Wonder moment...

Wow moment that I had to share with all my friends!  

Many of you know my sister, Frankie.  Well we aren't really sisters, but we are...God brought us together! Anyway, she is experiencing a difficult time right now with her beautiful daughter, Audrey going through breast cancer surgery a week ago Thursday and then her dad got sick.  Her dad has been facing health issues for several years now and Frankie has pretty much been his partner with Dr. visits, hospital stays, and stuff like that.  She got a call on I think it was Thursday saying he wasn't doing good and she was on her way to pick up her little grandson and she could not stop the tears.  She remembered thinking to herself why can't I stop crying?  She expressed that she was upset because she didn't want to show a lack of faith, because that wasn't it -  she just could not stop the tears.

Well, she came in to see her dad this weekend.  Of course, I call her and ask can we meet for lunch.  After all, I need my sister fix too while she is here of some giggle time, if it's possible.  We set a time and place.  In the meantime, I feel the Holy Spirit prompt me to go in and take her some of my books. ( I didn't know at the time about her asking why can't I stop crying and that she never wanted to show a lack of faith in whatever God is doing.)  Well, I go to all my books and you guessed it the one above was the one I grabbed the other was about showing mercy.  We meet I tell her that I brought her some books and she looks at them the mercy book is on top and she moves it and sees this book.  Her face totally changed expressions.  I wish everyone could have seen her moment realizing that God saw her in the midst of this difficult time and reminded her that He saw her! I don't think I've ever seen her eyes sparkle more! Also, He had reminded her during the actual experience of the crying time of this story from God's Word.  He reminded her that He is taking every step with her!  She will probably comment later about her moment in the comments because it was definitely a God moment of love.

I was blessed because I paid attention to the prompting to go grab some of my books and He guided my hand to the one she needed!  He used me to take His message of love to my sweet sister!  Follow your prompting it doesn't matter how silly it might seem to you ~ follow through and allow God to bless the one you bring it to, but also yourself!  It was so special! 

We did laugh.  WE did pray and thank Him for His Mighty Love!  Celebrate your friendships and allow God to be at the center of them ~ it makes the friendships even more special.

Listen, Watch, and Respond to your promptings.  Allow your Wonder Moments to Happen.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Open...No barriers

Open up the door!  Let me in...break down the barriers!  Do you ever hear the Spirit speaking the words open up?  Let me in Debbie.  Don't close off your world Debbie ~ grow with Me.  Trust Me Debbie.  Hold my Hand and let go.  Anybody with me?

I took this dark picture to give you a glimpse of my quiet time area on my patio.  God meets with me regularly here in one of my very favorite places.  He points out things that I'm not handling well.  He gives me encouragement.  He shows His love through His Mighty Words, but constantly He tells me I have to open up.

I struggle with letting go of what I think is control.  In reality, we have no control!  Why is this so hard to grasp?  Especially for women (I think).  I know when I trust and let go it ends up being a WOW adventure that blows my mind, but it's not easy!

In scripture the last several weeks over and over in different manners the word "open" keeps coming up!  In the story of Mary and Martha it came up in Sunday school and the word "open" jumped off the page at me.  Today, I was studying again and I looked at this story in a different version and it was welcome.  It got me to thinking do I welcome God to come into my life and break down barriers?  I would love to shout a resounding YES, but sometimes it's a quieter well maybe...I'm not proud of this!  I want to shout YES, LORD take me I'm willing, but sometimes it seems like well okay, but I'm kicking and screaming the whole way.  

You know what either way kicking and screaming or holding His hand ~ His way is better than my way!  Okay I said it out loud and I mean it!  Does it mean that it's easy to open up that door and say come on in?  No.

Barriers need to come down.  I need to welcome Him with the door thrown wide open come into my space and rock my world!  Today, in Jesus Calling the words "where all barriers between you and My Glory will be removed" jumped off the page.  I know the Lord is speaking open up, bring those walls down, let me IN so that I may bless you Debbie.  Anybody with me?  Anybody else need a blessing from Our Father?  Well, perhaps like me; we need to open the door and invite Him in to rock our world again!

Blessings,

Debbie

P.S.  Wanted you to know that my days were mixed up according to the calendar, but not according to God.  He had me read tomorrow's today...Tell me HE isn't the Almighty with a Plan!

Nothing is impossible!

In case, I haven't mentioned it lately....I love the LORD and the way He speaks to my heart with the words I so desperately need at that moment!  He is so good!  His love is amazing!

Today in my quiet time I was lead to the words found in Luke 1:37 (NLT) 

For nothing is impossible with God.

We probably all know this in our hearts and then our head begins to throw out all these little doubts, little fears, little phone calls with bad news, little things truly when we grasp who GOD IS!

Turn to Genesis 1 to be reminded!  He is the Creator of everything!  Universe ~ check, Man ~ check, Woman ~ Check, Mountains ~ Check, Grand Canyon ~ Check, Sun ~ Check, Moon and Stars ~ Check...Everything ~ Check. Do we get it?  

What are you fearful of?  What are you doubting?  What are you afraid of?  Don't be for NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!  Look again at Genesis 1 be reminded that God simply spoke and it happened.  Now look at Genesis 1: 27 and read the words that God created man in HIS Own Image (my emphasis) does this not show HIS amazing love for us?  IN HIS IMAGE!  Ponder that for a moment.

The name for God in Genesis 1 is Elohim in the original language and the "El" means Mighty One or Strong One.  So what is it you are facing that is making your insides tremble?  What is making you shake in your heels?  What is it that makes you think your world is crumbling?  Is it a divorce?  Is it a job loss?  Is it a broken relationship?  Is it a bad diagnosis?  Well I was reminded this morning that we are to trust the words found in Luke 1:37 and believe them!  Truly believe and know that the way we envision this to happen may not be God's vision, but GOD will make the impossible happen!  HIS WAY IS BETTER!

I know that today I am truly believing the words that nothing is impossible with GOD!  Everything is possible because of HIM and only with HIM!  Thank you LORD for your amazing LOVE and the amazing ways You always show up!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Weak or strong?

I want to ask a question this morning.  Are you feeling strong or weak this morning?  Do you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?  Do you feel like you are standing at the bottom of the mountain ready to take it on?

Well, I think for myself I am somewhere in the middle of both of these thoughts.  I know some days I wake up and feel frayed.  Picture a rope with it beginning to come apart and the frazzled ends ~ well that is me sometimes.  Other times I look as much like a tough woman as this woman of fifty something that doesn't like to work out can possibly look...You get the picture.  I've looked weak and I've looked strong.

In my quiet time today the LORD brought me a couple of thoughts to ponder and share with all of you.  The first one was from Daniel 11:32 (NASB) The people who know their God will display strength and take action.  Okay, when I read this verse I began to picture images in my mind of what Christians should be displaying at the moments we aren't feeling so strong.  The Word tells us that we should be displaying strength and taking action.  So immediately of me in a Wonder Woman suit came to mind.  (NOT REALLY) Even if I looked like Wonder Woman this would not come to my mind for me!!!!

God's Word came to my mind.  None of us are strong without God and I believe a huge part of knowing God is HIS WORDS!  So I went to my photos to look for pictures of my Bible to share with you all and this is the one that touched my heart, because God gave us more...

Psalm 61, 62, and 63 were prominent the day I took this picture and I was studying and it was the photo that I came to among many that spoke to my heart.  Do you know what all three of these chapters remind of us constantly?  Beginnning in 61 the words in verse 2 ~ From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against my foe.

The word fortress, rock, never shaken, hope, trust, GOD, and then in Psalm 63: 7 and 8 ~

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

How do we show this strength that Daniel talks about?  Only with GOD'S HELP!

Ask Him to help you today!

I know I am asking right now...Yes, LORD let Your Light and Strength show through each step I take today!  I love you!

Your daughter, Debbie

Sweet blessings,

Deb

Awe and wonder

Psalm 65:7-9

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ who stilled the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.
⁸ The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.

⁹ You care for the land and water it;
    you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,
    for so you have ordained it.

A week ago I stood at the kitchen sink in Colorado with tears just rolling down my face.  It was time to return to the real world of everyday difficult situations, problems, and just plain old life!  I was blessed several years ago with this wonderful place that I see God at every move and part of my sadness was that life gets in the way here at home in Louisiana.  Sickness, work, relationships, heat...the list goes on with the things that happen that honestly I fail to be looking for God in every moment.  The tears were falling because I want to keep the awareness at home of looking for God everywhere in every moment with His special works.  I want to focus on Him and not the illness.  I want to see the wonder He works through the person during their journey of illness, I want to see the healing of a relationship rather than the ugliness of the words I want to keep my awe at My Heavenly Father's amazing love for each of us in the most amazing ways.

You see in Colorado I love these little guys like the one below.  That show up in the most unexpected places with the cutest expressions and say Hi!

Or perhaps the fawn that stepped out from behind the tree ...

Or at 12,000' when the latest storm rolls in and moves across the mountains with His Mighty Power...

I am once again admitting one of my failures to each of you that I don't want to take God's Wonder for granted and I do daily here in Louisiana.  I take the smile of a friend, the hug of a loved one, the sunset, the flower blooming, the phone call at just the right moment sometimes I take those special God moments for granted because of everyday life!  I don't want to do that and one of the studies that begins next Thursday about being "Wonder Struck" is on this very important topic!  Questions about joining us?  email me!  It is a wonderful study reminding us about praying for God to show us His Wonder daily and wow He does!  It's sad, but it's about whether we are paying attention enough to notice!  

Don't loose your wonder filled moments with God!  Let the tears flow, if you have and ask Him to open your eyes once again to the wonder only HE supplies!

Sweet blessings,

One generation shall praise Your works...

Today is a big day!  Kenny and I celebrate thirty years of married life.  We celebrate, because we've made it after all that isn't easy to do.  I tell people marriage is hard work, but the truth is that without the LORD none of us could make marriage work!  I know when we hit a rough patch in our marriage I turned to the Lord in prayer and I believe Kenny did too!

In Psalm 145:4 (NKJV) "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts."  I give praise to the LORD that we made it thirty and I look forward to however many we have in store that are to come.  It's an adventure daily, after all with Kenny there is never a dull moment!  Seriously, young people I give the praise and glory to God that this marriage worked and will continue to do so.  WE could not have made it without the LORD!  I give God the glory and love to tell of HIS stories of HIS amazing works in my life daily!

Thank you LORD for giving me Kenny!

Blessings,

Debbie