ACTION...Saturday

8/1/15

"All the believers were together and had everything in common.  

Selling their possessions and goods, 
they gave to anyone as he had need." 

Acts 2:44,45

    

     Many people are not aware that it is Christian organizations which frequently are first responders in disasters around the world.  It is Christian organizations which are responsible for hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, and       other public service institutions throughout the United States and the world.

     

Christians have a special freedom and provision from God which they want to share with hurting mankind.  We want to share what we have, both materially and spiritually with those less fortunate than we are.

    

      Christians rest in the arms of God, knowing He will always provide for our needs.  In turn, we are called to action whenever and wherever the need arises.  The first century new followers of Jesus Christ knew this.  The times have not changed.

     

True followers of Jesus Christ know the same thing today.  We are called out to express our faith through the action of love to all of those in need, Christian or non-believers.  The message is timeless.  The needs are the same.  Believing in Jesus Christ is a call to action.

Written by

Carol Steficek

   

Thursday Devotional...BALANCE AND...

                                                      ...MISPLACED ATTRACTIONS

Today I was coming home from a nearby town. That town is more rural in a western sense than where I live. There are ranches dotting the landscape beyond where the new housing areas have popped up in recent years. I passed a field not far outside of town where about two hundred cows were grazing. To be honest, I have noticed lately, as I pass fields where cows are found, that they are constantly feeding. Their heads are down as they munch on grass. The only movement is to walk slowly to a nearby patch that has not been chewed to the ground. They seem to amble around mindlessly when they are in motion. Only rarely do you see a line of cows that looks as if the herd might have a common purpose. The reason for that seems to be that a leader has started to walk, and the rest have decided to follow her. I doubt that they have any idea where they are going,

This Is their life. They walk slowly, perusing their fields, heads down, intent on their requirements of their lives. This bovine population seems oblivious to anything but these body needs. Don’t get me wrong and please do not think that I am an anti-cow person or that I see no value in cows. After all they are God’s creations put on the earth for a very useful purpose. We derive a lot from our dairy cows. That benefit is obvious. Then there are the beef cows which bless their human co-occupants here on earth with beef for steaks, hamburgers, and the like. I have to admit that I am somewhat of ignorant of the wonders of this particular animal. Some readers may be thinking that it is silly for me to judge their worth by human standards of what is nifty behavior.

Good point! However, as I observed them while driving down that country road I felt like I was having an “aha” moment from God. These animals are fixed on their bodies, and whatever benefit they are to the world is nothing planned or strived for. People can be in some ways the same. We have idols that become more important than anything in life. These drag us away from relating to God in the way we should. To name a few…spending, alcohol, gambling, eating, overbooked schedules, shirking duty and envy of others…just to name a few. When we let these addictions overtake our lives we are no different than the cows. Our attention is also myopic and somewhat mindless.

Dear God,Please aid me to have a balance in all I do today. Let me not shirk the things that I should be doing just to satisfy myself with things that seem to be more fun or more interesting to me. Remind me of the sometimes uninteresting duties of my life, and assist me to find joy completing these tasks. Help me to remember that You are the center of my life. Give me gratitude for the people and things You have blessed me with and a desire to serve You as I complete these mundane tasks.Amen.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

"The Famous One"...Wednesday

7/29/15

 

I am currently doing a Bible Study on James with three other ladies. One of the gals is a war bride from Australia and she is 90 years old. Pat  shared with us yesterday that she and all of her family had the privilege to meet Winston Churchill in 1954. Winston was Britain's Prime Minister for most of World War ll. He was famous for his speeches and for his refusal to give in, even when things were going badly. Winston had great fame and was known all over the world! 

On the other  hand... Jesus our Lord and Savior and Mighty Majestic King is also well known all over the world and the most famous person in all of History! Jesus has revealed, provided and demonstrated  to us His great wisdom, power, and love the world has ever seen!!

 

In Christ Jesus, 

"The blind see and the lame walk; 

the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; 

the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
Matthew 11:5 

And that is just a tip of the iceberg what Jesus has done!

 

Jesus is the most famous person that has ever walked this earth and ever will be! There is none like Him!! He is the Great I Am, the Lion of Judah and Great and coming King!! He is our Healer, our Hope, Deliverer, our Comforter and our Strength! Need I say more!!

 

Jesus is the "Famous One" and I am so glad  that I know Him!!!

 

Thankful to know the Famous One! 

Sandy Billingham

A Life That Is a Miracle of God...Tuesday

7/28/15

God is performing miracles every day whether they be instant or the end of a process. He works marvel of unexpected joy. Many times a person who is being called by God will ask herself what she has that she can give to God and feels unworthy and ignorant of the skills that are needed to serve God as He is calling. Maybe she is right that she is lacking whatever knowledge or understandings to accept His calling. Do you ever feel this way when you think that you could have a call on your life? It is said that God does not always called on who is prepared; He prepares the one He calls.

There is a young man that I have known for several years who lives in Maine. His life has not been easy. He was adopted at an early age due to circumstances of which I am not aware. He suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that is often fatal. It causes many infections of the lungs and sinuses as well as other symptoms. Often someone has to bang on the affected person's back to help him to expel mucus caused by the infections. Someone who has Cystic Fibrosis does not live much past the mid twenties. As this young man grew into his teens, he got involved with substance abuse and used drugs extensively.


I would like to introduce you to Jon Cuthbertson and tell you about the miracle God worked in his life. He was sick and his life was spinning out of control. He ended up in Teen Challenge and was there for at least two years. He took the program seriously, and he let God help him turn his life around. When he finished the program, he attended Faith School of Theology in Charleston, Maine. This is where God put the finishing touches on the miracles He had been working all along for Jon. God had a plan for Jon, and Jon began to realize what his path was to be. 

I digress here to ask you what your call could be. Think outside the box...perhaps something that seems outlandish to you. Is He calling you to be a missionary in a foreign land or even in places in the U.S.? Maybe God is calling you to raise your grandchildren when you thought that your child rearing was finished. Or...would He ask you to open your home to foster children...perhaps having several at a time, keeping a child from infancy to adult age, or taking a child with special needs who requires more attention than any other. (I have a friend, Tina, who lives in Ohio. She has raised many foster children who now come back to her as their mother. One of her charges is a young man named Josiah, who is past the foster care age and is severely autistic. Tina has to do things for him that one would do for an infant. Still her love for him is another miracle that  makes her willing to sacrifice in order to take care of him now that he is an adult.) 

How would you answer this or perhaps another call from God if you felt inadequate to the task...a call that was inconvenient and way outside of  your comfort zone? Would you have the faith and courage to understand that God will equip you with a miracle that would enable you to do what you may think is impossible? Here is what happened to Jon. The preparation and raising him up was a miracle that was not instant. It took years.

God was calling him to ministry, and Jon accepted. He is now the pastor of Thomaston Assembly of God Church in Maine. Another miracle is that, now in his thirties, his health is immensely better, in spite of the fact that most who suffer from this are not expected to live long, and his parents were told he would probably not live past eighteen. He is also married. I have had the privilege of going to this church for two Sundays while I am visiting Maine. He is no ordinary pastor; Jon is extraordinary. The two messages I heard were filled with excellent points with illustrative Scripture references. For two weeks, I kept hearing in my heart that his life is a miracle.

We may not be called to something like the illustrations I gave. However, we need to keep in mind that God has a plan for us. It may be small, but accepting it makes us a part of the body of Christ. Expect a miracle, and be ready to live "a life that is a miracle of God."

For I know the plans I have for you                                                              says the Lord. 

         They are plans for good

                        and not for evil,

    to give you a future and a hope.                                                                  Jeremiah 29:11    (TLB)       
                                                                                                                                     
Written by

Corinne Mustafa

Miracle Graphic....^^ ©Crosswalk.com ^^ 

A Flat Tire....Monday

7/27/15

Getting up from the dinner table our youngest daughter announces "I had a flat tire today."

Instantly our parent radar is on alert and my husband asks for details. As our newest driver tells her story we listen with concern on our faces in spite of the fact that she is standing in front of us perfectly fine.

I ran an errand and didn't take my phone because the battery was dead. I was almost home when I heard a funny noise so I turned onto a side street and pulled over. 

It was already dark and I looked at the 2 houses closest to me. One house had the football game on and the other house had their front light on. I went and knocked on the door of the second one.

First I asked to use their phone, calling home twice, and mom's cell. But I couldn't reach anyone. The dad of the house asked me what I needed help with, and I explained that I had a flat tire. He came outside with his 2 young sons and changed my tire for me.

They live in the neighborhood on the other side of our main street about 6 blocks away. I am going to make them some brownies as a thank you.

We agree that brownies are a great idea as we hug her and congratulate her for handling her crisis so well. Our hearts swell with thanksgiving for this man's kindness to our girl. 

We are also proud that when confronted with a problem she couldn't handle, our daughter asked for help.

Don’t forget to do good and to share
what you have with those in need,

for such sacrifices are very pleasing to him.

Hebrews 13:16 TLB

Don’t just think about your own affairs,

but be interested in others, too,

 and in what they are doing.

 Philippians 2:4 TLB

Dear Lord, I pray that I will be that helpful person when I see a stranger in need. Please forgive me for ever having even the hint of the attitude of "Who is my neighbor?" May I never forget the kindness of this stranger. Thank you for using him to remind me of your calling to all of us to do something. Please give me eyes that see and recognize the needs that come across my path, and wisdom and courage to do something about them. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

                                                                             Matthew West performs "Do Something"

GOODBYES... Sunday

Devotional for 7/26/15

Life is full of goodbyes - to people when they leave or when they die, to jobs when we must make a change to a new one, to homes when we move, to our animals when they pass away, etc.  Sometimes there are partial goodbyes. There may be a goodbye to a part of ourselves such as if we lose the function of an arm or a leg. Other goodbyes may be to parts of our history, such as if our childhood innocence is stolen from us through abuse. It can even be that a relationship changes from one of deep closeness to one of more emotional distance.  Goodbyes are unavoidable.

Sometimes we try to soften the blow of a goodbye by using different words, like "take care" or "see you later." Goodbye is actually a shortened form of "God be with ye" or "Go with God." That certainly puts a different feeling to it. This makes it into giving a blessing to the person that is parting:  

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

Even though goodbyes are inevitable, we don't need to get stuck there. Whenever there is a goodbye, there is a new hello - to new people, new home, new job, new situation, etc. They are reminders of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They are also catalysts for growth.  But we must see the goodbyes as a natural part of life and as a cycle to the new things to come. That does not mean that we do not mourn the losses, but that we can see beyond them and know that eventually the mourning can turn into dancing.

"Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.  You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.  Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning... You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.  

Lord my God, I will praise you forever."  

Psalm 30:2-5, 11-12 (NIV)

Dear Lord, we thank you that you will never leave us nor forsake us. We never have to say goodbye to you, because your love never fails us, and you have promised to be with us until the end of the ages.  Help us through all our earthly goodbyes and work them for our good in the end.  Forgive us when we are in the midst of our farewells and we forget that your joy will come again to us.   May we remain faithful throughout and witness about your gracious mercy and forgiveness to others.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

God be with you, Jan Andersen 

song: Your Love Never Fails - Jesus Culture

BEAUTY OF THE LORD...Saturday

  7/25/15

                                                                                                  

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
Psalm 27:4

    

How often do we sit quietly alone, or worshipfully in church, and appreciate the beauty of the Lord?  What does this mean?

     We often think to thank God for what He gives us.  We sing praises to His Name in church.  We pray and study the Bible.  Do we ever sit and just admire God for the God He is?

     The Lord is beautiful.  He exists in heaven in glorious splendor -- inaccessible light.  He is eternal -- something we can't even fathom.  He is all powerful and controls everything in the universe.  He is with every one of us every minute of the day and He knows everything there is to know.  Yet His love for each of us is beyond human understanding.

     Such beauty.  Above all else, we should seek to spend time with God and just be in His presence.

                                                                                                                           Written by Carol Steficek      

                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                 
 Majesty Graphic by Don Ruhl   
 https://thebiblemeditator.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/the-majesty-of-god/                                                                                                                     

See the Gifts...Friday

July 24, 2015

There are so many gifts in this life; gifts that people give us, gifts we give others, gifts that we have inside of us, gifts we give to ourselves, gifts we create, etc.  The thing we must remember about gifts is that every one of them comes directly from God, no matter how we acquire it.  I love James 1:17 and I have to share both of the following versions because they each have a lovely description of God’s gifts.

 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17  English Standard Version (ESV)
                              

So, my very dear friends,
                                        don’t get thrown off course.                      
        Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven.          
         The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.                        There is nothing deceitful in God, 
                                            nothing two-faced,  nothing fickle.                                                                                                                He brought us to life using the true Word,                                                                  showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.                                                                 James 1:17-18                                                                  The  Message (MSG)

 As I am reading these verses over again and again I am so falling in love with The Message version.  I love to visualize the descriptive words as I read them.  It warms my heart and fills me with hope as it reminds me that we love an honest and amazing God.  A glorious God that gives us everything me need and more.  We don’t always know or see the gifts that are right in front of us and that is why we have these beautiful words of the bible to remind us who created us and what we have right at our finger tips.  When we open our hearts and feel the gifts we are surrounded by there is no better place to be.  Today, I am going to choose to see my gifts, even the ones that I have been ignoring, neglecting and even abusing, because I didn’t open my eyes and heart wide enough to see the treasures right in front of me.

Written by Kelly Dobyns

                                                                                                  

"Think On Great Thoughts"...Thursday

7/23/15

I am choosing to be intentional continuously on dwelling upon good thoughts. When thoughts come into my mind that are negative and contrary to what God's word says, I take captive of those thoughts and meditate on Godly thoughts.

                                                                
                                                                God's word says... 

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best 

by filling your minds and meditating on things true,
noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-
the best, not the worst,; the beautiful, not the ugly; 

things to praise, not things to curse...DO that,
and God, who makes everything work together,
will work you into his most excellent harmonies."
Philippians 4:8-9

The Message

I am experiencing such a peace in my mind and heart when my thoughts are in line with God's Word. Not only that, but my conversations with all that I encounter daily are life giving! My days are so much more delightful when I choose the excellent way in keeping my thoughts in tact with God.

Thinking on great and Godly thoughts I can assure you will be a tremendous blessing to you and your sphere of people. God's way is always the very best way!!

In His Radical Love, 

Sandy Billingham 

                  

Apology

I have been on travel in the Northern Maine woods and posting has been scetchy due to no internet. I am on my way back to my friends house and I finally got to a place with internet. I apologise that there have been no posts for Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday we will be back to normal.

Love and God bless
Corinne

a beautiful sea scene in Belfast Maine

Using Stress to Get Things Done...Monday

7/20/15

Stanford University lecturer Kelly McGonigal, PhD has written a book "The Upside of Stress" about managing the stress in our lives for positive things. She strives to show "why stress is good for us, and how to get good at it". She has research to support this claim that flies in the face of what we've been told for years - that stress is bad and it hurts our well-being.

It turns out that it could be that whether stress is hurting us or helping us depends on our mindset, perspective and response. The goal, according to Dr. McGonigal, is to learn to embrace the stress that comes our way in such a way that we have hope instead of anxiety.

Hope! That beautiful word that flows through scripture encouraging us to trust the One who loves us and watches over us at all times. 

Such as, have hope in the One who lovingly cares for you, not those who don't:

But his joy is in those who reverence him,

 those who expect him to be loving and kind.

Psalm 147:11 TLB

Do not worry about the circumstances in your life. Do what is right. Obey the law. Care for widows and orphans. Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. 

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.

 They are plans for good and not for evil, 
to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 TLB

Remember that the whole earth is in turmoil, and the struggles and pain of this world are overwhelming for everyone, not just you and me.

 Be glad for all 
God is planning for you. 

Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.

Romans 12:12 TLB

Dear Lord, please gives us wisdom and understanding to recognize how You are speaking to us and guiding us through life each day. Please help us to keep our eyes on You and our hearts full of hope. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by

Mary M. Wilkins

Aaron Shust performs "My Hope Is In You Alone"

BE GENTLE... Sunday

Devotional for 7/19/15

Sometimes we are not very gentle with people.  If others have harmed us in some way, we can become angry with them.  Bitterness can turn into resentment, and we can lose perspective in a cycle of blame and antagonism. It becomes nearly impossible to be compassionate and deal lovingly with them.

There are also times when we are not very gentle with ourselves.  We can become angry with ourselves because of our own words or actions.  Bitterness and resentment turned inward can become guilt, shame and self-loathing. This can lead to low self esteem, or depression, or seeking ways to numb our feelings. It becomes very difficult to deal with ourselves with kindness and mercy.

We have the perfect example of merciful forgiveness in our Lord, Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness to everyone freely, even though none deserve it. When we are unforgiving of someone who harmed us, we hurt ourselves worse than them.  Forgiveness does not mean condoning what they did.  It simply means we realize they are sinful but we can be ready to forgive them.  We release our own hearts of the chains of holding a grudge - the heaviest weight in the universe!  And when we become humbly self-aware of the damage caused by anger turned inward toward ourselves for things we have done, we can learn to be gentle with ourselves.  We can acknowledge that we too are sinful as well as forgiven.  God is merciful and forgiving to all, regardless of the offense.  So in humility and mercy, be gentle - with others and with yourself - just as God has been with all of us. 

"But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips... Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."  Col 3:8, 12-14 (NIV)

Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for your understanding and forgiveness, in spite of our repeated wrong doings.  Please also forgive our unforgiveness. Help us to be gentle with ourselves and with others as we try to mirror your goodness and mercy.  Fill us with your Spirit as we reach out beyond our normal abilities to not only forgive but to improve and build up others as well as ourselves.  May we bring you glory in all these things.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

FIGHTING FEAR...Saturday

7/18/15

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, 

but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  

II Timothy 1:7

    Everyone is afraid of something at one time or another, no matter how great their faith.  Fear is just one more normal emotion.  However, God does not want our lives to be controlled by a spirit of fear.  He says over 300 times in Scripture "fear not."

     Some peoples' lives are controlled by phobias -- unnatural fears that sometimes paralyze them.  There are aviophobes -- people who are afraid to fly, chlostrophobes -- people afraid of small places, mysophobes -- people afraid of contracting diseases -- and the list goes on and on.

     God does not want us to have fear of the future, grounded in the "what ifs" of life.  When a fear comes upon us, we need to analyze the root cause and then find out God's response.  This is when it is important to know Bible passages that talk of God's promises for every situation in life.  God wants us to live in the power of His love for us and know that He can handle every fearful situation for our ultimate good.

     He already has been to the future and knows the way.  Our lives are in His capable hands.

Written by 

Carol Steficek

Purpose for Your Life...Friday

7/17/15

Do you ever ask yourself what is your purpose in life? So many of us do puzzle on this question. So often we are not really satisfied with ourselves and deal with a self image that is not the best. We look at others and compare ourselves (a deadly thing to do), and feel that we have nothing like a talent to use to follow a purpose that might be good for us. We may have read Scripture below but never thought of it as a truth that might help us find a purpose.

For we are God's workmanship,
                         created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
                                  which God prepared in advance for us to do.
                                                                            (Ephesians 2:10)

So, what is this? Am I God's workmanship? Are you God's workmanship? The answer is a resounding YES! It does not say that some people are God's workmanship. The "we" in the first line means all of us. Furthermore God created us to do good works...again it is all of us. Furthermore, God prepared us in advance and from all eternity to do the good works that become part of our purpose. It is also important here to realize that "God did not make any mistakes!"  If we are unsuccessful in doing the good works for which our assigned talents and personalities can give us  success, it is because we have made, 2017 the mistake...not God.

In all of this you are created to get close to God. As you do this the doors will open up for you, and you will find it easier to define what you think your purpose is. Just remember that God has a plan for you. Give value to who you are and what  you do. Above all remember that You have been given talents and personality that is unique to you. Think about those two things and then pray that you will find and follow your God-given purpose.

Here is my story in a nutshell. I did not start writing until I was in my fifties. I started a Writer's group just for the fun of having a platform for me and other writers  to share their work. Someone asked me to take over Women's Focus Ministries when she became to inundated with her work as a psychologist. I did, and I believe orchestrating and posting these devotionals and other writings for women is my purpose. I have a team that has joined me to write for WFM. It is still in its infancy, but I plan to work on ideas to make it more effective. Under this effort a friend and I will be holding our sixth annual retreat in April, 2017.

A person who loves children and has a gift of teaching could use this in bringing the little ones to come closer to the Lord.

A person who has free time might volunteer to bring the elderly who can no longer drive to appointments. Her time with them can include conversations about the Lord...perhaps even leading some of them to the Lord.

Put on your thinking caps about this matter of finding your purpose. Pray for enlightenment in this matter and the Lord will lead you in the direction of the path He has created you for.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa