Reached out to touch

Luke , Mark 1:40 - 2:22, Matthew 8 - 9:17

I loved this photo of a father helping a child. It's beautiful how he is reaching to help the young boy up...Isn't that just what Jesus does?  He reached out to help us up and He still reaches everyday for each of us!

Reading today these words touched my heart ~

Jesus reached out and touched him. 

Several times in today's reading these words are used and it was like a balm to my soul!  Jesus does this for you and for me.  He reached out to us!  He heals us!  Yes, it may not be the way we expect.  It may not be the physical healing we desire, but He heals us the way that will heal our souls forever! When Jesus reaches for us our relationship grows with Him!  He will do what it takes for our relationship, for our souls!

I love the stories today of Jesus healing so many people.  I love the story of  the paralyzed man and his friends doing what was needed to help their friend be healed, but what really touches my heart is the way the man believed the words Jesus spoke.  We are told he jumped up!  Imagine it!  Imagine this home filled with people the dirt from the ceiling laying all around them and on them and the celebration that happened in that home!  He heard the words, he believed, and he jumped!

Today, hear the words, believe them and get moving!

Lots of sharing the amazing things Jesus is doing!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Rejected?

Mark 1 : 14 - 39, John 4: 46 -54, Luke 4: 16 - 44, Matthew 8: 14 - 25

Rejection.  Have you ever experienced rejection?  Did you feel like throwing in the towel?  Did you wonder why?  Did you want to quit?  Well, you aren't alone.  Jesus even experienced.  Really?  Where you might ask?  Well, in his boyhood home.  What?  How?  Seriously?  Yes, when he shared these words.

"The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day.!"

What how can it be?  Isn't that Joseph the carpenter's son?  They were going to throw him off the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.  Imagine it.  He had already healed a little boy.  He already made more wine at the wedding, but yet the people that knew him the longest did not believe.  He was right among them and they did not see.

Jesus felt everything we have ever experienced.  He had love, He had joy, He had hate, He had the rejection, He had the hangers on, He had the believers...He had it all!  Yet, He loves us and He knows our joy, He knows our pains, He knows it ALL!

Look to Jesus for comfort!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Everything? Really?

John 3  - 4

Please read this beautiful story of healing found in John 4 today and remember Jesus does the same thing for you!

The words that caught my attention were these from John 4: 39 ~

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I ever did!"

Did you get this?  Others believed because the woman shared with the people that had talked about her for years.  The people that had shunned her at the well.  The people that refused to even be nice to this woman now believed because she ran right into the middle of them sharing what Jesus did and what he said about her!  Our stories matter!  Share your story with someone that needs to know Jesus sees, Jesus knows, and HE still loves them!

Believe today!  He knows the list and He still loves you!  He still shows up in the heat of the day or the moment to remind you that you are not alone!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Next opportunity...

Mark 1: 12 - 13, Matthew 4: 1- 11, Luke 4: 1 - 15, John 1:19 - 2:35

Temptation. 

We ALL face it!

These words hit me hard this morning...When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

He left until...

We are talking about Jesus here and that the devil never quit trying to tempt Jesus or perhaps he didn't see another opportunity.  I guess what struck me was the words "until the next opportunity came."  After all, we are all human.  So, we give the devil plenty of opportunity.  How do we handle the opportunity times for the devil?  Do we allow him in or slam the door?  Probably both at times...

I guess the thought I wanted to share is stay strong!  Keep your eyes on the Lord knowing the devil is always crouching like a lion waiting on the next opportunity to leap against us!  The devil is very real and don't believe otherwise!

Leave you with this thought this morning...God wins and so do all that believe Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins!  So, believe and keep your eyes on Jesus knowing God beats the devil!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

In our dreams

Do you dream?  Do you remember your dreams?  Do you ever wonder what they mean?  My answer is Yes, Yes, and Yes to all the questions!  Always questions with me...I only want to learn more...(sorry to those that I am inquisitive of)

Today's reading was Matthew 2- 3: 1-17, Luke 2:41 - Luke 3:22, Mark 1: 1-11

I was fascinated with how the Lord spoke through dreams to the wise men and to Joseph in today's reading.God warned both the wise men and Joseph to go a different direction.  

How does the Lord speak to you?  I loved the quote that I shared  a couple of days ago, about us putting pressure on ourselves to hear the Lord, when we should just let Him handle it!  Not exactly the quote, but He is handling it.  We should know in our hearts that God will speak to us right where we are and in His own way and it might be in our dreams!  It's just whether we realize it is God sharing with us with guidance.  

Read these passages and know that God directs your paths too!  He warns us whether it is through His Word, a friend, a sermon, our dreams, the list goes on and on.  He is giving us direction and lighting our path, but are we paying attention?

Pay attention today!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Believe

Luke 1:39 - 2:40, Matthew 1: 18 - 25

What do you believe?  Do you know?

Well, I find it fascinating that Mary a young lady about 14 or so had so much faith!  Listen to these words from Luke 1 ~ You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.

What do you think to be true?  Well, Mary believed that God would do what He said...she trusted in Him!  A very young lady believed God's Words, do we?  

Mary believed!

What about us?

Do we believe God's words?  Do we even know God's words?

Let's follow Mary's example and believe!  

I believe in God and in His Words!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

In the neighborhood...

Does your neighborhood look anything like any of these?

Well, you know what is so cool?  It doesn't matter what your neighborhood looks like Jesus moved in!

Today, the reading was Mark 1:1, Luke 1: 1-38, Luke 3:23-38,  John 1: 1-18, Matthew 1: 1-17

Jesus comes into our world to save us!  A world that rejected him, but to all that believe He gives us the right to be children of God!  Wow!  Pause and take a deep breath repeating over and over (your name) I am a child of God!  (your name) I am a child of God until you claim it!

The reading today is beautiful.  

Read these words aloud to yourself...it's from the Message version and I absolutely love the visual...

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory,

like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,

true from start to finish.

He is here right now.  Right in your neighborhood, right in your home, right in your heart, so speak with Him!  Allow Him to rock your world right where you are...He will get you through whatever it is that is happening in your world, because He is there!

I read something very profound at least to me it was from a beautiful book written by Sharon Garlough Brown in her Sensible Shoes series.  "Just remembered something the Lord revealed to me years ago.  I was so anxious about knowing his will, so eager to be obedient.  Worried I wouldn't hear correctly.  Then it hit me.  I was putting all of my confidence in MY ability to hear God, instead of placing confidence in HIS desire to speak in a way I could understand.  It seemed like such a simple thing, but it was life-changing....Putting confidence in my ability to hear God places the burden of responsibility on me.  Putting confidence in his ability and desire to speak to me places the burden on him.  He knows me well enough to know what will catch my attention.  So help me rest in you, Lord."  Sharon wrote some very profound words here that are so very true!  He moved into our world and He handles everything, if we let Him!  He is here!  Reach out and take His Hand and allow Him to move right in and watch Him with all His glory handle it all!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

P. S.   Fabulous books Sensible Shoes and Two Steps Forward by Sharon Garlough Brown and I bought these books myself and absolutely love them!!!!  5 stars and more

Go and celebrate

Nehemiah 7 - 8:12

I loved the story today of Ezra reading the Word of God!  The people were all the people.  The men, women, and all the children that were old enough to understand and they listened from early morning to noon to God's Word.  Imagine, they were listening closely to the words (we are told).  They weren't looking at watches, tapping watches, no they were listening intently and it wasn't like the pastor went over by a few minutes it was for hours!  Listening intently to God's Words lost in all that He was and is.  When was the last time that we listened intently to God's Words without the thoughts of lunch, our problems, the people sitting next to us, the day ahead, the world???  When did we just immerse ourselves in God's Words and everything else was truly set aside?

Ezra stood on a platform where all could see him and all the people rose to their feet.  When Ezra praised God, all the people shouted Amen!  Amen! and raised their hands and they bowed down and worshiped the LORD!  They were humbled and full of praise.

The priests walked around explaining God's Word to them.  The people were crying and they were encouraged not to weep, but to celebrate that the LORD is your strength!

Listen to these words from Nehemiah 8:12 ~

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's words and understood them.  

Yes, indeed we should follow this example.  We should celebrate that we are able to hear God's words and that we are able to understand them!  Celebrate that we have God's Words and that we openly are given the gift of worship with the One who created everything and everyone.  

Imagine this celebration!  Imagine all the happiness of the people that worked so hard to rebuild the wall and it was time to celebrate and understand God's Words together!  We are given a wonderful gift.  God' s Words are a gift that each of us should celebrate as well!

Celebrate today!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Frustrated them

Nehemiah 3 - 6

I love the story of Nehemiah.  The resolve to rebuild something that meant so much to God's people ~ the wall!  The determination, the love, the absolute that they would achieve this goal.

Even with enemies doing everything possible to stop it!

When have you felt this way?  You were determined to achieve your goal.  You felt God was leading you to do this thing?  Did you pursue it and achieve it?  Did you finish?

I loved in Nehemiah 4:15 these words ~ When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.  God was even working on the plan, by frustrating the enemy!  Do you ever find that all the things that seem to stand in your way...just go away?  Well, perhaps God removed them!  He frustrated the obstacles!

God helps us out even when don't know it or realize it!

Again, hope by believing and doing!

Believe in the One who is able to make things happen!  Thank you LORD!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Hope

Ezra 9 -10, Nehemiah 1 -2

I am reminded of hope with the reading today!  Hope in spite of who we are, but given by the only One who is able...God!

In Ezra 10 when the people confess their sin I loved these words ~

But in spite of this there is hope for Israel.  Definitely, the same for us in spite of us there is hope!  Hope because of God and His love, grace, forgiveness and all that He is...and always will be!

Hope because God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!  

Claim these verses that in spite of us there is hope!

In Nehemiah the wall was in ruins and yet Nehemiah and the people proclaimed ~ Yes, let's rebuild the wall!  This morning it is like the Lord proclaimed to me Debbie, let's rebuild hope!  Let's focus on the good and keep your eyes on me.  With God all things are indeed possible in spite of this world God is able!

Hope and keep your eyes on the One who provides all!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Gracious hand

Ezra 6 - 7

Today, reading these two chapters in Ezra these words jumped off the page ~ the gracious hand of our God was on us and again a little further these words And the gracious hand of our God protected and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way.

Do we realize when the gracious hand of our God protects us?

Daily God protects us!

Over and over these words are in my head pondering some of these things...

Is God using my hands to show grace to the homeless?

Am I allowing my hands to offer God's hope to everyone?

Are my hands reaching out to those that are different from me?

Are my hands showing grace to all?

God uses us, if we allow Him to...am I allowing God to use my hands?

God's hands offer me grace and protection and He does the same for you!  Are we allowing Him to use our hands to help someone else?

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Prepare

Esther 5 - 10

Esther prepared!  She took baths.  She was cleansed.  She learned.  She listened.  She knew.  She waited.  She got ready for her moment.

She didn't rush into the king demanding her people be saved.  She planned.  First, she had her people fast and pray.  She knew what the king liked because she had prepared.  When she dressed that day to appear before the king she knew his favorites.  Think about it she wasn't going to wear a robe he hated or his least favorite color.  No, she would wear all his favorites.  His favorite scent, his favorite color, the way he liked her hair, the way he liked her to walk, the way he liked everything and she did it!  She was ready to approach the king and gain his favor.

She didn't rush things.  She slowly began the process of achieving her goal.  She waited and God began to prepare the king as well.  I love in chapter 6 when the king couldn't sleep, so he ask the history of his reign to be read to him.  Seriously?  He just wanted to remember the good times in the middle of the night? And right before Esther had to ask for her people to be saved?  Seriously?  No, I don't think so.  God was working through the king's restlessness to bring to mind matters that would help save Esther's people.

Esther waited while God worked through all of her spa treatments.  Through the terrible Haman's tricks and for God's timing!  Are we waiting, listening, and growing with the LORD?  It is about God's timing and not ours!  We think everything should work the way we desire, when it's not about us!  It is all about God and His Perfect Timing!

Today, prepare, listen, and grow in your relationship with God.  

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

He set the royal crown

Esther 1 - 4

Do you know that in the concentration camps Hitler and other leaders feared this story?  Hitler banned the story from being read.  The people wrote it from memory and shared the story over and over about God's love for His people.  

Some people don't like the story of Esther being in the Bible, but I see God's hand throughout the story.  His name isn't mentioned, but He is throughout the story!  You see and feel Him throughout working out the details to save His people through a young woman no one would have known existed  ~ without God!  God uses the most unlikely to change the world.

One moment before the king that changed a young woman from ordinary into a queen.  Do you know that she had been prepared for this moment for over 1 year?  It wasn't easy either.  It wasn't like 365 days of spa days!  Nope.  

A few things I learned when I read the wonderful book by Tommy Tenney - Finding Favor with the King ~

 Middle Eastern cultures focus on smells.  Tommy shared women from this area lay out their clothes on latticework and they have trays underneath the clothes and that they have incense burners to fragrance their clothes.  Their clothes are saturated in the fragrances before they even put them on!  Listen to this they even stand "crouching naked" over a burner that is a cosmetic burner with things such as roses with a robe draped like a tent over them.  Esther went through some very interesting procedures.

The first six months were cleansing Esther of all toxins.  She was constantly bathed in and oiled in these fragrances that softened her skin and the fragrance would have just "oozed".  The second six months she was immersed and saturated with sweet spices.  Tommy wrote beautifully that Esther was practicing worship being soaked in the fragrances and oils of the Lord and prepared for her special moment with the king.  One moment that changed the world.

Esther was prepared and ready for her moment!  She trusted and she believed and God used her in a Mighty Way!

Are you prepared for your moment?  Are you willing?

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Francesca Battistelli - Write Your Story (Live)

   Listen to this beautiful song and Let Him write your story!
   Happy Weekend!

Precious to God

Daniel 10

I was so touched reading Daniel 10 this morning!  Please take the time to read this chapter and the beauty of God's love that is shared through Daniel vision.

I encourage you to claim these words for yourself.  The verse that says, Daniel, you are very precious to God.  Fill in the blank  _____________, you are very precious to God!  Believe it!  You are very precious to God.

Again, these words, "Don't be afraid, Daniel.  Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven.  Again, fill in the blank...Don't be afraid, __________.  Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven.  Believe God's words!  It's true He hears and we must humble ourselves believing in Him!

I close with the reminder today that YOU are very precious to God!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Unified

Ezra 2 - 4

Beautiful reading today of the people returning to Jerusalem with a UNIFIED purpose.  Imagine it!  The celebrating that was taking place around Jerusalem they were home, but there was no altar, no temple, but yet they began to rebuild.  They were unified with a purpose.

Division surrounds us today!  Let's start a new movement of rebuilding with a unified purpose and the purpose is to rebuild God's Kingdom.  All of us take His hand and follow His lead!  He will direct our paths.  He will make the way and let's unite.

Listen to these words from Ezra 3 ~

"He is so good!

His faithful love for Israel endures forever!"

Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD'S temple had been laid.

He is good!

He is faithful!

His loves does endure forever!

Let's celebrate the Lord's amazing love, amazing grace, just our Amazing Savior!  Celebrate!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Not a scratch

Daniel 6

The claws of the lion above look pretty damaging.  Yet, Daniel was placed in a den with lions and these words are used in the story...My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight.  And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.  The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den.  Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

What a testimony!  Daniel believed and Daniel trusted and God showed up for all to see!

He was a witness for God and listen to these words that this king spoke about God...

For he is the living God,

and he will endure forever.

His kingdom will never be destroyed, 

and his rule will never end.

He rescues and saves his people;

he performs miraculous signs and wonders

in the heavens and on earth.

He rescued Daniel 

from the power of the lions.

Even this non-believer saw what God did...he declared it to these people.  He shared Daniel's testimony!

Are you sharing your story today?

Not a scratch, because he trusted in his God.  Do we trust in our God?

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Writing on the wall

Daniel 5

The story of "writing on the wall" and where the phrase started a very long time ago...

Yet, we still struggle with the same issues this king did...pride or another way to say it our ego!

God's love saves us absolutely nothing else!  We are a lost people without Christ's love for us!  

Take a moment and read the story of this king.  A king that ordered  the gold and silver cups that were brought from God's Temple in Jerusalem be brought to him and and all his partygoers then drank from them...not good!  Suddenly, they see fingers of a human hand writing on the wall.  He was afraid...very afraid!  His knees were even knocking together.  No one understood until they called in Daniel.

Daniel told the king these words, ...yet you have not humbled yourself.  For you have proudly defied the LORD of heaven and have had these cups from the Temple brought before you....

But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!

We (humans) better humble ourselves by realizing that we are nothing without Christ! 

He alone is the answer!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Big Daddy Weave - Overwhelmed [Official Music Video]

Please watch this beautiful video about Our Amazing Father!  Be reminded how wonderful overwhelming He truly is and always will be!



Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Settle down in middle forever

Ezekiel 43: 1 - 12

Take a moment today and read about the Lord's Glory returning in Ezekiel.  Wow!  

I was reading about the Lord filling the temple and being placed on the throne and how He will rest His feet and live among the people forever!  Doesn't that sound glorious?  It does to me!

I kept thinking of the throne room.  So I went to my place of fabulous pictures and typed in throne room and well they were what we think of red and gold with in castles, but Our Lord's will be so much more!  So I went with the throne room in the Captiol Arches in Utah.  After all, God create this, so it felt more natural to use since we don't know what God's throne room will look like...He is so much more than our imaginations are able to comprehend!  If you don't know this already read Ezekiel to see just a touch of who He is and be filled with wonder and excitement!

Reminded of God's wonder!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Praise

Daniel 4:34-35

His rule is everlasting,

and his kingdom is eternal.

All the people of the earth

are nothing compared to him.

He does as he pleases

among the angels of heaven

and among the people of the earth.

No one can stop him or say to him,

'What do you mean by doing these things?"

Amen!

Praise the Lord!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Crying out to God

! Chronicles 5:20

They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him.

Who do you trust?

Who do you call when you are in battle?

We all face battles daily.  Do  we fall to our knees in prayer or do we ???  The answer is probably different for each of us and different at different times.  

I went to see War Room yesterday and once again was reminded in the power of prayer!  It is one awesome movie that is so very touching, real, inspiring, and honest!  A beautiful reminder in the power of prayer.

Why don't we trust God with everything?  I don't care whether it is big or small, let's cry out to the LORD and turn this world around!  Let's all do this together by falling to our knees to the Only One we know that can truly win the battle!

Father, Hear our cries and know that we know that You truly are the Only One that wins the battles.  Amen

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Turn

Ezekiel 33

Okay, look at the picture.  It's a beautiful scene, right?  Well, if you keep driving straight rather than taking the turn, it's no longer so pretty is it?

Well, isn't that our journey sometimes?  Honestly, if we don't have anybody that cares enough to sound alarms, when we are about to go off the cliff ~ we are going to be in trouble!  Reading this morning, I am reminded we need people that care enough about our everlasting journey as much as they do our everyday life right now.  People say well it's none of their business, but if we truly care about someone is that true?

I struggle with this issue as well.  When does it become my business to care?  Well, if someone is about to drive off that cliff aren't you going to wave your arms, honk your horn, try to get their attention?  Something?  Well, that is all we can do...sound the alarm and it is everyone's own choice to make their decisions.

No judgment just words to think about or as some say "chew on" for awhile.  After all, we all get to make our own choices whether we take the curve in the road or whether we let ourselves go right off the cliff!  God allows us to pick Him for the adventure of a lifetime!

Hope you are having a great adventure!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie