Monday, December 28, 2009

Joy

My family celebrated our 1st Christmas without my earthly father. My friend Lisa (we met in 5th grade and got into a lot of trouble together in high school!) and her mother were celebrating their 1st holiday without her father. I invited them to join us for the day.

The Lord poured out His comfort, peace and joy...no tears, lots of laughter and lively conversation. We enjoyed the meal, the music, and fellowship.

It was odd not setting a place for dad, but it was not as emotional as I thought it would be. (Again the Lord's comfort.)

The Lord told me that joy would be my word as well as another friend's word in 2010. I will not name her because I have not seen her to tell her yet.

It can be easy to focus on the here and now and the intensity of a situation and totally lose sight of the big picture and the light of a new day.

Seasons come and go, they change, our situations change, but through it all the Lord remains the same. He never falls off His throne though we may try to share it with Him and give Him a little advice.

No matter what - Joy is coming...feast on a few verses from the Bible:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.


You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

I pray 2010 is a year in which we all grow in the Lord and live out His word!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Faith of Mary

In Luke Chapter 1, we find these verses:

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God." 38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. 39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Mary was a young girl who had just experienced the extraordinary, supernatural power of God. If she were alive today, she would be in junior high school. Amazing isn't it! She had faith in God. She trusted Him completely. She could have said no way, I might be stoned to death.

Unlike some of the mighty men of God, she did not try to run away and hide. Jonah and Elijah come to mind, even David. Mary pondered the things of God in her heart.

I pray 2010 is the year we really ponder the things of God in our hearts and live them out.

Merry Christmas to you all....

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Monday, December 14, 2009

Woodville

Saturday morning I drove to Woodville, Texas for a day of ministry. 143 miles in fog that would rival any fog London has to offer. Jack and Anna Marie Sheffield delivered anointed messages from the Lord with such fire and love. (I'll save the joys of the trip back in the fog for another day.)

The highlight of my trip was sitting next to Bob during the morning session and at lunch. He is the man I told ya'll about a couple months ago. The doctors diagnosed him with Downs Syndrome, I say it's more like Ups Syndrome.

He gently placed his hand on my forehead and said be baptized in the Holy Ghost. It was so sweet I almost cried. He attends church with his sister frequently and also attends an African American church with some of the employees who work at his group home. During worship, Bob is so free...he says Hallelujah and Praise the Lord. He cannot sing the songs, but his statements of praise are so pure. I hope to worship in spirit and truth like that some day. At lunch he told me the things he knows:

God put His Son on the Cross.

God does not lie.

Jesus rose from the grave.

My prayer is some day we have the pure heart of a child like Bob as we pray, praise and worship our Savior - Jesus Christ - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Monday, December 7, 2009

A Little Bleach Causes a Lot of Commotion

Saturday night while I watched White Christmas, my husband decided to launder the dogs' beds and add a little bleach. (He is now grounded from the laundry room for life!)

The next morning I got up and threw almost every black item of clothing I own which does not require dry cleaning into the washing machine and began to get ready for church. I transferred said wash into the dryer, ate breakfast, listened to music and got the clothes out of the dryer. I dressed, putting on a pair of my favorite cuffed suit pants, a black turtle neck and a blazer. As I backed out the drive way, I noticed odd, blue spots on my legs. Upon further inspection, I discovered them on my turtle neck as well. I raced back in the house and inspected the entire load of clothes...all spotted.

Turns out, the man used a lot of bleach in the wrong compartment and it did not fully dispense when he washed the dogs' beds. Thankfully this was not a Monday morning and I did not need to be somewhere at 8:00am in business attire. I wore jeans to church, traded the blazer for a Christmas sweater which I could zip and cover the spots on the turtleneck.

The event was a big measuring stick in my walk with the Lord. Years ago, I would have yelled and said some very cruel things. By maturing in the Lord, I freely said you did not mean to do it. I will go shopping later. (I hate to shop for clothes!) I now own some new clothes a size smaller than the ruined clothes. I also picked up a cute bracelet and earrings which were on sale. And ministered to a woman at the store - if it were not for the bleach, our paths would not have crossed at that moment.

I am so thankful to the Lord for transforming me, I am so thankful for the transforming still to come. I am so thankful for a husband who loves me dearly - but he is still grounded from the laundry room!

From James: When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Proverbs: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Sunday, December 6, 2009