God Always Delivers As He Promises

"My God my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?" Psalm 22:1 (NIV)

"Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mothers breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mothers womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help."

Psalm 22:9-11(NIV)

"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men have encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my garments among them and casts lots for my clothing." Psalm 22:14-18 (NIV)

"Come let us return to the Lord: He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.

After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us that we may live in his presence." Hosea 6:1-2 (NIV)

Anyone who doubts that God will complete what he promises please note the verses you just read. They are quoted from the Old Testament which was written many years before Jesus birth. (Proving the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that God is all knowing.) Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice as our high priest, to bridge the gap to cover our sins. Without Christ's death we would have no Holy Ghost to guide our life. Through Jesus death, burial and resurrection we can say no to our sin nature. Because He rose from the grave, our souls will also rise to live an everlasting life in heaven, if we've accepted Christ as our Savior.

Shouldn't Good Friday be honored more than any other holiday? No one else can save us from our sins, or bring us into everlasting life. Jesus Christ is the only sinless person who has ever lived. As a Christian we have so much to be thankful for regardless of our circumstances, don't you think?

Finish the Race with Grace

As I looked around while I was mowing the yard and trimming the bushes everything seems fuller and bigger this year. The winter was hard, we had so much snow and rain. Honestly, there were times I doubted Spring would ever come, but it did. Very few of my plants died. For the first time my lilac bush and crab apple tree actually have little flowers popping out.

Our lives as Christians are similar to the plants and trees in nature. Some Christians can't handle the pressures of life so they retreat, or even spiritually die during the adversities of life. Trials and hardships like this past winter can seem relentless. Ironically, trials often bring us closer to God and each other. Growth in Christ is sometimes painful, but necessary.

I remember being diagnosed with Chron's. I really never expected to live as long as I have. Twenty surgeries latter, I definitely feel physically weaker now. I'm closer to God, because of my circumstances. God always has my best interest at heart. In short I'm moving toward the mark of completeness for eternity. Only God takes all the negative and turns it into a beautiful ending. :) Like my lilacs, roses and gardenias at the end of my winter all the hardships will turn into a fragrant awesome product for God's glory.

"Be joyful always, pray continually; Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test every good thing. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.May your whole spirit, body and soul be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 (NIV)

We all go through different trials according to His will. Hang on to Jesus when the winds of change howl. Let Him hold you when you're too weak to go on. Finally, smile as you look back at all His wonderful grace that's carried you through and know He will until you go home.

Real Happiness Lasts a Lifetime

Don't you just love Spring? My mother says it best, "In the Spring God renews and restores everything from the dead cold Winter." It really is amazing, less than a month ago everything seemed so brown and lifeless. Now everything has popped with zillions of colors! I can't hardly stay inside. Does Spring make you antsy to get outside too?







God manages to do something even more wonderful and beautiful inside His people. I remember asking Jesus into my heart when I was eleven years old. By that time there were already so many disappointments, scars and failures that I often wonder which path I would have chose without God in my life. At that time I was a very shy, withdrawn girl. I was desperately looking for affection. I still seek affection, guess I always will. My personality really popped once I had the peace of total acceptance from God.







Because God loved and accepted me I was able to love others even when they didn't seem to love me. Ironically, when you give love it usually comes back. Less than a month after I had accepted Christ as my savior I remember my grade school teacher calling my mother. She told my mom she didn't know what had happened to me, but I had turned into this bubbly little girl. (In fact, she nick named me "Bubbles" after that. Another name I acquired from friends & my church family was "Son shine." Both of those nicknames kinda stuck with me through life.)







I thought about the JOY Jesus gives after one of my college professors mentioned I seemed to "radiate" in life. Honestly there are probably plenty of times Mark could tell you I don't always radiate, sometimes I'm a mean & nasty person, when I let my sin nature erupt. But for the most part I try to keep the Sonny Side Up in life. There's absolutely no way I could without Jesus and the Bible in my life.

As I think about other believers I really smile. God has made a wonderful beautiful world for us to enjoy, but my brothers and sisters in Christ Shine more than the flowers and trees. As He keeps working on us, beyond imagination, He transforms us into awesome masterpieces!

"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created." James 1:16-18 (NIV)







If you're happy and you know it, thank your Lord. He's the only one who can give us true happiness and peace. No one can take it away unless you let them-but don't let anyone steal your Joy.

Awesome Lives and Awesome Adventures

We arrived home from a mini trip to Gulf Shores ALA. just a few hours ago. Mark and I were there for just two days, but we really enjoyed a wonderful time with my parents and a few friends. While we were there we visited a Dear Saint, an older friend. Though his body is worn and frail from cancer, God is still using him to talk and pray with other believers. So many of us will loose an awesome teacher when he leaves this world.

Frustrated, he cried because he is no longer able to even stand up by himself. Not so long ago Andrew cast his fisherman's net, and was able to pull up hundreds of pounds of fish into his boat. Think about the way God gives some people awesome power and or strength with their bodies and or minds. These people may seem like an endless power house, like Samson was. Then one day their abilities are taken away through illness or an accident.

Margaret, Andrew's wife of 67 years, told of her sadness when most of her "worldly treasures" were burned up in a house fire just a few years ago. Things like her great grandfathers Bible, their wedding certificate, and all her family pictures turned into ashes. What would you feel if you lost all your treasured keepsakes? God used this fire to remind Margaret that no treasure her on earth is everlasting.

As we sat there knowing this would be one of our last visits as friends on earth, we encouraged each other in love. The "things" and even our bodies will soon pass away, the love, and brotherhood through Christ's Blood will continue throughout eternity. Sometimes it's hard to understand the hard times, sickness and even death. Yet as we grow, how well we know, God uses everything in our lives for the good.

As God puts you through the tests and trials that this life promises, may you always seek Christ's will and knowledge in your life. Every breath we breathe is given from our Maker. There's an awesome beauty in knowing every child of God has access to our Heavenly Father's embrace. None of us should ever get too big, or too old to stretch out our arms and ask to be cradled in His arms. Though we are so weak-He is so strong.

"I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles." Philippians 4:12-14 (NIV)

Please remember all of us are like rough old stones, the rough edges and blemishes have to come off. Look at the trials and hardships as an opportunity to learn and grow. This "rock tumbler" that we call life shouldn't be so misunderstood, or resented. God's still working on a beautiful gem-your soul.

Finally, I know that anything God brings you to in life, He will see you through it. Don't push Him away.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

Happy New Year

May God Grant you the peace that surpasses all understanding this year! May others look at your life and want Jesus, because you show His peace and love.

May we all enjoy enough sunbeams to warm our faces, and enough moon beams to charm and enchant us.

Let God keep His angels guarding and protecting our minds, bodies and especially our souls. May we all grow in His goodness and grace. God grant us wisdom and knowledge through good and bad times. May we all grow more like Jesus as 2010 comes to a close.

God Keep you and make His Face to shine upon you, my friends and family in Christ Jesus.

My prayer for you will be, Numbers 6: 24-26. Please keep me in your prayers as well. We all need God's goodness, grace and love this year and always! But isn't it great to have such an awesome God and Heavenly Father?

Sorry it's been so long ...

Please accept my apologies for being away for such a long time. I truly didn't realize how long it had been, until I signed in. Honestly, I've been through so much physically and mentally, there was very little time or energy to write.

Once again my eyes seem bright white instead of blood shot. (The eyes reveal so much about the body and soul.) My stomach is working some what better-not great, but functioning better than it was. Please pray for me as I will have 3 drainage tubes until at least Jan. 20Th, 2010. And over a hundred staples that will have to be removed sometime in February. My body is so weak and sore. I'm changing wafers 8 or 9 times a day-which has created a bloody very painful skin situation on top of messes to clean up. This life is difficult to say the least, but yeah hey, My God Reigns, and has saw fit to see me through once again. Give God the glory for it is He who has done great things!

I'd like to address a topic that seems to keep popping up everywhere I go, in all walks of life, we are all dealing with it. "The Dysfunctional Family, " can we get a break from it? We all long for peace, or so we say. I don't email, call or write when I am feeling bad, generally. Frankly, there's simply not much that will change from complaining. Yet, every since I was a little girl maybe 6 or 7 my heart yearned for a peaceful family unit that simply never existed and probably never will, regardless how hard I try.

I use to think it was my fault, this dysfunctional family I came from, after all I am the reason my parents married. "The illegitimate child," the culprit of the clan. But as time has went on I know that dysfunctional is probably more common than, "normal." Are there any "normal families" out there? Although I can honestly say Mark and I have enjoyed a more normal family unit than I came from, but honestly, we didn't acheive, God did.

My father called this morning to tell me what an awful person I was for not calling him or my sister in Michigan who suffered a car accident over 20 some years ago, but still feels the need to be coddled. (Please-the only long term problems she really has is not from the car accident, but from crawling up into her own rectum so far-there's no remote light of reality. Which my parents seem all to pleased to cater too. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of hearing what a great mother she's been and a about her ultimate family. Her world is so small she still calls mommy and daddy to tell them-"Kathy is shunning me again. She didn't return my phone call yesterday. So sorry-It's been a little hard to return phone calls when I've had a butt load of financial calls to return while I was in the hospital, changing wafers and once in a while going to sleep to avoid the pain.)

In short, I'd like to remind the rest of my Christian family, there are no perfect families til we get to heaven. God the Father is the only perfect Father. He alone can take away our pain-physically, mentally and spiritually.

"And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Luke 5:31 KJV

We all need Jesus.

Compromised?

I received an interesting email from an unknown person this week. This seemed to be a very kind hearted person, who probably knew Christ as their Savior. This person went on to tell me they were kicked out of school because they had cheated on a chemistry test. (I think this person was wondering if I would condemn or accept them, based on this act.)



Ironically, I can say I've never been tempted to cheat on a test, but I have been tempted and succumbed to sin in so many other areas of life. The truth is we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. None of us are any better than the worst in mankind. Jesus redemption through His blood is the only difference between a sinner and a heaven bound saint.



Here's the ironic part, Thursday while I was taking a computer test, a guy I set next to started tapping me on the arm, during the test. :( Without even thinking I looked over and said, "Huh?" He shoves the instructions in front of my face and said, "You have to center that!"



Why was he even looking at my screen?" Maybe his intent was good, but that action threw my whole thought pattern off. I have a habit of going back and checking things, if there's time before I submit it. Now I felt like there was no way I could go back and fix that without "cheating." To make matters worse a few minutes latter, he taps me again. This time I felt like cussing, but didn't. I glared at him, and told him "That's why they call it a test."



To top it all off, there was the teacher glaring at me. I tried to explain what happened when I turned my work in. She is a very good teacher, but I couldn't help but wonder if she now questions my integrity. My point is this never say never, because Satan will find a way to tempt any of us. If he doesn't secede he will at least make us look bad.



By the end of the test I felt horrible; no I didn't go back and try to repair things. I probably failed the test. I asked that guy to never do that again. He said he was, "only trying to help." Bless his heart maybe in his mind, that was trying to help. God will have to sort that one out.

Sin is sin. We all are guilty of it and none of us are better than anyone else. It's important to let Jesus make the difference and as He said in the following passage, "Go and sin no more."

5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
The Validity of Jesus' Testimony 12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
13The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
14Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
John 8:5-18 (NIV)