Keeping our eyes on the One!

One of our groups finished up with a study about Joseph this week and I always like to share a take away lesson that the Lord gives me.  Joseph is a wonderful story to learn about forgiveness.

Over and over Joseph forgave.  

Don't you wonder at times, if he didn't want to scream at his brothers?

Stand up to Potiphar's wife?  Point her in another direction or something?

Well, then the cupbear and the baker?  Don't you know he wanted to ban them from the kitchen or something?  They forgot to mention him...

Not Joseph.

He forgave, because he kept his focus, his perspective all around God!  He didn't allow his focus to be his brothers, the scheming woman, or the men who forgot to share ~ no he kept his eyes on God and his purpose for his life.

If we keep our eyes on God, then things meant to hurt us, don't have as much power over us.  Even at the end of Joseph's story in Genesis, when Jacob dies and once again his brothers are filled with fear.  Joseph keeps his eyes on God, even though his heart is broken and he weeps...he keeps his focus on God's purposes.  He knows God will use his pain.

Genesis 50:19-20

..."Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?" As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

We to realize what matters, if we keep our eyes on God's purpose and not our own!  Focus on what matters today and all the other stuff will take care of itself.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Tribute to a great friend ~ Rozi!

Today is a difficult day for me because I have lost a very dear friend!  She loved Halloween, so that is the reason for this picture.  It's in her love of Halloween that I chose this picture that I took this weekend.

My dear friend, Rozi died last night.  Rozi was a woman that was ready to meet Jesus and with that I am confident she is dancing in Heaven.  

Last week when I called to ask what she needed at the hospital, she gave me a list and one of the things was some books.  She knew I loved to read, so I said that's great.  I've got plenty.  She told me to hold my horses, that she didn't want my feel good books, she wanted some mystery, some love, maybe some Sondra Brown.  I laughed and said, "yes mam!"  She got her books and we laughed about it!

I spoke to Rozi everyday whether we debated the politics of the day, the reality tv shows latest castaway, a thought on scripture, even the weather.  I didn't dare ask Rozi a question, unless I really wanted to know her thoughts.  One of the things I loved the most about Rozi was her honesty.  She had a way of telling me truth that I wouldn't take from someone else, but I would from Rozi.  I knew she loved me and she wanted me to be all that God created me to be, so hurt it might, but she was going to tell me truth!

Rozi, I give thanks for our friendship!  I treasure the laughter, I treasure the talks, I treasure the love and I will meet you at the gate one day!

Remember, Proverbs 17:17 always~

A friend loves at all times...

Debbie

Open our Minds UP...

Do you love it when you finally have one of those light bulb moments?

I do!

I was reading the story this morning found in Luke 24 where Jesus appears to the disciples right before he ascends to heaven.  Imagine, they were all gathered in a room talking about all of the recent experiences with Jesus, when suddenly He is in the room.  At first, they were afraid thinking it's a ghost.  Once again, He shows them His hands and His feet and they were amazed and filled with joy.  Imagine all the sounds of joy in that room once again realizing what Jesus had done for them and for us!

Jesus then ask for something to eat.  I love this that Jesus wanted to eat with them once again.  So they served Him broiled fish and they shared time together.  Perhaps remembering, perhaps asking more questions, but then He "opened their minds to understanding the Scripture."  

I dug in this morning to deeper meanings with the words of this verse and discovered that the original Greek word means to open one's soul to understanding and the "understand" means joining together perception with the perceived to bring together finally getting it!  At that moment, Jesus gave them another wonderful gift!  These people had some understanding before after having been with Him, but now they new how to apply all of it together!

What a fantastic light bulb moment for these special friends, isn't it?  Well, the same is true for us!  The moment that God's Word finally clicks and we get it ~ it is a growth moment that is difficult to explain to others, but we just know.  We know Jesus just like the people that were in that room long ago!

Share your light bulb moments with others!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Are you willing to get in the water?

Are you willing to get in the water?  

Often times, you hear people talking about Peter with a whole lot of different thoughts being tossed about whether it is his courage, his betrayal, his big mouth, his honesty, the list could just go on and on.

I love Peter.  Peter is just like all of us.  Yes, he truly is a take charge guy.  Yes, he is boastful at times.  Yes, he is filled with fear at times. Yes, he is human and he fails! I love him because he was willing to crawl out of that boat and try!  He tried and was willing to say Yes, I'll try!  He got out of the boat and for a moment...he walked on water!  He kept his eyes on Jesus and walked.

What are you trying to do to today that you know without Jesus you just can't do ?  Many people I know are facing very difficult decisions, situations, and the only possible way through the situation is to indeed get out of the boat and trust Jesus.  We can't do it alone.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus to get through, so I felt the LORD encouraging me to remind you of his words to Peter.

Matthew 14:29 ~ "Come," he said.

Go to Jesus just like Peter did!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Hands over hearts

Yesterday, was a sad, but beautiful day!

I drove to Hope, with my sister to attend my uncle's funeral.  My uncle was a special man.  It saddens me that in the busy way of life, we didn't get to see each other often.  We allow life to get in the way of things that matter more our loved ones.  We think of them and we care about them, but our calendars, or jobs, or life just...

The service was so sweet, so touching and the Pastors words were REALLY true about my uncle.  Uncle James was a good man.  

We were driving out to the cemetery when Pam and I turned to the right looking at the children on a schoolyard.  The children were all standing still with their little hands over their hearts saying goodbye.  Wow, what a sweet moment!  Not a child was moving, they were standing perfectly still paying tribute to a man and family that they may not have known at all, but these thirty little ones offered the ones in the cars hope!  Hope for our future, in a town called Hope.

Are we offering hope to the hurting?

Filled with hope,

Debbie

Beauty surrounding us...

Imagine thousands of people in this photo, all trying to get close to one man.  He provided a comfortable place for everyone to gather, to sit down, and eat.  

Jesus is so good!  He even provides a grassy mountain to all of His followers. A relaxing, beautiful place.  He even provides all the food!

Yet, the men closest to Him wonder how?  How and where will they buy the food?  How will the little boy that is here with 5 small barley loaves and two small fish feed all these people?  

Don't you know Jesus wanted to shout what do you mean "How?"  Did you not see when I made water wine?  Did you not witness the healing of the man at the pool? Yet, He is so patient and just ask them to have all the people sit down on the grass.  Soft place to sit and enjoy being in His presence.  

How many people noticed this small amount of food multiply to feed not 5000, but 15000 or so?  After all, God's Word tells us there were 5000 men and they don't count the women and children, so Jesus fed around 15000 people that day.  How many noticed that the food kept coming from the baskets?  How many saw 5 small barley loaves and two small fish become gobs and gobs of food that they were all able to eat all they wanted?  Imagine, Jesus giving in abundance!  

Yes indeed!  Jesus gives in abundance, so much that the people in this crowd were unable to grasp it and sometimes we aren't able either!  Jesus is so much more than we are able to imagine...

Smell the fish.  Smell the bread.  Do you feel the wonder in the air?  Do you hear the words spreading through the crowd, "Is this the Prophet?".  Imagine, sitting on the soft grass and realizing that indeed Jesus is the Messiah!  Jesus the one that will save us all!  He provides all we need, but do we grasp it?

Do you remember the moment you realized who Jesus truly is?  Are you still filled with wonder and excitement?  Return to your moment and savor the Savior!  Don't forget the wonder and awe of what God did for us...Share it!

Be filled with wonder and share Jesus today.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Funny faces...

Okay, do you see funny faces in my wallpaper?  

I do!  The funny part is I never have until I had eyes to see them...this morning!

I think the middle one is winking at me!

We must become like little children...to what?

Matthew 18:3 ~ Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.

Trust, believe, and enjoy life today and always!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Negative or Positive?

Are you a positive or negative person overall?

When someone presents you with a situation, do you see the glass half full or half empty?  Do you offer hope or doubt?

Well, if you respond negatively you aren't alone.  I am studying John 6 preparing for Sunday school and it's the story of Jesus feeding the 5000.  Jesus is with his own disciples and rather than seeing they were with Jesus and that He could and would provide instead presented the negatives.  Jesus asked a question, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"  Well, let's don't forget who Jesus is...He already knew what He was going to do, but once again He is asking his followers questions to see do they get it yet?

Well, Philip replies with well with 8 months of wages we couldn't feed all these people!  What?  Remember, Jesus turning the water to wine?  Remember Jesus healing the man at the pool?  Yet, he doesn't realize exactly who Jesus is and neither do we sometimes...or maybe I am being to forward in adding you into the category with me and all the other humans...who suffers from fear, doubt, worry and ???? rather than keeping our eyes on Jesus?

We know and we say we believe, but do we respond with positive words of encouragement knowing and believing exactly who Jesus is or do we respond with how?  who me?  what?  I think you called the wrong number LORD.

Today, be positive and remember who the LORD truly is ~ Our Savior!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Sink ...

No, I'm not posting about doing dishes...nor how much I love soap bubbles!  Yes, I do love bubbles!  I still love to play with soap bubbles, but that is not what this topic is about today.

It's about sinking into something.  When you think about sinking, what comes to your mind?    Does perhaps going below the surface?  Does submerging into something?  How do you define sink?

Well, according to dictionary.com it means to fall, drop, or descend gradually into something.  I love what I'm about to share with you that God taught me recently and was prompted again this morning on a post from K-Love radio.  Yes, it's amazing how things are brought back to our mind!  Only God...

Many of you know the scripture found in Psalm 46:10 ~ Be still and know that I am God...

Well, in the original Hebrew language the "Be still" part means sink and it is an action verb.  Do we see God wants us to sink into Him to get to know Him.  To grow.  To perceive.  To sink down to look up...to realize who HE is...we must get off our high heels and sink down to look up and realize exactly who God truly is!

Don't you love this?  Sink...Know...Down...Look Up to KNOW GOD!

Looking Up,

Debbie

Come, return

Over and over we hear the words, but do we come back?

God has been bringing me to the story of Hosea and Gomer since last spring.  It's a difficult story to grasp.  It's a metaphor of  the story Israel and God told in the story of Hosea marrying Gomer, a prostitute because God tells him to.  A woman that continually breaks Hosea's heart over and over again, but Hosea continues to forgive and beg her to come back.  He still loves her!

When I come back to it after being lead, because honestly I like to read other stories and scripture much more than the story of heartbreak.  I don't know. if this is because it makes me so aware of the many times I break God's heart or because of the realization of what an awful world we live in right now.  It breaks my heart to think of how God's heart must be breaking right now.  

Yet, I also realize truly how much God loves us in spite of us!  He doesn't give up on us, yet we continue to break His heart.  What does He do?  He still pursues us.  He still provided the way for us!  He still gives us hope!  He still sends someone to say "I love you no matter what come back"...

The words in Hosea 6:1 ~ "Come, let us return to the LORD..."

It is my prayer that we all hear the call and indeed we return to the Lord.

Blessings,

Debbie

Raindrops are falling...

Raindrops are falling on the patio and the leaves are falling.  Autumn perhaps is here?

Giving thanks for the beauty of changing seasons.

Celebrating that the rain is refreshing the air and restoring the ground.

Finding the beauty in the moment...

Praising the LORD always...

Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever...

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Playing in spite...

Weather forecast...rain!

Rain brings on darkness in my humble opinion and yes, I know everybody definitely has an opinion.

Our government is shut-down, people are hurting, people don't feel good, so my suggestion for today?

Let's all play in the rain like this precious little girl!

Why not?

What do you have to loose?

After all, remember when you were a little girl or boy how much fun getting soaked was?  Don't worry about your hair.  Don't worry about your clothes.  Just go have fun!

I think you will burst out in laughter and that is the best medicine!

One of my favorite scriptures is where Jesus tells us that we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of God.  It's in Matthew 18 and it is: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

So enjoy the rain rather than sitting inside looking out whining or complaining!  Let's change!  Let's laugh!  Let's play!  After all, the devil wins when we don't!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Squashing the joy...

Don't you just love it when a person shows up and it seems their only happiness is to squash your joy?

Perhaps you want to try something new, but others like it done the traditional way...Ever been there?

Well, in Sunday school yesterday we had the best discussion about perhaps we squash other peoples joy clinging to our traditions or our own desires.  It was a great discussion that I think many of us were awaken to new thoughts on a very familiar passage in John 5 of the man who had been sick by the healing pool for 38 years.  Jesus shows up in the most likely place for Jesus, but not for anyone else.  After all, it was near the sheep gate, so the odors of the lambs for sacrifice along with a bunch of sick folks would have kept a lot of people away from this place.  We haven't even talked about the sounds of groaning, moaning, complaining, and then you have the animal sounds.  It just would not have been a huge stop by and visit place for most people of this day.  Yet Jesus once again stopped by to visit with these people.  The man doesn't recognize Jesus, but Jesus knew this man through and through...(just like us)  How often do we miss Jesus in our life?  

The story goes on that Jesus heals this man and He healed him on the Sabbath.  Oops...and He told the man to carry his mat.  Another no-no.  In this day and age you did nothing on the Sabbath.  Carrying a mat was a no-no on top of the other no-no of healing a man.  I mean after all it's the Sabbath and well wouldn't you know it who does this man run into?  The squashers of joy (I like to call them) Here this man is healed, he's happy, he's carrying his own mat and walking, but they want to focus on the mat being carried on the Sabbath.  Forget the man is walking after 38 long years and taking his mat with him away from this awful place of sadness.  Oh no, they just squash this man's joy right out of him.  Asking him questions such as "Who told you to take your mat?"  He didn't know.  One translation says, "had no idea who he was".  Imagine, this man missed knowing it was Jesus standing right by him, talking, healing, and giving him joy.  Not only that in a matter of very little time the joy will be stolen by tradition or laws being more important than what Jesus did for this man...Talk about losing our focus!

How often are we like these men?  How often do we steal the joy right away from a new believer? Even an old believer?  Are you a "squasher" of joy or a "giver" of joy?

Today pick to be a GIVER OF JOY!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Richly...Abundantly...

Do you think I am thinking about stuff?  money?  more of ????

Since last Sunday morning this verse as been rolling around in my head...

Colossians 3:16 ~ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

When you think richly what comes to mind?

Lots?

Abundance?

More and more of good stuff?

I know that the more I read and study God's Word I am filled with more "thanksgiving"!  In fact, I become overwhelmed more now than ever in my life with the thoughts of exactly what Christ did for me...It overflows inside me and I have an abundance of thanks overflowing.

God's Word enlightens our world!  Truth lighting "our path" that God designed uniquely for each of us.  Our paths are special designed for only us!  Once we begin to realize the truth of God's Word indeed the sparks flow from God's Word and dwell richly in each of us.

I loved the verse and I love this image of the treasures coming from God's Word.  Let's allow His Words to dwell and overflow in THANKSGIVING TODAY AND EVERYDAY!

Blessings,

Debbie

?????

Questions...

Have you noticed that Jesus always ask a lot of questions?

I began to ponder why did Jesus ask so many questions?

I thought why do I?

Often times it is to dig deeper, to get to know someone better, to discover...

I think the same is true of Jesus with the questions He ask people.  He wanted the people to dig deeper into themselves at the same time drawing closer to Him.  We realize with the questions that Jesus indeed desires to love each of us more and to grow into relationship with each of us.

Look through God's word and discover for yourself, if you think this might be the answer...Share what you think might be Jesus desire with questions.

Think about it.  Here are a few of the questions...
"Why are you so afraid?"

"Who touched me?"

"Why all the commotion and wailing?"

"Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?"

"Do you still not understand?"

"Why do you call me good?"

Just a few of Jesus questions of people that He began to develop a relationship with by asking questions.  Ponder these questions yourselves and begin to seek answers with the One that asked them...

Grow together in relationship.

Blessings,

Debbie

Stop

Stop and listen...

Are you like me rushing through everyday trying to make it to the next meeting?  Next appointment?

Well, this past week I felt the Lord telling me to slow down and listen for moments that He had awaiting for me to respond.  Normally, I keep focused on the next task at hand, but this week I made an effort to follow the instructions I felt the Lord giving me and well I was blessed once again.  Everyday I encountered someone that needed to talk and I needed to listen.  I needed to stand in the gap with arms to hug, tears to shed with them, a nod of the head of understanding, and perhaps sharing that I too struggle with life!  Honesty to help someone else deal with feeling less than they thought they should be...

I believe that we all feel that we are so less than what we should be, when in truth we are only made okay by God himself.  The quicker that we all admit this truth the better off we will all be...All of us fall short.  Do you know when I saw healing begin to take place this week?  When I admitted my own failures to others!  I don't think they were happy I failed; I think it was they for some reason think if you serve in ministry you have it together.  Not true...we fail too!  Daily!  In fact, sometimes a lot in each day!  If my failures help others to heal, I gladly allow God to shine through all my cracks.

I was reminded last week in Sunday school and our lesson of the woman at the well that Jesus went out of His way to see this woman.  To spend time with her and to offer her a gift.  A gift she didn't feel worthy to unwrap, but He gave it to her.  She ran right into the middle of town to share her mess and make it a "message"!  If my mess will help someone else learn about God and His Glory then I'm willing to Stop, listen. and share.

Will you stop and listen today?  Will you get rid of your appointment book and allow God to bless you in the process?

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

More fun with ???

Fun with play-doh!  Yes, I've been coloring and playing with play-doh and you know what?  It's been fun!

Fun!  When was the last time you had a little fun?  I'm talking innocent fun like when you were a little girl?  Try it.  It does bring a special joy to your heart.

It also got me to thinking about that old saying "they broke the mold with you".  Also, words from Jeremiah about the LORD telling him to go down to the potter's house.  

The thoughts were just rolling in my brain.  Couple of questions that popped into my brain were;

If God was going to recreate you, what crack would you ask Him to take care of?  Another thought was do you think God saved the mold of anyone to make others like you?  

Have you ever watched a potter work?   When the art work isn't going quite like they desire, they mash it and start over?  What if God would have done that with all of us?  After all, Jesus was the only keeper in doing everything right, so we would all be mashed down and well...Except God loves us and works with us, so He can use our imperfections to His glory.  What Potter is able to work with imperfections and still see the beauty in it?  He is able to use that crack in your character, that chip on your shoulder He can use that too!  Only God!

It's fun to play with play doh!  I've totally enjoyed my morning tossing the thought process around with the LORD and grabbing His Word to study.

Blessings,

Debbie