Hope found!

Imagine surrounded by evil.  I'm talking bad.  No, I'm talking evil.  A story found in the old testament of a very brave young woman that saves the future king and saves the line of David!

I always love to picture myself in these stories and try to figure out how I would feel and let me tell you surrounded by the women this young woman was surrounded with I've got one word ~ SCARED!  Imagine, it Jezebel and Athaliah.  Not women that you would want to share a lunch with after all you might become the lunch!  Seriously, they are bad, bad, bad to the core!  Yet, Mesu Andrews is able to weave this story into an amazing story filled with transformation of this woman from feelings of fear at every turn to a confidence exuding with God's Light providing the way ~ HIS!

Perhaps, many will relate this book to the evil that surrounds our present day world.  I know at times when I was reading the book I thought to myself, "Wow, that sounds like now".  Which isn't a good thing, but I was filled with hope.  Reminded that God indeed does provide a way ~ HIS way.  

I was able to participate with a conference call yesterday with Mesu Andrews.  She was delightful sharing how one of her desires is to provide hope.  Well, she succeeds!  She reminded us that it is a choice daily to be happy.  Also, stories and life don't always have that happy ending, but they must be real and provide hope.  

The book was a wonderful reminder of broken people that God loves and will use if we let Him.  It's our choice.  It is just like when we choose to be filled with hope or despair.  He lets us pick Him.  He loves us so very much that He does everything imaginable to pursue us, but we must pick Him and that is what this book provides such a beautiful picture of...a woman surrounded completely with evil yet she picks God to serve not evil.  Rather than being filled with the despair that the evil of Jezebel and Athaliah brought, she was filled with hope and God's love!

Friends, you know I love you, so today I encourage you order this book from amazon.com, christianbook.com or goodreads.com.  I don't care where just get this book and be filled with hope and reminded of God's amazing love!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

My sweet JJ

Now isn't he adorable?  My JJ...

Most people that know JJ probably don't call him sweet, but you know what they say about a mom's love...Well, I think he is sweet, adorable and I love him so very much!

He is aging quickly and I know the time is not far off that I will have to make a very tough decision.  I ask for prayers about JJ.  He is now having seizures that are getting a little more frequent and other health issues which are breaking my heart.   I love him so very much, but I don't want him to suffer.

So I ask for prayers about sweet JJ and his mom (which is me) 

We love our 4 legged kids so much!

Sweet blessings,

Deb

Love to read!

I know for some of you...well all of us this year this is a beautiful sight!  The picture just allows us to feel the breezes blowing and to smell the flowers blooming while you are surrounded by God's creation with a beautiful, wonderful book!

I can't wait!

So don't!

Instead, light the fire, grab a warm blanket and curl up on the couch and read a wonderful book!  I read one this past weekend that is absolutely fabulous!  It is by one of my favorite authors, Mesu Andrews.  Mesu knows how to take twist and turns to totally bring you into the story, where you are living it too!  I will write more about this fabulous book that will come out in a few weeks, which is entitled , "In The Shadow of Jezebel".

  In the meantime, you could read one of her other books which are great as well they are "Love Amid the Ashes", "Love's Sacred Song, and "Love in a Broken Vessel".  God uses Mesu to bring these very beautiful stories from His Word to life.  God truly opened my eyes to so much more by reading Christian fiction.  The authors study and research so much that you learn a lot about the time  and how things truly were.  Allow God to open your eyes by reading and learning more and then return to His Word to allow Him to grow you even more!

I encourage you to give yourself a gift by moving right on over to Amazon.com or where ever you purchase your books to purchase yourself a gift that will forever change the way you might view the stories found in God's Word.  I know for me ~ it changed me!  It allowed me to realize that just like us they were broken people that needed God and HE loves us just like HE loved them!  The stories provide hope and hope is needed daily by each one of us!

Thanks Mesu for sharing your heart and hard work with all of us!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

I praise God!

Psalm 139:14

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.

The past week has been amazing.  One week ago, my brother Hal had a pretty bad heart attack.  He was able to receive a stent in time and his heart shows very little damage praise the LORD.  Friday was a very long day, because he was a very long way from home when this happened on his job at the golf course.  Yes, he plays golf for a living and it happened on the job, but in the place where he had amazing friends that took wonderful care of him.  His doctor here at home says it's all a miracle and that truly his heart shows very little damage now!  It's a God thing!

All of this to say that after this happened I was on the phone making my own appointment with the same doctor here in town.  A wonderful man that we call friend that also takes care of our whole families hearts!  So, you know we think a lot of this man! After all, my grandparents, my mom, and now my brother all have heart issues which means it in our genes...Kenny also has heart stents...and for all of you that know me know I don't eat exactly right...so I was nervous.  He put me through the EKG, Echo, and then a Stress test along with blood work galore!  

I received the most wonderful news the following day...His words were God gave you a beautiful heart!  Now that was absolutely wonderful news, but it got me to thinking.  I don't only want my heart to be physically beautiful...I want it to be spiritually beautiful as well!  I want to praise God with every fiber in my being and allow His Light to shine brightly through all situations.

So I share how He took care of my brother and Hal will share this with others as well.  He knows it was God that took care of him and I know He took care of me as well.  We have work to do for God's Kingdom because we indeed are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Savior!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Are we one of the 9 or the 1?

Did you say thank you for waking up this morning?

Last night in our Bible study group we looked at Luke 17: 11-19, the story of the ten lepers.  Imagine for a moment 10 people that are hurting, alone, disappointed, fearful, filled with shame and so many other feelings going through a group of people set apart from everyone else.  Have you ever been isolated or shut off from others?  Well, that is how this group would have felt until one day when Jesus passed by and they shouted out to Him, to please have pity on them.  Jesus responded, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  Believe and walk is all they had to do.  Along the way they were healed.  Do you know the joy?  The moment you realize that you have been healed of the pain of isolation or being set apart; do you remember the feeling?

Imagine, the joy.  Imagine, the healing that went throughout their very beings.  Yet, only one returned to give thanks to the One who provided the end to all of their misery.

So often we get caught up in what we are doing that I wonder do we fall into the same situation? We get caught up in the gift and we forget the gift giver?  Do we remember where our focus should be?

Honestly, I fail miserably at times.  I don't want to, but I do.  

Perhaps, they thought they were just being obedient doing exactly what Jesus told them to do, but I think they got caught up in themselves and their healing and forgot about the one that provided the healing.  In order, to grasp the fullness of Jesus we must fall at His feet with thanks to receive all that He is offering.  Healing that is so beyond the physical...A healing that only He provides.

Forgive me Father when I take my eyes off of you ~ The Great Healer and I fail to realize all that You do and all that You are!  

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

You are LOVED!

Nothing temporary with God's love!  Forever and always is God's love...

Today, give yourself a wonderful valentine read God's Word and be reminded of His Amazing Love for you and for me!

In 1 John 4: 7-21 in this section alone love is mentioned 27 times.  Several of which I will share with you ...

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

God is love.

There is no fear in love.

We love because he first loved us.  

And he has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Yes, indeed God loves all of us!

Remember to read the best valentine of all!  The LOVE Letter that last forever...God's Word.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Book Review on The Storm Inside

Today is the release date of Sheila Walsh's new book, "The Storm Inside".  I encourage you to all go to Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, wherever you purchase books and get this for yourself.

Right away in the very beginning of this book, Sheila is real!  I don't know about you, but many times ministry leaders seem to pretend that storms aren't coming or we all fool ourselves into this thought process and in the very beginning Sheila breaks through this at a women's event asking leaders to write down their burdens on a card and how the tears began to flow and release from everyone.  It's always amazing how being real allows freedom!

Sheila shares scripture in each chapter and relates through her own struggles with different feelings and walks through steps on how to deal with each feeling whether it might be fear, anger, insecurity...again all I want to share is she is real.  

I encourage you to purchase this book and walk through the storms with Sheila allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through the pain and begin the healing process.  God is the only one that may still the storm churning inside your soul.

In Psalm 107:29 ~ He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  

Indeed, the only way to survive the storms that each of us will face is with the Only One who may hush the waves.  Are you carrying a burden that you just can't get past?  Perhaps this book might help you get past this storm.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Exciting weekend...

Today is an exciting day!

Lots of good things happening this weekend...

Vaughn was back on the baseball field yesterday!  Yes, and he had a great game.  We didn't win the game, but he played great!

Second, my mom and I are heading out on a road trip this morning to Tulsa.  Yes, Tulsa we are headed to watch the dancers from Dancing with the Stars.  WE both love the show...perhaps me a little bit more, but we are both excited.  Yes, Derek (my favorite will be there).  Along with Mark, Chelsie, Emma, Whitney and a few more...can't wait.  We return home tomorrow just in time for ????

The Broncos hopefully to win the Super Bowl!  If they don't I still love the Broncos!!!  Go Peyton!!!

Excited to begin the day!  Have a great weekend everybody!

Some of the joys I am thankful for this morning...

watching my nieces and nephews enjoy their life and I get to share it...

spending time with my mom...

watching football with my hubby....

Thank you God for these and so very much more!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie