God is Able

For the past two months I have heard, seen and read that, “Nothing is impossible with God,” “God can do what He says He can do,” “Believe God!” I am hanging on to every one of those messages and I believe they are directly from Him to my faith so that it will grow.

You see, my younger brother is dying of esophageal and stomach cancer. He has very little time left. He has said for years that he no longer believes there is a God. The family has prayed and prayed but DJ, my stubborn brother, has not listened to our prayers and has not believed. But God has.

When he was told early this summer that there was no hope, everyone began to pray harder. He refused to talk or listen to our encouragement to turn to God, to let Jesus save his soul. It seemed hopeless. Our hearts were broken, but God’s love was poured out through His broken heart.

God’s love for my brother enlarged my heart! His love and the miracle of keeping him alive for more than 8 weeks without food, with very little water and without pain until the past few days has made my faith grow. Hospice expected his death 4 weeks ago. Who alone, but God could keep DJ going? God was giving him time. I believe God can do anything to draw men to Himself. I believe that God means it when He says He desires that none should perish.

I also believe that Jesus is the Victor over the enemy. Satan has become very angry at DJ in my opinion. He has made his pain worse and has also removed family from his bedside who care and love him toward Jesus. But, again, nothing is impossible with God! Jesus has gained the victory over sin and death! God does not want any to perish. And most importantly, the Holy Spirit remains at DJs side through it all.

Why do I reveal this all now? Because I know. I know that God is trustworthy, faithful, loving, victorious and nothing will stop His salvation coming to those He knows will receive! God loves EVERYONE even the atheist and those who revile Him. He loves with an overpowering love! I, too, am beginning to love like He does.

You might ask, “What if DJ is not in heaven when you get there?” Well, I will tell you with certainty, that if he is not there it will not be God who failed. It will not be our prayers that were not answered. I know that I will understand fully and be at peace. If there are tears they will be wiped away, and I will rejoice in the ultimate goodness and justice of my God.

This story is played out in many lives. We pray. We do not know the outcome. We worry and fret. BUT God is able! He can and will take care of every scenario. This walk of faith does not depend on God answering prayer as we desire. Faith is believing that all He does is good, and His plans are always good for us. I believe. Do you?

Waiting to Live

My brother is dying. Cancer is slowly depleting his strength and stealing his body's ability to sustain life. It has been a long sad time.

Early in the summer we heard the news that the cancer we thought was gone had returned. The prognosis was very poor. He would not survive this, but chemo could help curb the symptoms. He decided that he would not let the doctors intervene and so the waiting began.

The family waits and prays in faith that God will heal him with a miracle. The weaker he becomes the more we pray a litany of requests for him: healing, no pain, getting to see everyone he wants to see, completing his project, more days. God has answered our requests, except for healing.

DJ is a young man by modern standards. Fifty eight years is much too young to face death. I have thought that asking for more days would be enough but why not ask for years? Cancer is a thief. The years have been stolen. We can only hold on to the treasure of each day.

God has been so good to me during this time of waiting. He has given me peace and hope that is so real that I feel it as a presence surrounding me. Songs and scriptures hold a new meaning for me as I hear them amid the realities I face. My prayers have become thought-filled. I question my thinking and avow my convictions with passion. I ask with living faith. And so it was this past Sunday as I spoke to God saying, "I don't want to wait for DJ to die!" My Father in Heaven responded quickly saying, "Wait for him to live!" His words have changed me. I now wait for my brother DJ to live. I wait for him to live eternally. That is my hope and my peace. God the Almighty Sovereign and Good Father is drawing DJ to himself. Every day gives my brother time to choose life, life eternal. It is in God's faithfulness that I trust and wait.

Father God, You are my security. You have given me all I need to face this sad time. I am so glad that You have turned my waiting for death into waiting for life! I know I can trust You. Thank You for every blessing and every lesson I am learning from this time. Thank You for being strong when I am weak. I ask only that I remember these days and not forget the things You have done. I love You, Lord.

Proverbs Twelve

Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.

My grandlady, Paige, called me the morning of my surgery. She was worried about me. She said she was afraid that I would die and she would never see me again. I was able to diffuse her fears by asking where I be if I died. Of course she said I'd be in heaven. I then told her that she, too, would be in heaven if she stayed close to Jesus. So she had nothing to worry about.

Our little exchange brought her peace. She was no longer afraid of what "could" happen. She was only aware of what the truth of our relationship with Jesus and each other meant. That is what I wanted for her. I want her to have peace and joy, not the lies of the enemy. It takes planning to bring peace.

The planning begins with faith in the goodness of God. The foundation of that faith can make all things work together for our good. Knowing God's goodness means that I must spend time in relationship with Him. Like most every relationship, it is not easy. It is hard work and priorities must be made.

It is time to make a plan for peace that will lead to joy.

Lord, Lead me in the paths of peace. Remove the deceit from my heart and keep evil far from me. Thank You for the joy You give ! Thank You for the peace in my heart. Let me share it freely with others!

Doors

We bought a new front door today. It is beautiful, and I think it will be a welcoming addition to our home.

Doors are entry ways to new places. We walk through a doorway and the environment changes. Homes, doctor's offices, workplaces, churches, and stores all have their own atmosphere. The door is the gateway to whatever lies behind and often gives us clues as to what we can expect.

We walk up to some doors with fear, others with anticipation, and still others with curiosity. Some doors are meant to be opened by us and others need to be opened by the person on the other side. Some doors should never be opened at all, but we will talk about that at another time! Do all doors hold opportunity? I think the ones that should be opened do. Every entry we pass through presents us with a new experience or new people or both. We can learn something about ourselves, others or God with each open or even locked door.

Since not all doors lead to welcoming and happy places we must be prepared to face whatever may wait behind a door. Faith is the key that makes each door, no matter what lies behind, to be something good for us. Faith in a good God who promises that He will make all thing work out for our good is the only prerequisite for entering a door with peace.

What door will await me in the coming days? I don't know. I only know that my faith will make the passageway peaceful.

Jesus, You are the door to peace with God. You also knock on my door every day wanting to come in and commune with me. You are so good! Thank You for my new door. Thank You for the lessons from our world that teach me about You. Thank you for the peace that comes with faith and trust in You. Let my focus be on You and not the door I face. It is You I seek behind every door.

The Faith of Jesus

Today is my daughter's birthday. Erin is my first born and so I credit her birth to graduating me into motherhood. Our relationship has taught me how to be a Mommy and a Mom. She is a delight in my life and she gives me much joy. She pleases me by being strong, courageous, intelligent , beautiful and amazing! It also pleases me when she trusts me. She learned to trust me as a baby when I supplied her every need. Through the years she has learned to trust my words and my support. She believes in my love for her and that is good.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

I want to please God. I suppose that my relationship with God begins with faith. My trusting Him for salvation pleases Him. When I trust my Heavenly Father for daily needs, He is happy.

Father God was pleased with Jesus as He walked this earth. He spoke words of pleasure over Jesus at His baptism: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17) These thoughts cause me to wonder if Jesus lived by faith. He didn't need faith for salvation because He did not need to be saved but came to save. Every thing Jesus did here on earth, however, was an act of faith.

What did Jesus' faith look like? He said that He did not do anything unless He saw the Father doing it.(see John 5:19) That is faith in action. Jesus depended on the Father to show Him what to do, tell Him what to say, and provide for His every need all the way to the cross. Jesus came not only to save but to model for us the faith we needed to please God.

Father God, I want to please You. I want to have faith in my every day life that will make You smile and look on me with delight. I don't always depend on You, though. I sometimes try to live my life trusting my own strength and wisdom, but it seldom works. Forgive me. Plant the seed of faith in my heart. Teach me how to tend it so it will grow and become strong! Thank you for sending Rabbi Jesus to teach me how to live by faith. I pray I will love You like He does, trusting Your goodness, faithfulness and love.

A Lot to Learn

I learned a lot this past year. I learned about God, and discovered I have so much more to learn! I also discovered that I need to learn more about myself and about others! I love to learn. That is a good thing when there is so much that needs learning!

Learning is a faith filled and disciplined task. To learn I must walk into uncharted territory. I do not know what might lie ahead in the search for understanding. I find that I often take small timid steps when I sense that the new knowledge will shake me to my bones or knock me off my feet. I need a strong faith to face what may come as a result of new knowledge. It also takes discipline to learn. Not all lessons are learned the first time I am exposed to them. I must take the lesson, do homework and repeat the new knowledge over and over to make it become a part of me.

The things I've learned in 2010 will be a foundation for the coming year. If the foundation is weak, I will walk through the lessons again till I make the structure of my knowledge of God, myself and others strong enough to support the new truths God reveals. I want that firm foundation. I want to live my life learning, believing, and trusting God for all truth, knowledge and wisdom.

Father, Author of Truth, Your wisdom and knowledge come to me when You are in Your rightful place in my life. I confess that though I love to learn new things I sometimes pride myself in the learning rather than setting You as the awesome Creator Revealer! Forgive me Lord. Knowing You is my deepest desire. I thirst to know You. Teach me Lord. Open my eyes and ears to You and I will be filled with Your knowledge and wisdom to be used for the sake of Your kingdom! Thank You for touching my life in deeper ways and with the nearness of You.

On the Brink

Picture this: You are standing on the edge of a cliff. The drop is far below your next step. You look out at the beautiful sky and the amazing landscape. You stand there quite still in apprehension of the possibility of falling over the edge. In fact you know that there is no going backwards. You can only step out and fly or fall. You are not in control, but you believe that the faith you carry with you will get you through.

I feel that way today. Today demands a step of faith. In truth every day demands it! I know that I cannot control the direction of my next step. I can only hold fast to my lifeline, my parachute, my kite, whatever God has prepared for my next journey. He is faithful. I can trust Him.

If my step begins a fall into a trial, I am sure My God is with me all the way and He will pull the rip cord at the right time for a safe landing. If my step is a leap of faith that finds wings to carry me upwards and on to an amazing journey, My God will be the "wind beneath my wings!" My part? "Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not unto my own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths!" (Prov. 3:5-6)

There is amazing joy and a sense of being loved deeply when I rely on Him and His faithfulness. Today as I stand on the brink of something new, I can praise Him before my first step is made!

O, God of power and might! You are Faithful and true. You are just and righteous! You are the God in whom I trust! As I stand on the brink of my step of faith for today, I am apprehensive, not fearing that You will fail me, but that I might stand too long, or might falter in believing in Your goodness. Thank You for whispering encouragement, and declaring Your ever lasting love for me. Your word is my strength and shield. You are with me and I thank You for Your nearness. Lead me to You and Your heart! I love You, Lord!

Faith-Filled Dreams

Why is it so hard to let go of dreams and hold onto faith? Dreams can be difficult to attain and yet the desire for their realization tempts us over and over. We grasp for those visions and believe if only we try hard enough, it will happen. Faith, on the other hand, seems to slip away so easily from us with a simple word or circumstance.

Sometimes the loss of a dream causes a loss of faith. It is sad indeed to lose faith over worldly hopes, but we too often choose what we would see more than what we cannot see. A woman seeking the love of a man might surrender her faith to get him. A couple dreaming of a perfect home might manipulate and forget their faith in order to gain what may someday become a nightmare. There are many dreams that have the foundation of faith, but there are also those that have no support. The only way to hold onto faith is to let your dreams be rooted in a faith that is based in truth.

Faith founded on the one true God and His plan for our lives, His wisdom and great love for us, is the only sure way to find our dreams and the desires of our hearts fulfilled. Yes, I have known the sadness of losing those dreams I wanted from the world. I have also had the deep abiding joy of receiving from God's hand the things I most desire.

Father God, You have generous hands. You know my heart and You supply all my needs and most of my desires. Trusting in You is a sure foundation. Thank You for allowing me to dream big when walking hand in hand with You. Thank You for leading me into the best places....those green pastures where You shepherd me safely. I love You, Lord

Faith

Do you have amazing faith? Do you have the kind of faith that gets Gods' attention? I can tell you that I want that kind of faith, not just sometimes but on a daily basis!

Jesus said that the Centurion's' faith was greater than any found in Israel! He healed the paralytic because of the "Amazing" (my words) faith of his friends.Jesus was moved to heal, resurrect and free people from demons because of their faith. The Canaanite woman had faith that even the "scraps" of God's power were enough to fill her need. Another woman had enough faith to brave crowds and simply touch the hem of Jesus' garment. The blind saw, the deaf heard the lame were made to walk! Amazing faith!

Jesus asks if He will find faith on the earth when He returns? I want to have faith that makes Him stop and take notice, but how do I get it? I cannot work at it, nor can I get it from others. Jesus prayed that we would have faith. He told us that even a tiny grain of faith would produce huge results. But, again, how do I get it? What is the faith that is amazing to God?

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. I believe that it includes hearing His voice, being His sheep. Many can read the Word and never find faith in its meaning. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the most simple and basic of our relationship with God, and yet, it can be so complex to explain to someone.

My faith needs to be exercised by hearing the word, hearing Gods' voice, prayer, and obedience. Those things are not faith but it exercises my faith. The bible says that faith is believing. We believe in what we don't see. We believe in The God who only needs to say the word, and healing will come. We believe in The God who is so good and powerful that we need only to ask, or get close enough to make our presence known by showing up for ourselves or for a friend. We believe He exists and is good. We believe He made us for relationship with Him. We simply believe in the real God, not the God we have made up in our minds.

God, I believe! Help my unbelief! Increase my faith! Let me know You more so I can believe more! You are real! You are God! You are here with me always!

Simple Faith

I believe Creator God is good all the time and sacrifices Himself to give me a chance to live in heaven with Him for eternity.

My simple faith.

I Have to Laugh

After posting my last blog, I have to laugh at myself! I've been scared, worried, angry , frustrated and generally pounced on by the enemy!

Did I anticipate the good in the situations I faced? Well, I can't say I did in all cases. Yep, here I am "anticipating" and I take a small little trip over the edge of forgetfulness. I forgot to anticipate the good that God has for me in every situation. I let my emotions guide me.

Lesson: Let faith guide me not my emotions! Don't just SAY what I believe but DO it!

Father, Please forgive me for not acting on the trust I have in You! forgive my failure to live my life with faith. You are most loving and most faithful in EVERY circumstance and I must live out that truth every day! Thank You for picking me up and letting me see the mud on my face! Now that You have cleansed me from it all I can laugh at my foolishness! You are all I need!

Playing By Ear

Before Christmas break my granddaughter, Paige, tried out for the Advanced Recorder Ensemble at her Elementary School. She failed to make it, but the teacher instructed her to learn to read the music instead of playing "by ear," and she would be invited to join.

Paige was disappointed believing that she knew the songs and she knew how to play. She was ready to give up her dream of playing with the Advanced Ensemble. Her Mom insisted that she could learn to read the music and pass if she would only try. Mom was right!

Paige came home after her second audition glowing in success! We were cheering for her and getting the call that she had made it was a relief and a sense of pride in her accomplishment.

I remember well the music teacher that pushed me aside because I played "by ear" and I sympathized with Paige, but I also knew that reading music was not that hard and she could do it. I was so happy for her!

Yesterday I had a chance to speak to a composer I know, and told her the story about my music-loving, song-writing granddaughter. She looked at me aghast hearing her saga, and softly said that she, too, played by ear as well as by reading the music. Her confession made me think.

As Christians, we must play "by ear" as well as read the music, so to speak. Faith is playing it by ear. Faith comes by hearing the word of God! It is the only way to please God and so our lives our played out "by ear." But we must also read the music. Reading God's word is like reading the composition He has written for our lives. It is God's opus and we would miss so much of what He offers if we fail to read His music!

Faith without knowing the Word can only go so far. Reading the Word without faith is nothing but a nice story. We need both faith and the Word to live life in harmony with our Creator!

Father God, Thank You for teaching me how to play by ear. Thank You, also, for giving me Your Word! Your gifts are always perfect! And Thank You, Lord, for letting Paige learn music in both ways!

Too Much, Not Enough

It has been too long since I've last posted here. I have had thoughts to share but in my mind they were either too much or not enough. What do I mean by that?

Too much means that sometimes I think my thoughts drown people! My husband and a few other people close to me say I am "Deep." Because I do not get much traffic here I tend to believe that people either don't understand what I am talking about, or they get tired of trying to figure it all out. Time to laugh at myself! If I am too much, do I really need to give too little? Who am I pleasing if I do? It is time to give God what He made me to be, even if it is too much!

Not enough means that sometimes My thoughts just do not measure up to others expectations. They may not be spiritual or they may be common knowledge. Whatever the reason, they are not enough to hold the attention of my readers. Again, it is time to laugh at myself! Do I really need to be more than who I am?

Pleasing people is hard. There are times I think that pleasing God is difficult, but the truth is that He is easy to please. He told us that all we really need to please Him is faith. We need to believe in Him and trust Him! So, how does this blog show my faith in God?

My blog is written about my faith walk. When God overwhelms me or when I stumble and fall and He offers grace, I am willing to share. If I am too much or not enough for you, I hope you will read past my words and hear my Heavenly Father. He just might be telling you that it is okay to be too much or not enough in the world, because to Him you are just right!

Perfect Father, I am glad that I do not need to be perfect. You cover over my imperfections! You see me as Your perfect child because of Your Son Jesus. Thank You!

Is God Real?

As we grow up we are faced with realities that things are not always what they seem. Magic (at least most magic we see on TV) isn't real it is only an illusion. Our favorite fairy tale characters are not real but only stories. Then we find out that our parents, whom we thought were perfect, really aren't perfect. so what is real? Is the God we can't see really real? Or is He a myth too?

My Granddaughter is struggling with these issues right now. She is too young to worry about this in my opinion, but she has serious discussions with her classmates who are slowly convincing her that God is not real. This means that the war is on! We stand on Gods' side and they stand on the world view.

So I ask, how do I help my granddaughter see the truth? I can't push her into believing. It would be much better if she comes to that belief on her own. Then she can own her faith in God. It will belong to her and her choice to accept Him.

I can pray. Prayer changes things. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that God hears and He wants my Granddaughter to know Him, love Him and believe in Him. I can share my faith: Where do I see God? Why do I believe? Who is God to me? How has my life changed for the better because of knowing God?

For anyone looking in today, who does not believe I first pray: Father open their eyes that they might see Your good works, Your creation. Remove the influences of the enemy who would blind them from seeing the truth. Let them hear Your voice calling to them to Come and fellowship with You. Give Your body the boldness, the love, the words to draw them closer to You and not from You. Teach us all, O Lord, how to reach out to the lost and confused souls who need You now!

Withered Fig Tree Faith

Remember the fig tree that was cursed by Jesus? Well, the disciples and Jesus again passed by the tree and found it withered away to its roots. Good old Peter pointed out to Jesus what He had done as if Jesus wouldn't believe that His words would be so powerful.

It is as if Jesus replied to Peters' observation by saying:" You want to see power? I'll show you power! This is how you can have my power." It was then that Jesus spoke words that had the power of dying words, teaching words that simply spoke the message Jesus came to give.

"Have faith in God." Jesus spoke the most powerful of these words at the onset of this teaching moment. He is God! He is telling all of us to have faith in Him, trust and believe.

He then tells us that there will be challenges, like mountains, we need to overcome. They can be removed just like the fig tree dried up: Words, spoken in faith, believing in and trusting God will hold power to remove the obstacles to having faith in God.

Again, Jesus tells us that if we ask in prayer and believe we will have faith.

Finally, Jesus wraps it all up with forgiveness. He asks us to forgive anything and everything so that the Father will forgive us. This, too, takes faith.

Jesus teaches us that to find faith in God we must remove any obstacles by speaking our belief, praying and finally forgiving. What a beautiful lesson to learn under a cursed tree: Have faith in God.

God, You are the place where our faith begins and ends. It is taught at the foot of a tree You cursed for our sakes. I humbly thank You!

Live it Up! Go Deeper!

Living it up is not usually associated with Christians but it should be! As we go deeper into the heart of God shouldn't our life be more abundant?

How do we go deeper into the heart of God? It first of all takes faith to jump off of the cliff of the unknown and enjoy the experience! After the step of faith we are more committed than ever! We devote our time to allowing God to hold us up. We trust more fully and know Him more intimately. As we go deeper we find that He lifts us higher!

The question of the day is what faith step do I need to take in order to go deeper and live it up? I wonder if anyone will go with me!

Just one little step........

Abundant life is what You offer each of us, Lord. You ask only that we trust and have faith and then risk experiencing that life You give so freely. WOW! Thank You!

A War against Faith

There is a battle waging. This battle is being fought against my faith, but I stand on a solid foundation:Jesus Christ!

Today my faith took a great hit. I have been left slightly dazed and stunned at the turn of events, but I know in whom I believe. He is good and He is able! His ways are not my ways, and His thoughts are not my thoughts. Whatever comes I will praise Him. Whatever comes I will give Him glory. I will never deny His goodness or power.

I hold on to the hope of what lies ahead.