Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Inspirational and Beautiful story! A Must Read ~ The Tomb by Stephanie Landsem



Order this book today!   Definitely, 5 stars!

Everybody thinks you know the story of Martha?  Well, maybe not!

Did you ever think that Simon the Leper, the man filled with demons that Jesus calls out and throws into the pigs, and Mary's family were all woven together?  Well, Stephanie brings these stories together in the most beautiful, touching way!  Amazing, beautiful, real, heart-breaking, so many words to describe this story.

I don't like to give away details and especially in this book.  I don't want to ruin it for anyone.  I just want to encourage you to give yourself a gift and order it today!  I felt Martha's doubts, I felt her pain, I felt her love, I felt her fears, I felt her horror of her truth being revealed, I felt for Martha and that is a great book!  When the person reading feels all the feelings of the people in the story and you do.  Not only Martha's, but Mary's, Lazarus's, and the others.

I am always eagerly awaiting the release of Stephanie's books.  The Tomb does not disappoint ~ it might be her best!  I encourage you to order all 3 of her books and you decide.

Well, I hope you get to reading soon.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P. S. I was given this book to review, but I will be ordering it for friends.  It's amazing!

Monday, March 30, 2015

Witness



Some places just the name bear witness to the testimony of Jesus ~ above the garden where Jesus went to pray right before his arrest.  

In today's reading, Joshua 22 -24 the passage that spoke volumes to my heart was in Joshua 22:34 ~ 
The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar "Witness," for they said, "It is a witness between us and them that the LORD is our God, too.

What is a witness in your life that the LORD is our God, too?

Jesus gave everything for each of us...Do we stop to ponder this anymore?  Oh, sometimes this week Holy Week, we pause and give thanks, but then life happens...busy work, busy calendars, busy, busy, busy just gets in the way of allowing our life to be a witness?  Does it happen or not?  Do we share what Jesus is doing right now in our life with others?  

Thanking God for His Amazing love that truly is way more than I can fathom...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Wholeheartedly




Just one more piece to the puzzle...and it will be complete!

Do you think anybody ever gets there in life?  The point where you fill full?  You are satisfied?  You are complete?

Reading this morning the reading from Joshua 12 - 14, I was taken with Caleb.  Remember, Caleb the man who was sent to explore Canaan, who came back gave an honest report and believed?  Well, he reappears in this morning's reading asking for the completion of the Lord's Promise to him.  It's not this part that caught my attention so much as these words did ~ because he wholeheartedly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.  What does that look like to you?

I was intrigued.  After all, what does that mean...so I went to the original word and found the meaning.  Well, it means to fill, to be full, to complete, satisfied.  Now Caleb wasn't filled with satisfaction with anything other than God.  

Do we know what this looks like in today's world?  Do you think we are able to even fathom what this looks like?  Truly, I am pondering the question about being wholeheartedly following the LORD.  What do you think this looks like?  

Caleb is a role model.  Yes, he lived in another time and place, but he knew what matter...The LORD.  Do we truly realize what matters?

Wholeheartedly...a word to ponder today.  The final piece to the puzzle?  Perhaps, I don't think it's perhaps...it is what matters!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Unimaginable ways



Joshua 10 -12

What difficult situation are you facing right at this very moment?  Well, today's reading should give you lots of hope...if you believe His Words!

Did you catch the if?  We must believe and we must also know in our hearts that His way of handling things will not be ours.  

Joshua had to believe God without a doubt to win against the enemy.  What did God do?  Well, he had time stand still.  Do you think this ever crossed Joshua's mind that God would have the sun stay in the middle of the sky, so the battle could be finished?  No, but He believed!  He trusted and knew God's ways were not his way.

God will fight our battle today, but we must believe the words found in Joshua 10:25

"Don't ever be afraid or discouraged," Joshua told his men.  "Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all your enemies."  

I am not telling you that when we win it looks like we want it to...God's ways are bigger and better and a part of a great tapestry that we are unable to view this side of heaven.  We must trust and know HE is indeed GOD.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Monday, March 23, 2015

Move


Joshua 3 - 6

Change is never easy, but ...sometimes God commands it!

If you are comfortable where you are right now, watch out...I always know in my heart when God is working on something new in me when things are comfortable, but I'm restless.  Why can't we relax and enjoy?  Is it because we know what's ahead?  God is about to shake things up!

Today's reading speaks about this and these are the words that spoke to me...
Joshua 3:3 ...move out from your positions and follow them.  And then again in verse 5, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you."

Do you see it?  If we will move out (in obedience) and follow His instructions ~ He will do great wonders!  Do we believe and move on or do we miss out because we sit clinging to comfortable?
I encourage you and myself this morning to move on and watch God work wonders allowing you to hold His hand in awe!  It's true just be brave and move forward!

Move on and follow Our Amazing Father He takes us on the most amazing journeys!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Once again...



Deuteronomy 10 - 12

Today, the words once again jumped off the pages at me...In verse 4 of Deuteronomy 10, once again  the LORD wrote the Ten Commandments and again in verse 10 ...And once again the LORD listened to my pleas and agreed not to destroy you.  Then the LORD said to me, Get up and resume the journey...

The message to me is that God knows we are going to mess up, but we must realize our mess up and use it for HIS glory.  Get back up and resume the journey towards HIM because once again he will hear our pleas!  Turn to Him today and get back on the journey!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Wholeheartedly...



Deuteronomy 6 - 9

Wholeheartedly, when you read this word what do you think of?  What do you have  in your life that you have gone all in for?  You give it your all?  You give your whole heart to a cause, what is that cause?

Well, today in Deuteronomy 6 we are reminded what truly matters...
Listen, O Israel!  The Lord is our God, the LORD alone.  And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  and you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  Repeat them again and again to your children.  Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Okay, important question to ponder today ~  Are you wholeheartedly into God?  I am asking myself the same question today!  Take a really good look at what takes up your time, how do you decorate your home, what books do you read, what movies do you see all of  these will  indicate exactly what you are wholeheartedly into is it God?  Well, I know I've got room for improvement, but I also know that the more I take these steps in my journey the better my journey truly is...I tell you this honestly that at 55 I am much happier than earlier in life.  If I could share a word with younger folks, don't let these things of the world matter so much...they do not make life better!  Truly the things of God are what matter and truly fill your heart with love.  Only life's journey teaches us truly what matters and we must take each step ourselves, but we also may encourage others to walk closer with the LORD and see for themselves.  It is truth!  Try it out for yourself.  I pray that you will do this earlier than I did, so that life will be so much better for all of you!

Today, are you wholeheartedly in love with God?  Does it show in your journey, because if we are doing this our life will speak this truth...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Monday, March 9, 2015

Amazing, beautiful story ~ The Pharaoh's Daughter by Mesu Andrews ~ 5 stars!



Have you ever had a fear that you just could not get past?  Well, this book will help you have courage to get past your fear!  

It is an amazing, beautiful story based on the wonderful woman that brought Moses up out of the river and safe from certain death and perhaps brought death to herself.  Mesu Andrews does a wonderful job of intriguing you from the very beginning weaving the people together in such a way that you will not be able to put the book down.  I tell you this in all truth!  I read it in one day, because it captured my heart.  I knew the story from God's Word, but I wanted to see how Mesu let it all play out.  

It is filled with mystery, love, broken people, beauty, family, hate, politics, but most of all God's love and His amazing timing.  I never thought a lot about the danger the Pharaoh's daughter faced simply by rescuing this baby.  I always encourage people to pick up Christian fiction and let God open your mind to the possibilities of thinking more about the people that walked this journey before each of us.

I give this book 5 stars!  I don't like to give a lot of plot lines away, because it ruins the surprise and wonder of God working in your own heart and His own way.  I will tell you that one of my favorite lines is very late in the book when Miriam, (Moses sister) said this to Pharaoh's daughter ~ "Hope can't be lost or stolen.  Hope is a choice we embrace for ourselves each day."  

Today, hope it is a choice!  Along the way order this book from Amazon.com or your favorite bookstore it is a keeper!  Mesu Andrews wonderful, wonderful book!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P. S.  I was given this book to read and review, but I will be purchasing some of my own for friends!  Fabulous!!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Give them someone to guide them



Numbers 27 - 29

God provides!  Do any of you need to hear that this morning?  I love the wonderful reminder that God does provide leadership, if we ask Him about it...

Moses in Numbers 27 learns that his time is almost over and immediately he intercedes for the people.  Immediately, he asks God to please provide a leader.  God does indeed provide one.

If the sheep do not have a shepherd they don't know where to go, who to follow, they just wander...isn't it much like us?  If we don't have a leader, we get into all kinds of messes?  Well, God provides leaders.  Are we following His leaders?

Listen for His voice and for the leader He provides today.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

How close to the milk and honey?



Numbers 14 - 15

How close do you think we often times get to our own land of  milk and honey, yet we don't have the faith to believe God?

Reading today it kept going through my mind ~ wow, that sounds just like me or old so and so...I don't think I'm alone sometimes filled with doubt, fear, life ~ am I?  Am I the only one that quite honestly moans and groans putting on those rose colored glasses (yesterday) with a selective memory?  Honestly, I know I'm not!  I hear it in groups.  I hear it in conversations.  We all want to believe.  We all want to appear brave, yet at times it seems more important to blend in rather than stand out and well take that step on over into the land of milk and honey!  

Are you caught up in not standing out like Caleb and Joshua did?  I mean these two men believed, they saw and they were ready to step into...two men is all?  God had brought all of these people through and out of slavery, yet they didn't believe enough to follow through.  Sad, but how often do we do exactly the same as all of these complaining, whining, folks?

So, why not understand that God got tired of it?  That He disciplined all of them, but the two believers?  After all, He's God...He had shown His love, His Mighty Power, His Commitment, yet they still moaned and groaned...Why is it hard to believe that God loves each of us so much that sometimes He does discipline?  Discipline at times is a important component of love!  Ask any parent or loved one how hard it is to discipline that precious child you love so much...it is probably the most difficult thing a parent will do, but they must and God must because He loves us too much to leave us where we are!!!!!

So, He disciplines His people that He loves...It broke my heart when I read the words again this morning
"Now turn around, and don't go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live.  Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.,"  What?  They are right there, but they have to turn around, because they didn't trust God.  It's sad that sometimes we have to turn around and wander around in the wilderness until we believe and trust God...

Second, thing from today's reading is sometimes we wake up a day late and a dollar short...(old expression, but truth spoken)  The people realized their mistake and began to cry in grief.  They knew their sin and were then ready, but they then heard these words from Moses...
"Do not go up into the land now.  When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in batter, you will be slaughtered.  The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD."  
Our choices matter!  WE must believe and trust God.  

He loves us.  He loves us enough to discipline us and turn us around, because He wants all of us!

Believe and trust today and take the step to the land of Milk and Honey!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Monday, March 2, 2015

Memory is a funny thing...



Numbers 11 - 13

Today, reading the story about the Israelites beginning to complain reminded me a lot of right now ~ everywhere.  I don't watch a lot of the news anymore because honestly it sounds an awful lot like complaining on both sides and nobody doing anything about it...anyway back to our reading today.

I think the people must have put on rose colored glasses when they begin to think back about where they came from...rather than whips and chains they were remembering their past like it was a banquet with only the finest foods served.  Don't you know Moses wanted to be able to pull out pictures and remind them of the truth of what they left behind?  Instead, he had to endure their moaning and groaning and then he even interceded with God for them!  

Isn't that what we are suppose to do right now?  Shouldn't we be praying for all the moaning and groaning around us?  

Quite honestly, we are so much like these people remembering what we want to and making it sound so much better...or is that only me?  Do you get up every morning and put on rose colored glasses rather than looking at the reality and being thankful for that reality?  After all, look around where you are right now.  Are you in a warm room?  Do you have food to eat?  Are you surrounded by your loved ones?  Did you wake up this morning?  Do you feel okay?  Do you see sunshine?  Do you feel the rain hitting your face?  Do you smell the flowers? Do you have anyone that intercedes in prayer for you?  Any of these situations and you are blessed!  Quit complaining!  Be positive and make a difference!

No complaining...no rose colored glasses...give thanks for all that you are, all that you have learned in the journey, and what God will continue to teach you along the journey!  Enjoy the manna!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Sunday, March 1, 2015

A Beautiful blessing for today and everyday...



Numbers 6 and 10

The blessing is from Numbers 6: 24-26

May the LORD bless you and protect you.

May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.

May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.'


Be a blessing to someone today and everyday...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie