Friday, August 31, 2007

The source of hope

This was the verse in an email devotional today:

"They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave."
Psalm 107:19-20
(NIV)


It went well with a Max Lucado passage quote I, also, read today, "And we are forced to see him for what he claims to be: our hope."

We never know what 'trouble' may come our way. Oh, we can all know there has been, is being, or will be some sort of 'trouble' we will face in this lifetime. It has been so important for me to keep ever before me that He is my hope and salvation...that I'm not consumed by the troubles brought into my life. If not for His faithfulness, I would have been consumed. He sends forth His Word. That's His way of reassuring us that He is our hope. His Word is alive. Let it speak to your heart.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Practicing the Presence

Good words from Max Lucado:

Practicing the Presence
by Max Lucado

How do I live in God’s presence? How do I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my ear? A sheep grows familiar with the voice of the shepherd. How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God?
Here are a few ideas:

Give God your waking thoughts.
Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into his presence. I have a friend who makes it a habit to roll out of his bed onto his knees and begin his day in prayer. Personally, I don’t get that far. With my head still on the pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer God the first seconds of my day. The prayer is not lengthy and far from formal. Depending on how much sleep I got, it may not even be intelligible. Often it’s nothing more than “Thank you for a night’s rest. I belong to you today.”
Give God your waiting thoughts.
Spend time with him in silence. The mature married couple has learned the treasure of shared silence; they don’t need to fill the air with constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being silent with God. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10 niv). Awareness of God is a fruit of stillness before God.
Give God your whispering thoughts. Through the centuries Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers, prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting.
Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as “Thank you, Father,” “Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,” “You are my resting place, Jesus” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.

And last, give God your waning thoughts.
At the end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Thank him for the good parts. Question him about the hard parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4 niv). If you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.

From Just Like Jesus, Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado

Sunday, August 19, 2007

There is now no condemnation

"Steadfastness in believing doth not exclude all temptations from without. When we say a tree is firmly rooted, we do not say the wind never blows upon it."  John Owen

Friday, August 17, 2007

Inspiring--Cancer's Unexpected Blessings

Here is a link to an article written by Tony Snow about dealing with cancer in his life. It is inspirational. A little long but worth the read.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/july/25.30.html

My Father Loves Me

I'm back from my Colorado trip. It was great, and I had a great time. I don't have pics that I can post yet, but soon.

God is so good. Even in Colorado He let me know how much He loves me and is aware of the struggle I have had in believing Him fully. I went with my friend and her husband to their church on Friday night after I got there. Her pastor prayed for me. Before he even knew my circumstances he said, "You're more to God than you think you are. Jesus is very important to you." After he asked about my recent circumstances and I explained a bit about my struggle to believe God's word to me, he said, "Ask God to help you to believe. In the natural you will have those battles. Faith will rise up in you because there is a gift of faith. You're his daughter, and He can't refuse you." Okay, how would this man know how much the reference of daughter has been brought to me over and over in the last few months. But God...that's how. God uses one special word over and over to confirm His working in me...in spite of myself. I love my Father. My Father loves me!

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Friday, August 3, 2007

Bow Before Him

God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them. Luke 18:7 New Century Version

"When we come to God, we make requests; we don't make demands. We come with high hopes and a humble heart. We state what we want, but we pray for what is right.
We go to him. We bow before him, and we trust in him." Traveling Light  Max Lucado

Catchin' You Up

Well, I haven't had to update you on anything lately...which is a good thing. I'll just be glad when the bumps and dry skin are all gone away. (I do now empathize with people who have chronic dry skin!) I have looked forward to feeling better from the Erbitux; however, I've had a UTI (urinary tract infection) to try to get over for the last month. Even now I'm not feeling great because of it. I'm praying I don't have to go back to the doctor on Monday since I'm due to leave for Colorado on Wednesday. I'm so looking forward to the trip, and I want to feel better before then. My radiation site is still not completely healed. It's seemed to have gotten worse since I finished the RT's. I believe the Erbitux is making it slower to heal, slowly but surely.
Also, my daughter is due to have her baby girl in September. I definitely want to be up to par for that event. Unless her circumstances change, she will be having a C-section, and I want to be as helpful as she might need.
Thank you for your prayers for my friend who had the biopsy. It was benign, PTL. Her dad is due for surgery the end of August. I'm sure she would appreciate your continued prayers on his behalf as it is very serious.
(I'm sure I'll have some neat things to post soon after I return from Colorado.)