God is so good!! He loves everyone, he doesn't like the sin any of us have or have had in our lives but he DOES love us. He goes to extremes to bring people to Him but some just doesn't want anything to do with Him. What a shame! My heart goes out to these people and I pray for them almost daily. I am praying that some will decide to turn to Jesus.
God has showered my family with so many blessings and they just keep coming. I am so glad my family has Him in their lives.
Many years ago Dave (my husband) fell off of a three story house. He landed on a freshly dumped pile of rocks. He was taken to the hospital where his boss called me so I rushed to the hospital in Kansas City. He was actually doing pretty well so I was relieved. I finally went home, got the kids ready for bed, and put the them to bed.
The next day I went to the hospital and was informed he wasn't doing to well, he had almost died during the night. I was so shocked and just started shaking. They told me he was out of danger so I calmed down. At this time they told me the pile of rocks was what saved his life. God was already in control but at that time my relationship with God was almost nonexistent. I still prayed and thanked God for keeping Dave safe. He was released from the hospital nine days later. He had a long recovery and had to have surgery but he came through with just some permanent damage.
Even though my relationship was nonexistent I did believe in Him and knew life was not the same without Him. I still continued to pray and thank Him for all that He had done for us, He had already done so much and had given us so many blessings.
Shortly after Dave's surgery, he was home and working. Well, I was driving the car on I-35 and passing another car when he decided to pass the car in front of him, I was at his side. To avoid an accident I pulled off on the shoulder and then lost control of the car. I went into the median and across the north bound traffic and down in a big ditch. I was knocked unconscious and when I came to their was a gentleman at the side of the car trying to help me. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital. They called Dave, he came up to the hospital and told me when I was in the other lane of traffic a semi truck was just feet from me. Well, guess who I gave the credit to for not hitting the car, you guessed it, the truck driver. Although I have given God credit for these for many years now.
I know God must have wondered why I gave the credit to someone else. How could I have done that? Remember I didn't have a personal relationship with God. I prayed to Him and thanked Him that the truck driver didn't hit my car. Well, at that time I never really thought about God guiding this man as he was driving the truck.
After several surgeries and a body cast I came out of all of this just fine. Praises and thanks to the Lord. He is so good.
Psalm 52:1; "Who boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually." Even though I thanked God I never really gave Him the credit in both of these accidents. I don't know how to explain other than I knew He was always with us and He took care of us but never giving Him the glory of what He did. Even after that God continued to bless us.
By this time I was beginning to put things together and knew if it weren't for God none of these would have had a good ending. Psalm 51:17; "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." I was a broken person and I was remorseful because of the way I had acted toward God and treated Him. Thanks to Debi, as she was the one that brought me back to the Lord. I have never forgotten nor will I ever forget what she did for me. Thank you, Debi from my heart. God forgave me and accepted me back into His family. I just praise and give Him all the glory for this.
When my second granddaughter, Kendil was born she was not breathing and was very black. They immediately took her to the side of the room and started working on her. The cord had wrapped around her neck and literally chocked her to death. It happened again, God was right there and in control of everything. He has never stopped with the blessings. Kendil didn't have any affects from this at all. She is married with two wonderful children and is a nurse at the hospital in Leavenworth.
The next thing that happened was with our son, Kenneth. He was married and was sick, his wife took him to the doctor. He had a bleeding ulcer, really bad. The doctor called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. When they were taking him to the hospital, Dana (his wife) asked if they could take him to Kansas City, Kansas and they wouldn't because the other hospital was closer and they weren't sure he was going to make it. Well again, God was there and taking care of everything. He had surgery and came home in a week.
Thank you for stopping by to read my story but it doesn't end here, there is more and I will finish it with my blog on Monday, January 3, 2011. I hope you have enjoyed my testimonies of the Lord's healings in my family and will return to learn of the rest of it.
Happy New Year and I pray all of you will be showered with God's blessings. God loves all of us.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Mercy
Wherever I go the Lord is with me. He is at my side continually with His faithful love and kindness. His help is constant along with His mercy, and support. For me, my life is incomplete without the Lord. When the time comes I will be with the Lord, forever. Psalm 23:6; "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
It is comforting to know God is with me all of the time. No matter what I face God will be at my side to help me through it. He doesn't go just so far and leave me, He stays with me at all times.
Because I love Him I want to obey Him, praise Him, share His love with others and tell them of His mercies. Everyone has the right to God's love and mercy not just a select few. God is interested in all of us, when we suffer He will uphold us with His love and His mercy.
Psalm 25:14; "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them his covenant." To fear God is recognizing Him as a God who is angry about sin. God has the power to punish the ones who disobey His righteous laws. When we truly fear the Lord we will live obedient lives to His commandments and will say 'no' to sin. The fear I have of the Lord is a holy fear because He is Holy, it is not the same fear that I might have of running into another car or some other fear that can be prevented.
Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses. We should know we are able to draw near to the throne, God wants us to call upon Him, He desires this of us. This throne is what they call the "throne of grace." From this comes God's love, help, mercy, forgiveness, spiritual power, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, all that we need under any situation. Isn't this awesome?
II John 1:3; "Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." The mercy given to us is free pardon and forgiveness. Grace, mercy, and peace are desired in truth and love.
Have you ever thought about all things God has given to us just so we can be close to Him? It takes so much for us to be close to Him but it is not hard to do because of our love for Him. Our love for Him and His love for us is why we want to be obedient to whatever He would ask of us. When I think about all the things that work together just for us so we can be close to the Lord I can feel the love of Jesus and my body feels so warm all over.
It is comforting to know God is with me all of the time. No matter what I face God will be at my side to help me through it. He doesn't go just so far and leave me, He stays with me at all times.
Because I love Him I want to obey Him, praise Him, share His love with others and tell them of His mercies. Everyone has the right to God's love and mercy not just a select few. God is interested in all of us, when we suffer He will uphold us with His love and His mercy.
Psalm 25:14; "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them his covenant." To fear God is recognizing Him as a God who is angry about sin. God has the power to punish the ones who disobey His righteous laws. When we truly fear the Lord we will live obedient lives to His commandments and will say 'no' to sin. The fear I have of the Lord is a holy fear because He is Holy, it is not the same fear that I might have of running into another car or some other fear that can be prevented.
Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses. We should know we are able to draw near to the throne, God wants us to call upon Him, He desires this of us. This throne is what they call the "throne of grace." From this comes God's love, help, mercy, forgiveness, spiritual power, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, all that we need under any situation. Isn't this awesome?
II John 1:3; "Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." The mercy given to us is free pardon and forgiveness. Grace, mercy, and peace are desired in truth and love.
Have you ever thought about all things God has given to us just so we can be close to Him? It takes so much for us to be close to Him but it is not hard to do because of our love for Him. Our love for Him and His love for us is why we want to be obedient to whatever He would ask of us. When I think about all the things that work together just for us so we can be close to the Lord I can feel the love of Jesus and my body feels so warm all over.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Our Enemy
I Peter 5:8; "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking who he may devour;"
It seems as though Satan has been walking around the Christians this Christmas season, especially on Jesus' birthday.
As Christians we have been delivered from his power but he still goes around like a roaring lion, he is a threat to us. He seeks to destroy us in different ways, by illness, family, friends, accidents, argument with a loved one, loss of a job, or our homes. Anything that is important to us, he works on this. Sometimes he finds other ways to destroy our walk with the Lord. He will do anything to destroy our belief in Jesus Christ. It is with our faith in the blood of Jesus (our spiritual warfare by the Spirit) and our prayers to God that are fully prepared to defeat Satan, we are able to resist him, and able to stand in the faith. I John 4:2; "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." It is with the Holy Spirit that we can overcome evil and the evil one in the world. This includes the tribulations, sorrow, false teaching, and even persecution. We can achieve in our lives God's will for us.
I was told a long time ago and I have even repeated it; "Why should Satan bother with the ones that don't believe because he already has a hold on them, it is the ones that believe he bothers the most." If people doesn't know the Lord they are not working for Him but the people knowing the Lord does work for Him and Satan doesn't like this, he knows Christians will be able to talk to the nonbelievers and may bring them to the Lord.
People that have no relationship with God are the most vulnerable because they don't know how to fight Satan off or they don't realize what is going on. He will try to hold these people captive because they don't know Christ. Ephesians 2:2; "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" The ones not knowing Christ are controlled by the "prince of the power of the air" which is Satan. These people are blinded by him so they can not see the truth of God. They remain in Satan's power to their slavery of sin.
Christians should have compassion for the unsaved. We need to look at the unsaved from the Bible's view of them. It is the love of Jesus in us that gives us the ability to have compassion on the lost souls. Yes, they are responsible for their sin just as we are responsible for our actions, God gives each person a degree of light and grace to seek God so they are able to escape the hold sin has on them through faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8; "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Resisting Satan is an ever going thing. If he can get us just to slip up once he has his foot in the door. If he can get us to miss Sunday School and church just once, his foot is really in the door. Look out because on Wednesday night or the next Sunday he will try to get that foot in a little further. I am not saying we are fighting Satan every single minute, it is that we have to watch for him to try to trip us up and he will try every chance he gets.
Hebrews 7:25; "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." It is with the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, and the intercession of Jesus Christ working in our lives that help us to react to God. We must never stop letting the Holy Spirit help us.
So, even though Satan has been walking around like a roaring lion to see who he can destroy, we are able to fight him off. As long as we know what is going on we can do it, may not be easy but we can do it. May God bless each of you!!
It seems as though Satan has been walking around the Christians this Christmas season, especially on Jesus' birthday.
As Christians we have been delivered from his power but he still goes around like a roaring lion, he is a threat to us. He seeks to destroy us in different ways, by illness, family, friends, accidents, argument with a loved one, loss of a job, or our homes. Anything that is important to us, he works on this. Sometimes he finds other ways to destroy our walk with the Lord. He will do anything to destroy our belief in Jesus Christ. It is with our faith in the blood of Jesus (our spiritual warfare by the Spirit) and our prayers to God that are fully prepared to defeat Satan, we are able to resist him, and able to stand in the faith. I John 4:2; "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." It is with the Holy Spirit that we can overcome evil and the evil one in the world. This includes the tribulations, sorrow, false teaching, and even persecution. We can achieve in our lives God's will for us.
I was told a long time ago and I have even repeated it; "Why should Satan bother with the ones that don't believe because he already has a hold on them, it is the ones that believe he bothers the most." If people doesn't know the Lord they are not working for Him but the people knowing the Lord does work for Him and Satan doesn't like this, he knows Christians will be able to talk to the nonbelievers and may bring them to the Lord.
People that have no relationship with God are the most vulnerable because they don't know how to fight Satan off or they don't realize what is going on. He will try to hold these people captive because they don't know Christ. Ephesians 2:2; "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" The ones not knowing Christ are controlled by the "prince of the power of the air" which is Satan. These people are blinded by him so they can not see the truth of God. They remain in Satan's power to their slavery of sin.
Christians should have compassion for the unsaved. We need to look at the unsaved from the Bible's view of them. It is the love of Jesus in us that gives us the ability to have compassion on the lost souls. Yes, they are responsible for their sin just as we are responsible for our actions, God gives each person a degree of light and grace to seek God so they are able to escape the hold sin has on them through faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8; "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Resisting Satan is an ever going thing. If he can get us just to slip up once he has his foot in the door. If he can get us to miss Sunday School and church just once, his foot is really in the door. Look out because on Wednesday night or the next Sunday he will try to get that foot in a little further. I am not saying we are fighting Satan every single minute, it is that we have to watch for him to try to trip us up and he will try every chance he gets.
Hebrews 7:25; "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." It is with the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, and the intercession of Jesus Christ working in our lives that help us to react to God. We must never stop letting the Holy Spirit help us.
So, even though Satan has been walking around like a roaring lion to see who he can destroy, we are able to fight him off. As long as we know what is going on we can do it, may not be easy but we can do it. May God bless each of you!!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Anger
Christmas has been an awesome time for me this year, it has been so enjoyable. I am wondering now if I let the 'blues' or maybe Satan (I think sometimes we give Satan to much credit) get me down. I had been happy all day and then I got a phone call. I usually enjoy talking to this person but he was very obnoxious tonight which was very upsetting to me. I guess one thing lead to another, he was upsetting because of the way he was talking and acting. It started over something that should have been fun but it wasn't for him, he seemed to want to blame everyone for the whole thing and not stop to look at what he was saying and doing.
I told him I would make a phone call to see what I could do but it gave me time enough to really get upset...., angry is the correct word.
I would like to say this man has so much to be thankful for and I know he is. He has four wonderful children and two grandchildren and another one next year and a beautiful home. He and his family used to go to church and he was a deacon in the church they went to. Something happened and they quit going. It seems things have gotten worse for them and I tried to tell him they needed to get back into church. All I got was excuses.
I have to eat my words. What does the Bible tell me? Proverbs 15:1 tells me "A Soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." I am not responsible for what he said but I am certainly responsible for what I said. We are supposed to commit things unto the Lord, Proverbs 16:3; "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." Well, I would not want my words to be committed to God. I am ashamed of the way my angry words came from my mouth.
I can think of a lot of excuses why I got so angry but none of them are worth the way I must have made God feel, He knows the excuses I would use anyway. I know He forgave me when I asked for forgiveness but I know how I am feeling and I know He must have felt worse. Before I answered this man I should have asked for God's guidance and His will in my answers, not mine. We should always search for the Lord's will. This I did not do because I was so angry. My angry words stirred up more anger and hostility.
We were both angry, when people are angry they say things that should not be said. They say of words that are hurtful, once said can not be 'unsaid.' You can say you are sorry and ask for forgiveness but the hurt and memory of the words will still be there.
Ephesians 4:31-32; "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: v.32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." I certainly didn't put away any bitterness or anger. If I would have dwelled on what we both had said it could run rampant but the Holy Spirit spoke to me, I am so glad he did. The Lord wants us to be tenderhearted and kind to one another. We also need to forgive just as God has forgiven us for Christ's sake.
Wrath is a human thing but it is against the righteousness of God. We need to ask God to remove the anger from our heart before it becomes so big and starts to rule us. Even though I got angry I don't want to stay angry as I know this is not what God wants from me. How can I be more like Jesus if I let something like anger get in my way. I will continue to pray for God's guidance when I start to get angry. If I pray I will not find the words to become angry. Praise the Lord. I wish I had done that earlier tonight. Thank you Lord for your forgiveness for my anger tonight!!!!
I told him I would make a phone call to see what I could do but it gave me time enough to really get upset...., angry is the correct word.
I would like to say this man has so much to be thankful for and I know he is. He has four wonderful children and two grandchildren and another one next year and a beautiful home. He and his family used to go to church and he was a deacon in the church they went to. Something happened and they quit going. It seems things have gotten worse for them and I tried to tell him they needed to get back into church. All I got was excuses.
I have to eat my words. What does the Bible tell me? Proverbs 15:1 tells me "A Soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." I am not responsible for what he said but I am certainly responsible for what I said. We are supposed to commit things unto the Lord, Proverbs 16:3; "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." Well, I would not want my words to be committed to God. I am ashamed of the way my angry words came from my mouth.
I can think of a lot of excuses why I got so angry but none of them are worth the way I must have made God feel, He knows the excuses I would use anyway. I know He forgave me when I asked for forgiveness but I know how I am feeling and I know He must have felt worse. Before I answered this man I should have asked for God's guidance and His will in my answers, not mine. We should always search for the Lord's will. This I did not do because I was so angry. My angry words stirred up more anger and hostility.
We were both angry, when people are angry they say things that should not be said. They say of words that are hurtful, once said can not be 'unsaid.' You can say you are sorry and ask for forgiveness but the hurt and memory of the words will still be there.
Ephesians 4:31-32; "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: v.32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." I certainly didn't put away any bitterness or anger. If I would have dwelled on what we both had said it could run rampant but the Holy Spirit spoke to me, I am so glad he did. The Lord wants us to be tenderhearted and kind to one another. We also need to forgive just as God has forgiven us for Christ's sake.
Wrath is a human thing but it is against the righteousness of God. We need to ask God to remove the anger from our heart before it becomes so big and starts to rule us. Even though I got angry I don't want to stay angry as I know this is not what God wants from me. How can I be more like Jesus if I let something like anger get in my way. I will continue to pray for God's guidance when I start to get angry. If I pray I will not find the words to become angry. Praise the Lord. I wish I had done that earlier tonight. Thank you Lord for your forgiveness for my anger tonight!!!!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Our CHRISTmas Day
I trust all of you had a wonderful Christmas. We had a beautiful one, we went to Jenifer's home early Christmas morning about ten, for me to get away from my home at that time is early for me. All the kids, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were there and one of my granddaughter's boyfriend, twenty-eight of us in all. The house was full, the kids running around having fun with each other, the guys in the family room talking, and in the kitchen the ones cooking was busy getting the dinner ready so we could eat at noon.
The dinner was awesome. Everyone worked hard getting it just perfect. Jenifer had gotten the table ready before anyone arrived and it was beautiful as she always does such a beautiful job on everything, she must get some of that from her Mom. We visited somewhat during the meal, it was just great, all of us there and visiting. After the meal the table was cleared and things taken to the kitchen. The worst was yet to come, getting the food put away and the dishes washed but that was even done in a goodly fashion.
After the table was cleared off the exciting moment came. While the women had been cooking the men were talking and putting Scriptures in balloons and Jeremy (Jenifer's husband) was using helium to blow the balloons up and they were tied. Everyone had done their part to get everything ready. We all went outside with a balloon and Debi told everyone what was going on, then Jenifer prayed over the balloons and each individual prayed over their balloon silently. Then we all let them go. The beauty of seeing all those different colored balloons going up into the air was breath taking. One of the balloons got caught in a tree and burst, Clinton said, "what do I do now?" I told him that perhaps a neighbor needed a message from God or maybe needed to get to know Jesus. We just never know how God is going to go about doing things but when He does it, you know it will be done right.
This was my first time to be involved in letting balloons go up with Scriptures in them. I just can't get over the excitement of being part of this, then seeing those colorful balloons going up in the air, it was just so awesome. Just to think someone that may need something from God might be getting one of those balloons with a Scripture in it........ Praise the Lord, isn't this an awesome thought? Someone getting help from a balloon but it won't be just any balloon.
Some people think you have to do something great to be working for God but the truth is, it doesn't have to be big to be important to God. Whatever we do, we need to do it as if we were doing it for the Lord. Colossians 3:23; 'And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;' We need to make sure everything we do in word or deed is something we would do for the Lord. If it is something we wouldn't do in word or deed for the Lord, it is something we should not be doing it.
By doing the balloons like they were done, God may be using one or more of those Scriptures to get done what He is wanting done. I get so excited when I think about the Lord using me to help Him. I am just a lowly sinner that loves the Lord with all of my heart and I want to work for Him in everything I do. I want to be more like Him.
Thanks for reading about our Christmas day and I hope you have enjoyed it.
Did any of you do something on Christmas Day that you would like to share with us? We would love to hear about it.
The dinner was awesome. Everyone worked hard getting it just perfect. Jenifer had gotten the table ready before anyone arrived and it was beautiful as she always does such a beautiful job on everything, she must get some of that from her Mom. We visited somewhat during the meal, it was just great, all of us there and visiting. After the meal the table was cleared and things taken to the kitchen. The worst was yet to come, getting the food put away and the dishes washed but that was even done in a goodly fashion.
After the table was cleared off the exciting moment came. While the women had been cooking the men were talking and putting Scriptures in balloons and Jeremy (Jenifer's husband) was using helium to blow the balloons up and they were tied. Everyone had done their part to get everything ready. We all went outside with a balloon and Debi told everyone what was going on, then Jenifer prayed over the balloons and each individual prayed over their balloon silently. Then we all let them go. The beauty of seeing all those different colored balloons going up into the air was breath taking. One of the balloons got caught in a tree and burst, Clinton said, "what do I do now?" I told him that perhaps a neighbor needed a message from God or maybe needed to get to know Jesus. We just never know how God is going to go about doing things but when He does it, you know it will be done right.
This was my first time to be involved in letting balloons go up with Scriptures in them. I just can't get over the excitement of being part of this, then seeing those colorful balloons going up in the air, it was just so awesome. Just to think someone that may need something from God might be getting one of those balloons with a Scripture in it........ Praise the Lord, isn't this an awesome thought? Someone getting help from a balloon but it won't be just any balloon.
Some people think you have to do something great to be working for God but the truth is, it doesn't have to be big to be important to God. Whatever we do, we need to do it as if we were doing it for the Lord. Colossians 3:23; 'And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;' We need to make sure everything we do in word or deed is something we would do for the Lord. If it is something we wouldn't do in word or deed for the Lord, it is something we should not be doing it.
By doing the balloons like they were done, God may be using one or more of those Scriptures to get done what He is wanting done. I get so excited when I think about the Lord using me to help Him. I am just a lowly sinner that loves the Lord with all of my heart and I want to work for Him in everything I do. I want to be more like Him.
Thanks for reading about our Christmas day and I hope you have enjoyed it.
Did any of you do something on Christmas Day that you would like to share with us? We would love to hear about it.
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