Like honey~

Listen to these words from Proverbs ~
The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly.

The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.

From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.

Kind words are like honey- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Our Words determine how the days of others might go and even our own. Use kind words today and see smiles spread wide across another sister's face! Use sweet kind words and allow the people around you to glow!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

God's Wisdom and Joy

Reading Proverbs 8 this morning I am reminded to rejoice and celebrate in God's Wisdom and His joy over the creation! In verse 29, Of God setting the limits of the sea with boundaries. Of His marking off the foundations and how happy God was with His Creation and it goes on to say rejoicing with His human family! That's US!!!!

It overwhelms me that God calls all of His family! We need to rejoice about God and all that He was and is and will always be! Eternally and always Our Father!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Tie them to your finger

First, off I want to apologize for the last couple of days...I couldn't get to the blog to post. Blogger was having some computer issues, so I apologize.

We are in Proverbs, some of the wise writings of Solomon! Don't they get you?

Today what caught my attention was Proverbs 7: 2 -3...Obey my commands and live! Write them deep within your heart.

To truly live and enjoy life it helps to obey the commands. Think about it. when we are walking closer to God and we feel Him beside us walking it is fabulous, when we move away its not so grand!

If we take the time to allow the commands to become a part of our heart they simply become a part of us and they are easier to follow. When we allow them to escape from our hearts and become a part of our outer being we just exist.

Ponder the Proverbs for yourself and listen to the wisdom of Solomon!

Again, sorry for the last couple of days...I felt lost not being able to post and say good morning! Most of all being able to write about God and His Mighty Gift of His Word!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Vast as...

Imagine wisdom as vast as the sands of the seashore...

Pretty smart guy!

Next time you are at the beach look at just a handful of sand, not the whole seashore. Then image a bucket full, then a truck load full, then the whole beach!

Solomon asked the LORD for wisdom and God really provided for Solomon!

Are you asking the LORD? Is it something important?

I keep picturing the seashore and the sand...Wow, what a Mighty God we serve!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Do you ever think people are testing you?

The Queen of Sheba came to satisfy her curosity about just how smart this King Solomon truly was, so she came loaded with riddles! Yes, riddles.

Do you ever have those days that you feel like people are truly trying to test your wisdom? They are testing you for some reason, maybe they are like Queen Sheba who indeed came to test Solomon. She wanted to know if indeed he was this smart King that everyone was talking about.

In this region, people delighted to banter in intellectual exercises to test each other's wisdom through riddles or difficult problems. She came to tempt or prove if Solomon was truly wise! How often does the devil use someone like the Queen of Sheba to tempt you? The original word for test in this verse truly means tempt. We all know that God doesn't tempt, so this was the work of the devil I would assume...but once again he failed! The queen says in verse 9, Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne!!!

Indeed, stay strong. Handle your test or allow God to and give Him all the praise!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

God's Presence

Today reading about Solomon dedicating the temple was beautiful! When I got to the portion from 2 Chronicles 7, about God's Glorious Presence filling the temple I was in awe!

I was placing myself in that temple and was just awed that God would show up immediately accepting the sacrifice and filling the temple! Imagine it! I immediately began the thoughts of how could the people not just be awed constantly? God was right there in the temple and then it hit me the same way you lose your awe! God is everywhere right now and we lose our awe or at least sometimes I do. I don't mean to. I get busy. I lose my focus and I take God for granted.

I am ashamed to admit this, but feel that I must confess my failure to remain in awe! God always amazes me, when I keep my focus. Today, He reminded me through the reading and then devotion time about His Presence! Yes, the devotion from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling today was about allowing God to infuse my thoughts. To raise my awareness of Him right now!

Thank you God for being all that You are and forgiving me for the times that I fail to remember just how mighty and awesome You are! Indeed You are all around me and I take it for granted and I lose my awe. How? I admit it Lord I become the center of my focus rather than You! I ask forgiveness and thank you for the reminder of just How Mighty You Are! Thank You Lord!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Wise man

The love of a real mother is beyond words! Solomon was indeed wise. He knew in his heart that a mother would never allow her child to be cut in half, so that is what his answer was...cut the child in half! A true way to determine the real mother!

Real the story in 1 Kings 3. We know how much we love and care for those in our life that are special. Our blood runs through their bodies. A mother who had gone through birth was willing to give them up rather than them be killed.

The original words of Give her...were the mother felt a deep yearning! We know that this mother was in pain, but she felt in her soul that she was going to sacrifice what needed to be done to save her child. Solomon was indeed a very wise man. He knew how much his mother loved him probably knew how much he loved his children and this was the best solution! The real love would shine!

True love indeed shines!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Branded!

Sitting in the hospital with Kenny, I finished a book by Tim Sinclair entitled Branded. Great food for thought!

We are told to go out and make disciples. How do you thinking we are doing?

Perhaps even the title of the writing today offended you, I don't care. I am branded for Christ, but perhaps we need to rethink how we are trying to build the kingdom.

Please pick up or order this book for yourself! It is fabulous!

According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the church spends 1,551.466 for each new follower of Jesus. ~ which in turn means that if your church budget is 500,000 annually it would on average bring one person to Christ every three years! WE are messing up badly. Do you know that barely half of American called themselves Protestants in 2007, probably less than half now...

Among 18 to 29 year olds, 25% have no religious affiliation!
People are moving into the "unaffliated" category three times faster than leaving it!

Let's take a good look at ourselves...people in the church! Something is not working!

Albert Einstein said a long time ago that doing the same thing over and over again was insanity...Is that what is wrong?

Do you know that Tim points out 2 things that have happened ~ Our society no longer thinks they need what Jesus offers. We are a self-reliant world with no desire to cater to anybody but ourselves! Ouch, but think about it....

Second, If we still see benefits then most no longer have a good perception of who He is or of those who follow Him! Another OUCH!

Tim went on to explain that if people come to check it out they are no longer really looking at what Jesus is about, they are testing us and we are failing! They look at us to see if we walk the talk. If we are living the hype. They look at us and how we respond when life throws us a curve ball and how we survive the test.

Pick up this book! Let's take a really good look at ourselves and allow our life to show that truly God changed it from what it was. We must begin to walk the talk! Admit when we fail, but that God picks us up! God doesn't promise us a flower filled world....In fact, once Christ is in us! The devil gets busy, so don't expect anything else...We do win in the end!

We win and it was amazing adventure along the way! Pick up Tim's book ~ Branded! Share it with your Sunday school class, your Pastors, your friends! WE need to look at ourselves!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

My Rock, My fortress

Psalm 144 ~ Praise the LORD, who is my rock....
He is my loving ally and my fortress...

We should all claim these words each day to face whatever may come our direction!

What is your rock? Who stands with you fighting your battles?

Isn't the picture the coolest image for this Psalm! A fortress built right into the rocks. I wonder if David was thinking of such an image as he wrote this Psalm about His LORD?

Some commentaries think David may have wrote or said these words right before fighting Goliath. Who or what is your Goliath today? don't these words comfort you facing the situation at work or hospital test reports or family problems ~
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me.

I will sing a new song to you, O God!
I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp! Remember in good times and in bad we are still suppose to praise God. I know it is hard, but we should praise God because HE never leaves us alone to face things that we just don't think we can face!!!

Yes! Joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special ~ continued prayers for the flooding and tornado victims!

Don't let me refuse!

Do you remember when you were a child and you knew you needed the discipline that you received from your parents? teacher?

Well, I loved this verse today from David found in Psalm 141:5 ~ Let the godly strike me! It will be kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don't let me refuse it. Sometimes, we need that awful tasting medicine, but we don't want it! Sometimes, we need that word of discipline, but we don't want that either!

Sometimes, we need to let happen what others see that we need. Sometimes, we are not objective taking a really good look at ourselves! I know that it doesn't matter how old I get to be; my parents think it is their duty to offer constructive criticism. Not always what I want to hear, but let it be a soothing medicine! After all, they love me. They see me from the outside and through eyes that love me dearly! Much like Our Heavenly Father! So, Lord please don't let me refuse! Give me ears to hear and grow from the words!

On a side note, many think that David wrote this Psalm when he was running from his own son, Absalom that wanted to kill him. Imagine, a father running from a son that is trying to kill him. Talk about taking a look at oneself; this would indeed cause you to take a really deep look at oneself!

Don't forget this week ~ take the words like a good medicine that will heal what is ailing you! After all, they just might do that! Heal you!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Under your feet!

Psalm 110 ~ until I humble your enemies making them a footstool under your feet."

Do you not love this verse? Does it not give you hope?

What is it that you struggle with in your life? Well, one day it will be a footstool under your feet! If, you set next to God and allow Him to humble your enemy!!!

Do we grasp it?

I fell in love with the photo today. I was searching and searching, when I spotted this amazing photo. It reminded me of all the times that God helps us defeat our enemies, but we are so duh...that we bury our heads down in the water still searching and not even realizing we are there!!!

God will indeed have victory! Will we celebrate with Him forever?

Ponder the verse a footstool under your feet today! God will make your enemies a footstool under feet! What is your enemy? Place it firmly beneath your feet and stomp on it all day knowing that God will make it your footstool, if you allow Him to!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Continue to lift all the hurting people up from the floods and tornadoes in prayer!!!

The LORD is my Light and My Salvation

Psalm 27 ~ The LORD is my light and my salvation- so why should I be afraid? The LORD Is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

I loved the way the reading for today started with this wonderful reminder of who exactly THE LORD IS! David shared such beautiful words about God and his relationship with Him.

David knew God was His Light, Salvation, fortress, and that one day he was going to live in the house of the LORD delighting in the LORD's perfections! Imagine, how wonderful it will be, because we will be with them too! We will delight with David about the LORD'S perfections! WOW!

David shares to the LORD show me the way. Lead me along. Don't let me fall into the hands of the enemies. I know the LORD's goodness and he will handle it all!

Don't you love the way David just told God what he was thinking and feeling? What a beautiful relationship David shared with God.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Apple of your eye

Psalm 17:8 ~ Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Do you know that Psalm 17 is the first Psalm listed as a prayer? David had 17 petitions for protection in this Psalm. David was fighting the evil in the world and he knew who to pray to for protection!

David was dependent on God and he did not mind proclaiming it for all to hear...Imagine sitting around the fire at night David takes out his harp and he begins to sing or pray this Psalm. O Lord, hear my plea...
Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies. Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. Here the powerful leader is praying to whom he knows protects him. Did you know the verse above guard your own eye is referring to the pupil of the eye? It was considered a vital organ and all protect their eyes diligently and this is what David is talking about here.

Imagine, you are still by the fire and the end of the prayer or song as come and this is the closing words before laying down to sleep ~ Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

I Will...I Will...I Will...I Will

Psalm 9 ~ I will praise you, Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High

Worship, Worship, Worship in fact very excited worship!
In verse 4, For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness. A very forgiving God!

My favorite verse is 10 ~ Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. WE are never left behind unless that is our choice. He wants us to pick Him!

So worthy of our Praise! So Beyond our words or our understanding!

Thank you LORD for all that you ARE!

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Give freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD

I feel David's excitement this morning getting prepared to build the Temple. He is so excited that he gave all of his own private treasures of gold and silver to help.

Wow, isn't that exciting. Nobody requested. Nobody ask. David just gave over 112 tons of Gold and over 262 tons of refined silver. I am unable to even fathom how much space something like those amounts would take up in a barn or wherever you would store gold and silver. (in tonage) Because their leader was willing to give up his own treasures other leaders stepped forward and gave freely and wholeheartedly!

I wonder if the same would be true of us? If our leaders stepped forward and gave freely and wholeheartedly, would we turn the world around? I just toss it out for all of us to ponder a moment.

I am going to move on from this part of the reading today, to troubles with the kids once again. Now we have Adonijah claiming the throne for himself, but Nathan goes with a plan to Bathsheba. Don't you love this? Remember, Nathan is the man that God sent to confront David and Bathsheba about their sin and now he is going to aid Bathsheba about Solomon being on the throne. God is so forgiving, if we just confess our wrong doing!

How hard it must have been for Bathsheba to go to David. David is not well. He is much older and covered in blankets and his new young wife or concubine is with him. She tells him what as happened and about this time according to plans Nathan enters. A plan is hatched to be sure that Solomon is made king. The three people that once were in a terrible situation filled with sin, were now working together for God's Kingdom. Isn't this how it is suppose to be? Together forgiveness is shown to others and God's Kingdom is Built!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Learn to Know!

1 Chronicles 28:9 ~ And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with you whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought.

Wise words shared from a father to a son. Do you ever wonder how many parents know days would share thoughts about God stuff with their children? I wish we knew how many truly talked about God things. It is a very intimate conversation to have, much like the one between an individual and Our Heavenly Father. Children would know whether you were being real or not, so that is huge to have this conversation, just like God knows when we are real!

All of things were flowing through my mind this morning about our world being a much better place, if we talked to young people more about God! The God talks don't have to be dull or lifeless after all He isn't! Why don't we make it exciting talking about have you ever given any thought to how God did this or that? Or look what He did here? Or how do you think this happened? A faith adventure rather than a yeah, yeah, yeah!

Such wise words, know the God of your ancestors intimately. If we don't know God, then we aren't truly serving Him. Or better said maybe that we are sincerely serving Him. It may come from that longing deep in our souls, but its not from our relationship with Him. To know in the original Hebrew meant to find out, learn, perceive. For any of us to do this we must spend time with Him. It's not once a week for a couple of hours and through the preachers words only! Nope, we must do something for our selves!

The next verse tells us Worship and serve with your whole heart and a willing mind. Whole here in original Hebrew is el# which mean perfect, safe, complete heart and a upx - desire, delight in, willing mind. Don't you love this? I do!

I have to close with the verse about the Lord seeing and knowing anyway about our thoughts and plans! Why does this always surprise us? Why do we think we are hiding something from God? Why do we think we might sneak this one thing by Him? I always have to laugh at myself when I realize that I am doing this! Yes, I think we all do, but maybe I'm alone in this one. Anyway, I get it more each day just how much I still have to learn about just how big OUR SAVIOR IS!!! Thank Goodness He is way bigger than any of us are able to comprehend!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Duties - Rules

Today's reading about the duties of the priests, Levites,Musicians, and others reminded me that we all have roles to perform. I've given it a lot of thought lately, because of working with the local shelter rules are a problem. It doesn't matter how old we are rules become an issue.

I try to encourage the women that we all have rules. We have rules to set parameters, boundaries and we all need these! I guess I am a person that understands and accepts this so it's never been a problem for me. So at times I'm like get over yourselves we all have rules.

All of us have duties that we perform daily. If you are a wife, mother, office manager, teacher, doctor, lawyer. etc. you have duties that require you to do certain things and that is okay!

Today, reading I was amazed with the listing of the different tribes and who they were and then the duties of some of them. One of the verses that struck me came from 1 Chronicles 25:7 ~ They and their families were all trained in making music, before the LORD! Imagine, they were trained to make music before the LORD! What are we trained to do before the LORD?

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

He Caused!

He caused...who caused what? What did I miss?

I always get to this story and I'm like did God cause David to take the census? No because God does not tempt us! The devil does!

When are we going to get this simple fact down? God doesn't work this way with tempting and such...He doesn't have to!!! We just long for God!

David made God angry. David knew it soon. He realized that it was his sin that was going to be judged by God. God gave David three choices to pick from in judgment. David chose the one that God would decide not humans.

Does this bother you?

It does me, but then I thought well some times my sins affect others and they didn't chose to sin I did!!! Oops..anybody else or am I alone?

David said in verse 14 of 1 Chronicles 21 - I'm in a desperate situation, but let me fall into the hands of the LORD! Indeed, whether I'm in a desperate situation or a good one I want to fall into the hands of the LORD! God loves us. Over and over we are shown just how much He loves us!

Thank you LORD for loving us and the amazing grace you continue to show us every second of every day!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Sure footed indeed!

Psalm 18:33 ~ He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

The past several days I've watched animals move swiftly over the mountain ledges and up away from humans as quickly as possible. It amazes me that they never lose their footing and they quickly get to a point they feel is safe.

We are able to endure or to take a stand, because we feel God's security and protection. God provides for these animals with food and safety and the same is true for each of us.

Today, what hit me was that God makes sure that we are each fit for the service that He calls us to serve in. He makes sure that we are able to endure under whatever might come our way and that we will be able to stand even on the smallest ledge and feel His strength and guidance! We are able to stand on a ledge, because God shows us how!

Today, facing whatever situation is in front of you or out on the ledge know with all your heart that you are able to endure, that you are surefooted as the deer because God made us that way!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie