"My Strength Comes From God"...Wednesday

4/29/14...................................................HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDY  

More and more each day I realize how much I rely on the Lord's strength. My own physical strength faileth but God is the strength of my heart. He is my full portion. As I call out to Him and draw close to Him He supplies the strength that I need at that time in my life. He never ceases to amaze me how He shows up for me at that appointed time. He has never let me down.

His word says...

"The Lord is my
strength and my song, 

and He has become 

my salvation; 

this is my God, 

and I will praise Him, 

my Father's God, 

and I will exalt Him."

Exodus 15:2 

Not only is He my strength, but He is my song and my salvation as well. I will never stop praising and exalting Him all the days of my life! His goodness never ends for His children and He so worthy of all of our praise.

In His Great Goodness, 

Sandy Billingham

Making An Impact...Tuesday

4/29/14

Last Friday night I attended a meeting for our women's group at my church. It was called "Impact." There were three women there who are involved in organizations working on problems in the valley where I live. 

One had founded the Crisis Pregnancy Center which councils, and helps girls and young couples in making their decision whether to have the baby and keep it, whether to adopt it out or to have an abortion. During the pregnancy there are classes about the season they are in, and the center helps  provide things that will be needed after the birth.

Another woman there is involved in a program that helps families in crisis in dealing with whatever their crisis is. They find temporary care for the children while the parents work towards making their situations better without getting involved in the longer care situation that foster care can be.

The third woman is part of a group called City Serve. This is a group who keeps communication with non-profits as to needs of the particular non profit to help out in times of crisis. City Serve also finds volunteers for their projects. 

These women, each in her own way, were making an Impact.

At the end of the evening we all received this card...

I love the way it is worded. Not only does it end with the prormise to make an IMPACT, but also it gives how and whys of what must be done to affect the world and make it a better place.

In the Bible there are many women who have made a difference in the world. Here are just a few of them...Ruth, Naomi, Mary Magdalene, Deborah, and Rahab. One of the most famous Biblical women was Esther. Who can ever forget what was said to her by her uncle Mordecai that led her to courageously face the danger of death to save her people...

"For if you remain silent at this time, 

relief and deliverance for the Jews 
will arise from another place,
 but you and your father’s family will perish. 
And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

What about you? What about me? God has created each of us with special gifts and interests. We can make a difference. We can make an impact on our world in some unique way for which God had prepared us and exactly in the time when it is needed. It can be something big that the entire world knows about, or it can be just quietly coming alongside, speaking into people's lives and letting them see the glory of God. Are you preparing now to be ready to spend  your time to impact others?

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

The song for today is sung by Wayne Watson, "For Such a Time as This."

Lesson in a Bottle.....Monday

With my heart pounding and my eyes burning green I headed down the hall to drop off the kids in their classes. It was going to be a quiet Sunday night gathering in our small church. Yes, it took effort to get back for the 6 o'clock service after a busy Sunday schedule but all of our friends would be there.

As I found a seat my heart was still pounding and my head was bursting with thoughts of self-pity. I had just heard that one of my good friends wasn't coming tonight. She had decided to skip church and go see a movie alone. Her husband had announced it as if it was a normal thing - but in our circle of friends -it was not normal. And I was over-flowing (like an active and angry volcano) with jealousy.


I was jealous on two levels, as I proceeded to explain to God in much detail. First, how come she got to skip church and not be in trouble (see how immature I was!). After all, no one was gasping in disbelief that she wasn't there. It seemed to me that everyone was happy to excuse her for the evening.

Secondly, how come she got to go do something fun and I didn't? On top of that, the movie sounded like a beautiful love story, just my cup of tea.

Now no one told me I had to be at church every time the doors were open. We were young Christians and we wanted to be there - we enjoyed being with our friends and visiting with them before and after service. And although my husband and I didn't typically go to movies during that season of our lives, I could have. I didn't go because I didn't think of going.

I continued to pout and feel sorry for myself. When I explained my little drama to my husband after the kids were in bed, he simply said, "Go to the movie if you want."

A few days later I forgave my friend for doing a fun thing without me as she mollified my feelings by saying, 'Oh, you could have gone with me."



I never did go to the movie theater, and in those days we waited a long time for a movie to be available to rent at a video store. Some time later I thought fondly of my friend as I put the VHS tape of "When A Man Loves A Woman" in the player. Fifteen minutes later I humbly asked God to forgive me for ever feeling sorry for myself or being jealous of my friend. As tears flowed down my cheeks, I ached for my alcoholic girlfriend, and what she must have gone through, alone in the theatre that day, as God used a movie to bring her face to face with her addiction and what it was doing to her family.

By then, my friend had admitted to her problem, gotten help, and was on the road to recovery and health. I learned to be careful what I wish for, and not to envy another person's life, because no matter what I think I know, I have absolutely no idea what it is to be them.

Dear Lord, thank You for the creative ways You speak to us and the ways You can drive a message deep into our heart of hearts. Please help me to remember that You have a plan for each one of us and that one plan is not better than another - just different and perfectly suited to the needs of each of our souls. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by
Mary M. Wilkins

CRUCIFY SELF, LIVE BY THE SPIRIT... Sunday

Devotional for 4/27/14

Jesus was crucified on a cross and his flesh died, but he arose to life again on the third day.  All this was done as payment for our sinfulness so that we might have eternal life with him in heaven.  

Let us therefore be ever grateful for his great sacrifice in our place. Let us live by the Spirit.  In doing so we get rid of sinful behaviors and instead do good and give credit and thanks to God.  This is not to earn God's favor, for we already have that through faith in Christ!  But rather it is to give witness to others of the great love God has for all.  Even when we falter or fall in our efforts, God is there to lift us up again.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh (sinful nature) with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.  Galatians 5:24-26 NIV

Dear Lord in heaven, help me to live life in your Spirit, doing good and shunning what is wrong.  Help me to always give you the glory, remembering to thank and praise your holy name for all you have done and continue to do in my life.  Even in difficult times, help me to see your gracious gifts, especially the most precious gift of all, eternal life with you in heaven.  In Jesus' name,  AMEN.

written by 
Jan Andersen

  

GOD IS NOT MOCKED...Saturday

4/26/14

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. 
A man reaps what he sows."
 Galatians 6:7

     

Many people live fruitless and even dangerous lives, thinking nothing will ever catch up with them.  Sometimes it is true that justice is denied people here on earth.  Some criminals are never caught.  Many, however, are caught years later when thy thought they had gotten away with their crimes.

     Whatever happen on this earth, rest assured, God is not mocked.  He sees everything.  Either He will repay on earth or worse yet, will repay in eternity for those who live immoral and godless lives and never repent and turn in faith to Jesus.

     A man does reap what he sows, now in this time and into eternity.  So don't sow to your sinful nature and reap destruction.  Sow to please the Spirit of God and have a blessed life on earth and reap eternal life forever.

Written by 

Carol Steficek

Song for today is "They That Sow in Tears Shall Reap in Joy" - Ps 126

Hope...Friday

4/25/14 

I am on the verge of a meltdown today.  It came upon me suddenly, and I have really struggled with what has caused it.  I made it through my crazy and difficult time at work; I had four days off to rest away from work.  And I thought that I was going to have a smooth re-entry into the post season.  It has now dawned on me that apparently that is not the case.  I have been focusing on getting healthy physically, but, now my mental state is hollering that I have been neglecting it.

In reality I haven’t had enough time to do much of any focusing or pampering of myself in any way.  It has only been about ten days.  I am still catching up at work, and the bottom line about work is that I am not happy there.  I have been trying to act like I am, but, it is hard to live in a fake world, both from the outside and me being fake by trying to be happy.

I was about to cancel my writing for this week when I found this scripture:

Don’t envy evil men 

but continue to reverence the Lord all the time, 

for surely you have a wonderful

 future ahead of you. 

There is hope for you yet!

Proverbs 23:17-18

(TLB)

And this is what I need to get me through today….and everyday.  However, I especially needed to read that today, as I was feeling so hopeless and stuck.  Envious of others and how their lives seem easier and are able make changes in jobs, or other things because they have a spouse that can support them through a change.  What I need to remember is that I can do changes; I just need to keep my God in the spouse spot as well as the God spot.  When I keep my hope in Him, there is hope for me.

Written by

Kelly Dobyns

Today's song is "Pour Out" performed by Shawn McDonald 

"Trust in the Lord"...Thursday

4/24/14

I trust in Your unfailing love.  

I will rejoice because You have rescued me.  

I will sing to the Lord because He has been so good to me.  

Psalm 13:5-6.

The only hard part in letting God handle your problems is dealing with fear that He won't because of unbelief.  Put your trust in Him and let your burdens be light. While it is easy to believe that He can, the words "if he wants to." always slide into your mind and results in uncertainty that he WILL.

We have all lived through times when we do not feel that our problems are being taken care of in spite of how much we pray for God's help. We also see other people who do not seem to receive what they are praying for. One person survives cancer, while another succumbs. Both are praying and being prayed for. God reminds us that He is God and we are not...we cannot even hope to understand the things that He does.

At times in 20/20 hindsight we can see why we did not get what we prayed for. We see from the history of the request that God had something better for us. At other times we try to figure it out and cannot understand why our prayers seemed to go unanswered.

The bottom line is found in the scripture above. We must trust in His unfailing love and know that He has been good to us. 

This is a key point and we should believe this fact.                                  

                                        It pleases the Father to help his children.

Written by 

Kathryn Hansen  

Today's song is performed by Chris Tomlin..."Sovereign"