ Dear woman you are healed of your sickness. Touched and immediately healed.

I place myself in this woman's shoes and think of eighteen years viewing only my feet and others feet. Perhaps able to glance and make eye contact occasionally with others, but most of the time dirty shoes, or the ground...no beautiful smiles, sparkle in the eyes, sunsets, sunrises, no only the ground. Sad..I know this woman was sad, but I know she was happy with the words of Dear woman...I feel that those sweet words were healing in themselves said from Jesus.

Dear woman...He saw...He spoke...He healed...He cared...He loved...only Jesus is able! Thank you Jesus!

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

One crumb, One Word

I've always been bothered by this passage. Bothered that Jesus would treat this woman with the language of it isn't right to take food from the children and give it to the dogs. Today, I decided that I would look a little deeper; afterall I knew I didn't like this story on the surface.

I learned this woman would have been Greek and lived in a land of idolaters. All or most of the people were idol worshippers and Jesus had been very specific with the disciples about "Go not into the way of the Gentiles" back in Matthew 10 remember? So, He was teaching and being careful how He handled this situation. Perhaps He was teaching I came for the Israelites. He was now among them and I believe reminding the disciples He hadn't taught this woman and they hadn't taught this woman, but she believed.

Imagine the scene the disciples wanting her leave them along and a persistent woman! Next it tells us that she came and worshipped him, saying Lord help me! What a cry out for mercy! She believed in Him from the bottom of her heart and knew His mighty power. He told her that The Israelites needed to be filled first. Well, that implies that something might be left over right? A little bit of hope peeking through and she caught it! Truth, LORD is what her next words meant. She knew who He was and believed yet again we are taught by someone from the outside that showed more faith than those surrounding Him. She knew that one crumb of His power and grace could heal her daughter. She was happy to take the leftovers, she knew they held just as much power. Again, we are told that Jesus only marveled at two things faith and unbelievers!

The woman returned home to find her daughter clothed and sitting on the couch with the demon gone is what one commentary stated. One crumb and what a lesson for the rest of us! What a teaching from this woman that would take the crumbs from beneath the table and know that her daughter was healed!

Wow, still not the easiest story in the Word, but it is an amazing teaching of faith from a woman that believed in Jesus!

So, do we realize the power in Jesus?

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Lord, to whom would we go?

Many deserted Jesus for speaking truth...Jesus turned to the Twelve and wanted to know if they were going to leave Him too? Peter replied, Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words to give eternal life. We really see this as no option, don't we? and yet the other option is picked so many times...

It seems to obvious and yet...

People didn't understand, so they deserted. Many don't understand today, so they desert..it isn't for us to understand ~ it is about believing God! Faith is the answer and never will we have all the answers and nor do we need to! We don't understand so many things about our health and yet we trust our Doctors, some we know, some we don't and yet we trust...our lawyers...our pharmacists...people that cook our food...We trust these people and yet we question God!

Indeed Lord, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God! The Way to God is You! Thank you Jesus for saving me....

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Those that know you best, don't really know you at all?

Don't you love this little boy? The feelings of the ones he knows best have hurt his feelings? Ever felt that way? I think Jesus must have felt that way from the stories from Mark 6 and Matthew 13 today. Jesus returned to Nazareth, his hometown and He was teaching in the synagogue, and they scoffed and shunned Him because after all He was the son of Mary and Joseph and He is only a carpenter after all. The Word tells us they were deeply offended. Imagine, they were offened then how did Jesus feel? Amazed.

Yes, amazed. The same word to describe belief of the Roman officer is the same word used here with unbelief. Jesus was amazed that His own hometown people didn't believe. Isn't this often times the way we are? We have someone among us that posesses lots of knowledge, but because of our own insecurity issues we question them or we ignore them...or we are jealous and we just close our hearts and ears? We are so human and so wrong. I admit I've done this at times and it is sooooooo wrong!

Today, this story jumped off the page because of the word amazed. I was so touched and have shared all week about amazing Jesus with our faith, but today He was amazed with unbelief! My heart was oh Lord please let me amaze you with believing with all my heart in You and all You Are and Will always be, don't ever let my human failures get in the way of believing in You!

What about you? Which way do you amaze Jesus? Will He be like the little boy in the picture, so upset with the hurt that He can't look up or will He be smiling so proudly from ear to ear in your belief?

The choice is ours!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Life returned

The pic today is a bridge to nowhere in Korea and I thought that is us a lot. We are stuck in the middle and not making much progress in any direction. Is that right for you or is it just me?

The Word today that God gave me was from Luke 8:54 and 55...I heard it so loudly to My Spirit...My child, get up! And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Sometimes, by our own choosing we are stuck to as I like to say waller in something, to hang on and not let go, to just stay...Well, today it was like it's time Debbie move on...let the Spirit return to you and live!

New beginnings today! A fresh start with a renewed Spirit and it feels so good! Are you stuck? Well, read this story and ask the Lord what He wants you to get, perhaps it isn't a renewal, perhaps it is the first time that you realize just who He is and accept Him, perhaps He is saying here's my hand take it and let Me, Your Savior help you through this dismal, depressing time...Don't stay in the nowhere place alone and perhaps it's not time to move on, but know you are not alone in the nowhere place! God is holding you up and helping you along!

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Let's cross ~ not perhaps or maybe!

Storms in life are coming not perhaps or maybe! At some point we face storms in our journey and the LORD tells us we will get through because of Him, but when it hits are we like the disciples shouting Lord, don't you care? Of course, He cares He died for us, He was sent for us and yet we question Him?

Jesus doesn't tell the disciples that they might get across the water. He is firm in all three gospels about crossing to the other side. He thinks they know by now who He is and He goes to sleep, but first sign of trouble they shout to Him and show no faith and all He has been teaching them...

What about you? When you lay down at night and the phone rings with bad news do you immediately shout Lord, don't you care? Do you put your faith into action? Do you know that with Jesus you may have galhnh which means sudden calm? That is the word Jesus shouted at the waters or do you have upheaveal and fear fed by the evil one feel you? I love the words Jesus used several translations for Silence which meant be silent, hold one's peace and still was to close your mouth or be made speechless! Shouldn't we walk around in awe of Our Savior in awe and speechless and the disciples had witnessed miracle after miracle, walked in His footsteps and yet they shouted Don't you care?

Jesus told them before He ever laid down and went to sleep they would make it and they forgot one fact that we all seem to forget God wasn't going to let the Messiah go down in a boat, no He had bigger things in mind for Him! We do not serve a small God, we serve a Mighty God with a Mighty plan to save all of us and yet we shout Don't you care all the time! HOW? HOW DO WE SHOUT THOSE WORDS? God let Jesus die for you and me and yet we shout Don't you care? INDEED HE CARES! Lord, my prayer again today is for me to have the faith of the Roman officer that will amaze you!!! You are ALL that matters! I love you!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

A true measure of people only God Knows

Luke 8:2 ~ along with some women

Imagine, the feeling of being special felt for the first time by these women and feeling special by not just anyone, but Jesus!!! Isn't that true with us? When we finally realize that we are special it is because of Jesus? Up until that moment we are flawed, imperfect, too big, too small, too short, too tall, wrong color hair...the list could go on and on until we finally get we matter to Jesus!

Jesus let these women be a part of His ministry. They traveled and supported Him and others saw this acknowledgement in public. No longer were they on the edges of a room just overhearing a detail here or there from the Word they were able to sit at His feet and learn. So are we!

Jesus treated them different and finally they realized that God measures us differently than other human beings! He loves us! He was their friend and He wanted to save their souls! Wow!!!!

Today, remember how God measures you and not those around you that might hurt your feelings and they don't even realize it!!! Look to Jesus for your measure of how much you matter ~ HE DIED on the CROSS FOR YOU AND ME ~ WE MATTER!

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Imagine - amazing Jesus!

Imagine these words said about you ~ Jesus heard this, he was amazed! Amazed by your faith. Don't you want this said about you?

I read this today and it jumped at me! Yes, indeed I want Jesus to be amazed that I believe His Words, I believe Him and it is my desire for Him to be amazed. I want these words said....from JESUS!

The story was that a servant of a roman officer was in bed, paralyzed and interrible pain. The officer knew that Jesus could heal him without coming near his house, because He was Jesus. He didn't need to enter this man's home to do it...just say a word! A word is all that was needed...Ladies, today believe! Tomorrow and forever believe have this man's faith and take the dance of lifetime!!!!

WOW is all that needs to be said...I BELIEVE

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Willing to listen

In Luke 6:27, But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies!" sounds easy enough, but not...is it?

A couple of things involved first is listening. Listening is a gift and one that in today's time it seems we all want to talk. I've found myself saying listen, listen reminding myself that at times that is what I need to do...sit quietly and listen. A gift, a present to another for several reasons one is she cares, she is willing to listen intently to another. So are you willing to listen or do you want to just hear your own voice again?

The second is to understand, perceive that in order to be what we need to be we need to listen to Christ and love and welcome our enemies! Yes, not our friends that's easy, but our enemies. You know the folks that are difficult to love! Listen and love the hard to love. Love the one that may have broken your heart and listen to Christ help you to love this difficult person. Yes, the only way to love this person is with Christ showing you how...!!!

So, today's thought for me from the Word was being willing to listen and to let Christ help me understand how to love my enemy, because without Him I could not ever achieve this gift of loving of my enemy. I am willing LORD...I am willing...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Touched by Jesus!!! Praise God!

Jesus reached out and touched him…
Jesus reached out and touched him…
Jesus reached out and touched him…
All three gospels speak about Jesus touching a man with leprosy. A man that was considered unclean, you would not dare touch and yet Jesus touched him. Touched him and others saw this gesture. They saw this act of kindness, love, compassion.
Do you feel the man’s pain?
Probably years of being alone…Oh the quiet…Oh the pain of everyone avoiding him. Looking around like they don’t see him. Ever had one of those days where you feel like do they even see me? Are they looking right through me?
Jesus saw…Jesus reached…Jesus touched!
The same is true with us!
He sees us! He reaches for us! But do we let Him touch Us?
Let Him touch you! IT is your choice! Let Him heal you!
Sweet blessings,
Debbie