EPIPHANY

Sunday devotional 1/6/13

Today, January 6th, is the traditional day to celebrate the coming of the wisemen, on what we call Epiphany.  An epiphany is a sudden and striking realization - an "Aha!" moment.  In the church year it is about the Christ coming not only to the Jews, but also to the whole world.  It is a sudden revealing of God's gift to mankind.  The star that led the Magi was a light to all, Jews and Gentiles, that the Savior of all had come.

   After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

 ... they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.    Matthew 2:1- 2, 9-11 NIV

On this Epiphany day, may you continue to realize that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to earth as a tiny baby in order to save not just certain people, but everyone who believes this great news.  May you see that He came for you, personally, and feel it in your whole being.  May you also be a light to the rest of the world in your witness, your sharing of the Good News to others in your life.

written by Jan Andersen

Saturday Devotional...1/5/13...WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY 2013!!

                                                     ...Thoughts to Ponder

Here are some things that will help you to be successful as
you also follow the Lord.

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff which will make you look good if you die in the middle of it

4 * Drive carefully... not only cars can be recalled by their Maker.

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a bad example or a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you...the more you have, the longer you live.

16 * Some mistakes are just too much fun to make only once.

17 * We can learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today!!

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY....

20 *Save the earth..... It may be the only planet with chocolate!*

These are humorous, but still some of them are tools to enable us to live the right kind of life.

Heavenly Father,
Lead us by the good tools that we find in the world and from you. May we use your tools to sucessfully follow the path you have set before us. Let us be wise and centered on making this year the best one because we are coming your way with determination. Thank you for your leading, Lord.
Amen

Shared by Corinne Mustafa

Friday Devotional..."You Raise Me Up"

Happy New Year!

I’m reminded in my spirit that once again we meet a “New Year”. And once again, many have trouble in their hearts and in their lives in which the hope of a New Year…..really just brings life moving forward. There’s a song from a few years back sung by Josh Groban called

“You Raise Me Up”

So I would like to share the lyrics of this song to lift our hopes, to dream our dreams again…and to know that:

“I am strong, when I am on His shoulders

To raise me up, to more than I can be.”

Shared by Glenna Williamson:

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;

When troubles come and my heart burdened be;

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,

Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Thursday Devotional...1/2/31

                                          The Ultimate New Slate...        

                                             ...Happy 2013 to you!
It is a new year and according to tradition, habit, or even wishful thinking it is time for us to make resolutions for the coming year.

God is in the business of helping us with resolutions. But He knows we need to make them more often than every January first. That’s why His mercy is new every morning (see Lamentations 3:23). I am grateful for the fresh start He gives us each day. Of course, I have days where I need a fresh start every 10 minutes!

The beginning of a new year is a big fresh starting point that gets our attention every year. But each new day is the ultimate fresh start God gives to each of us.

Psalm 118:24 (AMP)

This is the day which the Lord has brought about;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NLT)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Then you will have healing for your body

and strength for your bones.

Dear Lord, You are my strength. Thank You for watching over me and for coming when I call. Please help me to remember to call out to You right away. Thank You that You provide a clean slate for each of us every morning. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Wednesday...1/2/13...Whatever You Do...

                                ...MINISTER TO  AND SERVE THE LORD

I pray and declare this scripture over each and everyone of you that are reading this devotional for this upcoming year of 2013.

"And whatever you do in word or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:17



Serve Him at all Times



You can be assured that in 2013 the Lord will grant you endless opportunities to minister onto Him. He will take you on unexpected journeys, and put you in situations you never dreamed of. He will reveal His love to you in fresh ways and show you remarkable things He wants to do through you. He will walk you through difficult times and amazing times. The Lord will put people in your life that you never thought possible of ever knowing. And the list goes on!

I say to you friend, for every situation you are in, I fully exhort you to wholeheartedly open your heart to Jesus and let Him use you through it. See each situation as a God opportunity, be it good or bad. If you see it as opportunity for God to use it, be assured that He will.

Let God arise in your life, and do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving Him great thanks! Then step back and watch God work in phenomenal ways through His power!

In His Radical Love!

Sandy Billingham

Happy New Year

Here is
one extra remembrance of what
New Year's Day is about.

It is a clean slate

that we are given to
"Paint God Into Our Day's."

May you paint God into every day in 2013.

Here is a link to click

on with the song and wonderful

pictures that go with it.

Enjoy!

 http://biggeekdad.com/2011/01/auld-lang-syne/#.Tv9vS9DI_zU.gmail

Here are the words!

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And days o’ lang syne!

Chorus:

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne,

We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet

For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pu’d the gowans fine,

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot

Sin’ auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’t in the burn

Frae morning sun till dine,

But seas between us braid hae roar’d

Sin’ auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere,

And gie’s a hand o’ thine,

And we’ll tak a right guid willie-waught

For auld lang syne!

And surely ye’ll be your pint’ stoup,

And surely I’ll be mine!

And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet

For auld lang syne!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Shared by Corinne Mustafa

Tuesday Devotionsl...1/1/13...Resolutions, Part 2

If you have not read Part 1 of RESOLUTIONS, please click on this link to read Part 1.
       
 http://paintgodintoyourday.blogspot.com/2012/12/monday-    devotional123112resolutions-part.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I believe, as many Christians do, that we are changed by the presence of the Lord. God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3) So as we praise and worship the Father our hearts do undergo a holy transformation. We go from glory to glory. “All of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are becoming more like Him with an ever increasing glory by the Lord's Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) So rather than determine, “I am going to do thus and such this year,” we can instead cooperate with and yield to the Holy Spirit as He works to sanctify and purify our souls and bodies.

There is a song written by Jon Mohr which can be an appropriate inspiration for us at this time of year.

Jon Mohr

Philippians 1:6

Chorus

“He who began a good work in you

He who began a good work in you

Will be faithful to complete it

He'll be faithful to complete it

He who started the work

Will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you're facing

Is slowly replacing your hope

With despair

Or the process is long

And you're losing your song

In the night

You can be sure that the Lord

Has His hand on you

Safe and secure

He will never abandon you

You are His treasure

And He finds His pleasure in you”

Here is a link to click on to hear this song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1nfQN7me1M

Written by Cathy Friberg
Shared by Corinne Mustafa