God's Names

In Inspirational Messages on Thursday, Lynn talked about Jehovah Shammah, our ever present one. God has many names but this is one of the best because it means He is always with us. I think it awesome that He reassured us of His presence by giving us this name. He has given us a name for him for any situation.

My favorite name is Jehovah Isshe, My husband. How cool is that. "My maker is my husband the Lord of Host is His name, my Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." This name and this scripture in Isaiah lets me no He loves the widows and the divorced and He will always be there for me. That is such a comfort to me as I travel my road in what most people would see as loneliness but is actually in total peace and love.

How about you? What is you favorite Name for God? The names of God is a great subject to study. Find out just who God really is and grab on to the name that touches your heart and hold on for dear life. 

Look Inside

My post today I am taking from my Joyce Meyer's Devotional. It is today's devotion and is titled There's a Treasure Within You.'We possess this precious treasure in vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.' 2 Corinthians 4:7

"More than anything, I want to clearly hear God's voice and be aware of His abiding, presence all the time. I have written previously about many years when I believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior, but did not enjoy close fellowship with God. I felt I was always reaching for Him and falling short of that goal. One day, as I stood before the mirror combing my hair, I asked Him a simple question: 'God, why do I consistently feel as though I am reaching out for You and coming up short of finding You." Immediately, I heard these words in my heart: 'Joyce, you are reaching out and you need to be reaching in.' Let me explain: God's Word says that He lives in us, but some people find this truth difficult to understand. The verse today explains that we have the treasure of God's presence within us: but many who believe in Jesus never experience the joy of His presence or of continual fellowship with Him."

I don't know about you but I thought that was really an anointed teaching. We do tend to see God as way out there and that we are unable to get a hold of Him when we need Him. I hope this teaching has helped you. Do you know God this way or do you seek Him out there someplace? In His presence is fullness of joy.

Contests

There was a question on The Christian Writers View 2 this last week asking about the worth of contests. I am not a published author and I haven't had the chance to take college classes, I just love to write. I don't have a critique group and unfortunately don't even know any other authors in this area. I let people read my work and they love it but they love me so I don't know if they the love the books or just tell me what I want to hear. Do any of you have that problem?

I entered the GOTCHA Contest this last fall and received the results in January or February. My manuscripts didn't do as well as I hoped but the comments on my first fifteen pages are well worth the twenty-five dollars I paid to enter the contest. I learned so much. I rewrote one of the manuscripts and sent it in to the Genesis Contest and the Frasier Contest. I hope that my revisions do well and I am looking forward to hearing back from them.

I would give anything for a chance to take some college classes but I live on a fixed income so that is not an option for me. I still struggle with 'show not tell' and my 'POV'. I do what I know to do and I read blogs and articles daily. I am learning as fast I can but I think the contests are the way to go. If you find yourself in the same situation, I recommend the contests and will continue to enter each chance I get, meanwhile I am rewriting my second manuscript with the hope to enter it soon. The journey goes on.

Just Returned

I just returned from a family funeral, not my family but my son-in-law's. His Aunt Dorthy just passed away. She was ninety-three years old. She lived out on a ranch in the Sandhills. She was a great lady. She and her husband accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior in 1964 together. Isn't that awesome? One of her granddaughter got up and told several stories about her grandmother and ended telling how her grandmother shared her faith with all of them and how it had changed their lives. How sweet, it reminds me of the Psalms 31 woman "her children rise up and call her blessed."

The funeral was a joy filled home going, giving thanks and praise to God. The pastor is a cowboy poet and singer and he sang "Peace in the Valley" and "Amazing Grace". He had a wonderful message and then aksed everyone to pray with him.

How about you? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If you died today, do you know where you would go? I would love to pray with you. Just leave me your name or phone number.

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Let God lead You

Proverbs 3:6 says that if we will acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our paths. Acknowledging God simply means having enough respect for Him, enough reverential fear and awe of Him, to care what He thinks of our every move.

When God speaks to us and guides us, He doesn't scream at us or push us in the direction He wants us to go. No He leads like a gentle shepherd. He says in Jeremiah He knows His plans for you. He will show you the way.
We don't make our lists and plans and ask God to bless us, no we need to pray and seek His leading. He wants to be an active part of your lives. Each one of us has a special place that only we are able to fill, no one else can take that place. Without you the body of Christ is incomplete and doesn't function as well as it would if we are all in our place and doing what God has planned for us.

Some people feel like it is more fun to do our own thing but God's way is more exciting and fulfilling. He gives us jobs that are using our gifts and we end up with jobs that we love. Most people in America are in jobs they absolutely hate but we are having the time of our lives. God is so good all the time.

How about you? Do you follow God's plans for you or do you insist on your own way? I urge you to give it all over to God. Let Him lead you and guide you.

Thank you Lord

Have you given thanks to God lately? Given thanks is so important to be able to hear God's voice because, like praise and worship, it is something God responds to. It's something God loves, something that warms His heart. Anytime we give God pleasure like that, our intimacy with Him increases--and makes for a better relationship with Him.

If we aren't thankful for what we have, why would He give us something else to complain about? When God sees that we are thankful and appreciate what He gives us, even the little things, He will be more willing to bless us. Aren't we like that? If I give my children everything they ask for then they stop appreciating what they have, what I give them, and even me. I see this in a lot of the kids today. They just expect to have everything they want, they don't care about where it comes from or who gives it.

I don't know about you but I don't want to be that way to God. If all you have tomorrow is what you thank God for today, would you have anything?  

Talk to God

Today I was reading my devotion by Joyce Meyer, it really spoke to me so I'm going to share it with you. "The scripture is in 2 Chronicles 20: 6 'O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You.'
When King Jehoshaphat had a problem, he went to the Lord. But he didn't go to the Lord and just talk about his problem; he went to the Lord and talked about Who He is. Instead of simply talking to God about our problems, we also need to talk to Him about Himself. We need to talk to Him about how wonderful He is, how good He has been to us, what He has done in the past, and what we know He is able to do because of His greatness. After we have praised and worshiped Him in this way, then we can talk about the problem."

Isn't that great? It really spoke to me. I know I have friends and relatives who only talk to me when they want something or are in need. They say they love me but I don't really see that. Those same people are no where to be found when I need something. I don't want to be like that with God. My pastor has a phrase that he uses sometimes. "Give me, give me, give me, my name is Jimmy" He is trying to be funny but unfortunately that is the way a lot of Christians pray. "I want, I need, I have to have!" God wants us to have those things but first He wants us to seek Him, to love Him, and to thank Him for what He has already done. He wants us to crawl up in His lap and hug Him. That's what He want and that is what He needs. Let's put God needs ahead of our own today and just love on Him.

Update

I want to update everyone on my son-in-law's surgery. Last week we were to take him to Kearney on Monday for surgery. I was planning on going with my daughter. (she doesn't like driving in cities.) On Sunday our Blazer had a blinking like showing a problem with the alternator. We had just had to replace it twice so they couldn't drive it. My son-in-law is a really big guy and he is not really comfortable in our other car. I ended up having to work and was unable to go with them, but Kellie took the little Buick and drove there anyway. When they arrived they were told they that they had run out of the tubing that was needed for the kind of cataract he had.  They told them it would be at least a week. He was so discouraged.

Two years ago he was scheduled to have surgery and they had to cancel because their table wasn't able to hold his weight level. He had gone into a major depression. His health had deteriorated a great deal in this last two years. Now he was facing another disappointment, Kellie led them both in prayer about the situation and before they had arrived at home (it is a little over an hour away but they had stopped to get something to eat) they called and told him they would take him in the morning. A real Praise God!

I took the Blazer to work knowing it might not get me home but I didn't think I could manage to walk to work, be on my feet for hours, and then walk home. I didn't have any problems, another Praise God. Scott's mom came and they took her car Tuesday. Kellie still had to drive, I had to work and Scott's mom doesn't like to drive in Kearney either.

Scott's surgery went well. It took them longer than normal. The doctor said the cataract was like leather and was difficult to remove. They need to remove the other one as soon as possible.

My grandson took the Blazer to work so that I wouldn't be left stranded. He came home on his break and told me that the Blazer was working fine. The light was no longer flashing and everything was working fine. I asked him what he thought was going on. He said, "You prayed didn't you, it worked." Sometimes to hear them say something like that takes your breath away. He does listen after all. God is good.

Well that is your update. we go back on Friday and they will set him up for his next surgery. He is like a new man. He is so thrilled with being able to see something, he has been working on the cars and he even made dinner a couple of times last week. Which really helped me when I have to work. We are all thrilled and Praising God. How are things going for you? Is God moving in your life?  

Panama Trip

In just sixteen weeks my granddaughter and I will be going on a mission trip to Panama. We are so excited to be able to go again this year. Last summer we went to Quito, Ecuador, it was awesome. We were gone for two and a half weeks, we ministered to the children in orphanages, the poor peasants in the mountains, and we ministered in the parks and streets of the city. Over a thousand people gave their hearts to the Lord, we saw people healed and set free, and we had a chance to minister to the youth that traveled with us. Their were over four hundred people the went on the trip with us, most of them were between the ages of twelve and eighteen. many of these kids are from broken homes. We ministered to our kids for things like sexual abuse, incest, cutting, eating disorders, and violence. It is unreal what we as Christians can do to our children.

This year we go to Panama. We will be going down the rivers and will be ministering to the people of the remote villages. We are so excited to get this opportunity to minister on this level. So today I am asking you for financial support. We each need $2398.00 for the trip, this money includes the cost of lodging, food, and our international flights. We will also need around $400.00 for our flights down to Fort Lauderdale and cash for our own personal use while we are there. We know that the economy is tight and we don't expect people to give us vasts sums of money but if you could just send us even five or ten dollars it would help a great deal. Of course if you want to send the whole amount we would be happy to take it. You can make your checks out to Big World Ventures and send them to me, I will send them to Tulsa. Your donations are tax deductible and they will send you a tax receipt in January.

If you are unable to help us financially, could you please pray for us? Please pray for the people of Panama, that their hearts are prepared for Word, that they will be open to the Gospel, and that miracles will take place.

If any of you would like to go with us, we would love to have you go. You can find the information on the Big World Ventures web site. They are still taking applications. Just tell them I sent you. I love you all thank you and God bless you.

Road trip

I will be out of town and unable to get on line. Sorry I will post Friday. God Bless You All!

Friend

Psalms 55:17 says Evening and morning, and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. Developing my friendship with God is the same as developing a friendship with another person. It takes time and energy. You can always be as close to God as you want to be; it depends on what you are willing to invest in your relationship with Him. I encourage you to get to know Him by spending time in prayer and in the Bible. As you walk with Him day by day your friendship will deepen. You will come to the place where you know His heart and His will for your life.

Trust Him, it is the sweetest thing in the world to know that God is in charge and He wants only good things in your life. Yes bad things happen to good people but when you walk in His presence He will lead you around those bad things or He will lift you up and carry you through it. There is no doubt in my mind, God has a plan for my life and it is good. He has seen me through so many hard things and I have become much stronger for it but there have also been so many things that He kept me from tragedy and held me in the  palm of His hand.

I love the Lord and His mercy endures forever. God is so good. I just can't imagine life any other way to live. How about you, can you face these end times with out Him? The Bible says men hearts will die from fear but we can have total peace. Do you know God? He is my best friend and I would love to introduce you to Him.

End Times

This week has been one of the strangest weeks I have had in my sixty-six years. We had to take my son-in-law to Kearney the first part of the week. When we left  home it was a beautiful spring day. We had birds singing, even the trees are budding. In Kearney it began to rain just like a spring day is suppose to right. It smelled wonderful and is so much better than snow and ice. When we left Kearney it was really windy but the rain had stopped. Praise God! We could see clouds rolling around in the sky but with such high wind we weren't worried.
We had no more than walked into the house when it began to snow.

The next day was absolutely beautiful. Such a blessing and all the snow disappeared. The next day was my daughter's twenty-fifth anniversary. They decided to go to Kearney for dinner and a movie. They left at about
eleven. It was another beautiful day, it was in the sixties. They went out to eat but by the time they finished their meal, the sky was beginning to roll again. They decided to forget the movie and just come home.

With Kellie and Scott gone that left us with one car. Jeremy had taken the other car to work. He is the maintenance man at McDonald's. They have an inspection coming up so he was to work on cleaning the parking lot. It began to rain, it poured, washing away the parking lot. They sent him home because he was just playing in the puddles. (there was nothing else to do outside)He came home early but the rain had stopped. Paul had to leave to go to work at four so we decided to let him take the car. We heard a terrible noise and looked out, it was pouring again, you could hardly see across the street. Jeremy had left the window open so he ran out.

Schanae came home just then and told us she had to were a ball gown to her music concert that night. She was soaked.) Then the hail came. It was horrible, I have never seen such hail. It wasn't large but we had so much. Two hours later there were still drifts of hail. I mean drifts. I couldn't believe it. Going to the program it was so slick. That night it snowed. we woke up to several inches.

The next day we had tornadoes in February. That is really hard to believe. The Bible talks about signs in the heavens that will usher in the end times, can anyone not believe that this is a sign? Every time I hear someone say we have never seen this before you kind of cringe. God is good and He hasn't given us a spirit of fear. What do you see happening?