Oct. 20

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."
Mark 4:35

I think sometimes we need to hear the Lord say, "Let us cross over to the other side". Time to get away from the business of all that is going on around us and walk to that place where we can spend it with Him. We must learn to take the time and walk with Him. I think there are several times in the day that He does says just that to us, but we make up excuses of why we can't go with Him. We have to take those times and cross over if we ever plan to grow. When He says "us", He means He wants to be right there with us, He wants to spend time with us. He gives us a personal invitation and we should go every time He calls. Just think of how disappointing it is when you ask somebody to do something with you and they say no. God feels just that way when we say no to Him. Think of how if feels when you do get to spend time with that friend, it is the same when you spend time with Jesus. We can walk away refreshed and feeling good. So take the time to cross over and spend time with the Lord!

Oct. 19

O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save.
Habakkuk 1:2

How many times have we felt this way? We feel like we call out to God and He doesn't answer us. What we must realize is He hears us, not only when we are calling out, but he hears our every thought. We must remember that God answers in three ways: Yes, No and Wait. We must take time in the situation and remember this and know that God wants what is best for us! He loves us, He is never going to leave us. Even when we feel abandoned, He is right here with us. So we need to learn to be patient and trust God, know that He is taking care of the situation right now and He will handle it! God is wanting to grow us through those wait periods, He wants to see just how much we trust Him. Always remember that He can be trusted, He wants what is best for His children, so Trust Him and Wait!

Oct. 18

On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
Proverbs 8:2

"She" is wisdom, and it's amazing to see that she is always standing boldly in front of us and we sometimes can't even see her. Why is that? Most of the time because we do not want to see her, we want to learn on our own, to not have that guidance to help us along the way. It's time to open our eyes, to realize that God is there, standing boldly in front of us and we need to seek Him out and find Him. The best way to see His wisdom is straight from the scriptures. He also places "her" in front of us too, so that we can listen to that audible voice, but do we. Be more sensative to hear His voice, in every way that He sends it to us. Know that He wants you to make wise decisions and not be foolish. Let Him guide you down the roads of life and trust that He will lead you down that right roads and make the right decisions.

Oct. 17

On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.
Psalm 138:3

When was that day for you? It's many days for me, but even 23 years later my most important day was when I called out to God and told Him that I needed Him as my Lord and Savior. I realized that my life was nothing without Him. I am thankful that He heard me, reached out to me and took me in. He gave me new strenght, new life! He has made me bold. He strenthened me in a way that I never thought I could have strength. Everything that I have comes from Him. I pray that I will always be aware of that!

There have been other times in my life that I have called out to Him since then and He has always been there and given me strength to handle what was in front of me. It's amazing to see Him work. And I know that the time will come again and I feel blessed knowing that He will be beside me all the way!

Oct. 16

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD.
Psalms 130:1

It seems that this verse can hit very close to home, it describes us perfectly. We do cry out to Him when we have reached the depths, the place when we seem to have no where else to turn. But this should not be the only time that we do it. Every morning we should wake and cry out to him, ask Him to be with us, to guide us, help us through the day. Our feet hit the floor and we start running. When is that moment alone with God? Take that time to spend with Him, don't let it just be when there is a cruitial time in the day, that you realize then that you truly need Him. Don't wait for the depth moment to come, cry out to Him and let Him know that you need Him every moment of the day! He is what can get us through each day.

Oct. 15

Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
James 4:5

We are reminded that Scripture has a very important place in our lives. Even better, God has a place in our lives to. So many people ask, why does God care about me? The answer is here, He desires to dwell in us. But the thing is He just can't be there, He has to be ask in. He is jealous about it because He knows that we have places in our lives for everything else but Him, so He has a right to be jealous about it! We have got to get to that place and let Him have us completely, so He can dwell and then it will make us better! Anything holding you back? This is a great way we can share scripture when somebody ask us that question, "why does God care about me?", so be ready!

Oct. 14

Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
Exodus 9:26

Even then God had His hand on a place when there was destruction all around. He does the same every day, and people seem to miss that there is a "God" story there. We have seen pictures of devastation all around and then still in the midst of it, there can be a miracle. What gets me the most is that people never refer to God in the miracle, they seem to want to blame Him for the destruction. Sad isn't it? So often the true story of why something is allowed to happen doesn't even get shared. I think so often that it's in the middle of the destruction is when God can be found the most.

So next time that you hear of something bad, look for God, He will be right in the midst of it, and He will shine, but it won't be the world to let you know that He is there.

Oct. 13

"Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
Acts 10:43


Have there been times in your life when you met someone and your just felt very comfortable, that there was no threatening environment? Well this is your spirit bearing witness with another. I have also been in a situation when I felt every hair stand up on the back of my neck, I knew that his spirit did not bear witness with mine. It's not a good feeling. This is just scripture coming to life, giving us reassurance that God is just Who He says He is! It's awesome as His child to know that God gives us red flags to know how we should proceed in certain situations. So next time you meet someone and you know that there is something very weird about them, think back to this scripture. It could be God telling you just what is different about them. And also remember that this is your opportunity to share Jesus with them.

Oct. 12

On the other hand I am filled with power - With the Spirit of the LORD - And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.
Micah 3:8

This is one of the encouragement verses for me. We should remember that we are filled with Power, and we should be bold and call out those who are doing wrong. I am not saying stand on the corner and shout out the wrong doings of everything that we see. But when we see a brother or sister that is going against God's Word, we need to be loving and kind to them and also help guide them back to the truth. Sometimes somebody may lose sight of the truth and may be walking in the darkness, and may not even realize that they are walking there, but we can be that light of Jesus to show them the way back home. Ask God to help you, to give you the works to say and know that He will fill you with Himself and help you all the way!

Oct. 11

On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
Proverbs 10:13

I think about how it is very smart of us to think before we react to anything. When we step back in a situation and look at it and line it up with the word of God, then we are being the wise ones. When we just jump into a situation and don't think about what we are doing, then we do open ourselves up to ramifications. Thinking of that "rod" and "the back of him" takes me back to being a parent. Our children may get that spanking for making that judgement call that is wrong to what they have been taught, and the same thing goes for us as children of God. He will chastise us for our lack of understanding when we "eat a bowl of stupid" as Chris says. But why shouldn't he? We also need to be disciplined. We need to be better at stepping back and assessing the situation before we jump into anything. Be wise!

Oct. 10

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend.
Proverbs 27:9

Well just think about it. There are smells that put a smile on our face and so it is the same when we spend time with a friend. There is nothing better than to spend time with a friend, to get caught up and sometimes just to come to that friend and ask advice. But there is always one thing to remember, sometimes friends can let us down. They may not mean to but it can be done, and the same can be said of us too. My thoughts turn to Jesus, He will always be the one who will never let us down. So in those times when you need counsel the most, turn to Him, seek His Word, spend time with Him in searching out your answers for the things that trouble you most. He will give you an answer! He will never let you down and He will always be here for you.

Oct. 9

O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me.
Psalm 5:8

Now to look at it from the dictionary side:
O God; Jehovah go before or with to show me the state of being morally right or justifiable because of my enemy; Make your way honest, honorable, or upright, before me.

We know that there is always soembody out there that doesn't like us, or even so we just may not like them in the way they treat us. We must remember that God has a plan for us in how we are to deal with them. Our human nature wants us to be mean or unkind, but it is God who is calling us to do the right thing and love them and show them mercy. Is it easy? No, but when we let God lead us, then we will do the right thing. When we take matters into our own hands we act as man does, we can be cruel and unkind. We must remember that these are not characteristics of God and when we reflect anything that us ungodly, then people are not going to see God in us.
Strive to be an example, and when we walk with God, we will be a godly example. Remember that when you kick a bucket something will come out. What is going to come out of you when you are kicked? Will it be the dirty "water" that is stored up in you or will it be clean "water" that will be a refelction of Christ?

Oct. 8

Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food ; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 1:9

The first opal in the Bible. How fitting is it to say that God grew every tree that is pleasing to the sight. It is this time of the year that we get to enjoy the sights of the trees. Just to take a look around and see the brilliant colors should remind of us just how great God is. We just came through the season of peaches and now it is the apples. When we take a bite or just see those colors do we take that time to thank Him for what He gave to us? We should. Remember in the next few weeks as you see even more incredible colors to thank Him for showing off just for you. I love it when He gets out the paintbrush and creates something special for me. You should too!

Oct. 7

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
Romans 11:33

I can't help but think about how deep the ocean is, a place that we will never reach. It's the same with God's riches and knowledge, we can keep searching but we will never reach them, but we must keep trying. There are times when you read scripure that it may be revealed to you in a way that you have never read before. I think that God's Word is a treasure box, there are so many jewels just waiting to be discovered and just when you think you have found them all, there is something new that you overlooked! It's time to look at His Word in a new light, be ready to find something new and take on the adventure of finding Him in each verse. He has great things to share with you, He is waiting for you to seek Him and find the jewels.

Oct. 6

"On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches."
Ezekiel 17:23

There are times in our lives when we just need to stop, to take a rest under this tree that God has planted for us. We are so busy and we get caught up in so many things, that we don't take time to enjoy what God has created for us. It's time to sit down, pick up God's word, and enjoy that shade that He has created for us. Know that the sun is still shining, sometimes making it hot around us, but there is peace in the shade of the tree of God. He does have great fruit that we can take in and enjoy, find those verses that tell us how sweet His words are. Enjoy every one, be nourished by the Word of God. When you come out from under His shade you will know that you have rested and been refreshed by God.

Oct. 5

O LORD, how my adversaries have increased ! Many are rising up against me.
Psalm 3:1

How often do we feel this way, like the whole world is against us? When we do we must also remember the words that are in Psalm 3:3 - But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.. How comforting to know that as His child, He is protecting us, He is the one that is with us when we feel that our world is tumbling down. Draw strength from the one Who loves you more than anyting else. Know that He is with you, protecting your from this storm! This too shall pass and unfortunately we will go through many more, but always remember that God is with you, He is not leaving you alone when it seems like everybody else has. Maybe it's time to learn how to dance in the rain and feel what it is like to be soaked by God's love!

Oct. 4

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.
Acts 20:7

Now these men were not baptist, because they would have put a halt to this message at 12:00 PM and not let it be carried out till 12:00 AM. Sorry, had to make that comment. But really, think about it. We read and see how they never complained about how long somebody shared with them, but what do we do? We have the tendancy to look at our watches and wonder when the preacher is going to quit, we think ahead of what we have to do after the message is over. Our thoughts also take us away from what the message is truly about. It is sad to say but there are people here that are going to be very uncomfortable in heaven. Heaven is going to be about praise and worship 24 hours a day! Seriously, church is getting us ready for heaven and how do we treat that? This is just food for thought. So next time the preacher is running over, we need to realize that this message was sent by God to be used by the preacher to share with us just what God wants us to hear. Be in tune, listen to the words and learn to forget about the time. Everything else can wait. It's time to spend time with God!

Oct. 3

"On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,"
Haggai 2:1


Now this may not mean very much to you, but think about the first part of the verse; it gives the date. To me, I can't help but think about journaling. That not only was it written that the word of the Lord came but when the word came. We should be challenged to make notes ourselves. When we do read the Bible, and we read something that really touches our hearts, we should journal it and make note of that date. I have had several journals over the years, I always date the pages. It has been neat to go back and read what I put and not only read it, but to compare how I thought back then to now. It's great also to see what God has done in my life. So for me, this verse is a challenge to us. Write down the things that God shows you and date them, if not only for you but for your children, friends or family to see just what God shared with you while you were here. He speaks to us all, if we will listen!

Oct. 2

"O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;"
John 17:25

This verse takes me to a statement that I tell the youth all the time; You may be the only Jesus that this world ever sees. Even though God is all around us, this world does not see what is truly going on. They are living in the darkness, because their god is darkness. When we give our lives to Christ, we see the Light. And once we have seen the Light, we can't help but shine that Light all around us. It is our calling to share Christ with all those who are around us. Just think of how many verses we ready about us telling others about Christ. This is our great commission: To know Christ and make Him known. So if you haven't shared about Christ today, then you (and I) better get busy.

Oct. 1

"O Satisfy us in the morning with Your loveingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days"
Psalm 90:14


This should be a reminder to us that God is here with us when we get up, He actually gives us that breath to get us out of bed. Take that time to recognize Him, then when you jump in the car crank up the radio (tuned to the Christian radio station or CD) and sing to Him. I guarantee that when you have that song in your head that you are not going to have that bad day. My day has started off behind and even dragging, not to mention that the computer and printer dont' want to work together, but I am going to pop up my favorite songlist (actually what you hear on this website) and worship in song today. Satan is not going to get me down. My joy comes from the Lord and satan cannot steal it today, so don't let him try to steal yours either! May your day be joyful!
I did even stop on the bridge and take pictures of the fog coming off the lake - it was awesome again today. I think I will replace yesterday's picture with Lake Blalock fog! Find God in the little things today - soak in His presence!

Sept. 30

Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.
Psalm 119:164

Seven times a day? Do we even take seven times a day to Praise Him? We would like to think that we do. It shouldn't be in those "wow" moments that we take time to do it. There are so many reasons that we should take that time and praise Him, but we get caught up in everything else and put Him on the back burner.
Just this morning coming back from taking Ethan to school, I was looking at the mountains and thinking how blessed I am to get to see God's creation in so many ways each and every day. Coming over the lake was incredible with the fog lifting over the lake. I did take that time and say "Thank you Lord, for creating this for me to enjoy!" Realize that He has created many many things just for you to enjoy today. Look for Him all around you, He is here! Recogize Him and Praise Him! He wants to spend time with me and you.

It's Me

Instead of stressing out over being so far behind, I am starting again. I will save the others for next year. As usual I just prove that I am human and fail God daily and I am sorry that I failed you too as my friends that needed a little encouragement. Keep me in your prayers!!

June 16

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
2 Timothy 4:2

So many people look at this verse and say, "this doesn't apply to me, I am not a preacher." Are you not a Christian? We have all been called to preach the word when we are His children. It may not be preaching from a pulpit like the preacher but we are to share the good news of Christ will all people. And we are to be ready at any time! We should be getting out of the bed each morning and asking God for a divine meeting, a meeting with an unbeliever so that we can share Christ with them. That is why we are to be ready. God will place these people in your paths if you will just be willing to ask Him. God has great plans for you! Be ready to preach His word!

June 15

Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself by the fire.
Mark 14:54

How many times have we been guilty of this? We seem to follow at a distance, people can't cleary see that we are Chrstians. They may see that we run with the crowd, but can they see that we truly belong to Him? We must step away from the fire, or just in the background, and show others that we are who we say we are. Don't make them wonder if you are a Christian - let them see it in all you do! If others are not seeing Jesus in you, who are the seeing Him in?

June 14

Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You."
Mark 10:28

Can we truly say this to Jesus? What have we left? Think back to the time when you gave your life to Christ, what changed - anything? I do remember leaving my old friends behind, moreso the lifestyle that I led. Why? Because I knew that I could no longer live that way and follow Christ. I remebered the scriptures saying, "you are a new creation, old things are passed away." I knew that if others were going to see Christ in me, they could no longer see the old me. I understand this does not apply to all people, some didn't live a life that was morally wrong, but for me, I can relate to this verse.
Even in the ministry we learned to leave our securities of a house and family behind and trusted God completely as we chose to follow Him. What we all must remember is: It's a calling to follow Him, we may not have to leave everything behind to follow Him, but we must be ready to give it all up, in case He ask us to go somewhere for Him.

June 13

Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things. Let this be known throughout the earth.
Isaiah 12:5


What excellent thing has He done? He created us! He created us to worship Him and what better way can we worship Him? PRAISE. We have got to learn this an start expressing it more. I say the best way to praise Him is in the car! Turn up the music and sing along. What better way can others see you expressing your love for Him than when you are singing to Him, raising your hands up and soaking Him in! (But do keep one hand on the wheel when driving) You can't tell me you have not heard God say, "Do it, just raise your hands and worship Me." Do what He says, I promise you it's refreshing. It's time to start practicing for our eternity with Him.

June 12

Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them.
Psalm 69:24

This is so me, when I know I have an adversary I am the first one to say, "Sick-em Lord". But should this be what we say? I think it is our first thought, but shouldn't we be more kind and compassionate? Instead of saying sick-em, we should be saying, "Bless them, pour our grace and mercy on them Lord". We should be more like Jesus and love them in spite of their ways and yes when we ask God to bless them we are going to have to ask God for grace and mercy ourselves so we can love them. It's time to be examples of Christ and strive to be more like Him. How are others going to see Jesus if we are not the ones showing it to them?

June 11

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled."
John 14:27

Wow, looking up the meanings of Peace and Give - so many meanings!
Peace: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity; silence; stillness; a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity:
Give: to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; to place in someone's care; to furnish, provide, or proffer; and the one that seems to really stand out: to relinquish or sacrifice.

Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we can have that stillness, tranquillity, that hope! When He says He gives us a gift, we must be willing to receive it. When is says, "not like this world" I think of how others just want us all to get along, it's not like that, I believe that He wants us to have a calm assurance that everything will be just fine. When you receive that gift from somebody, how do you feel? You feel special, like the person who gave you that gift loves you so much that they thought only of you when they got it for you. That is exactly how God wants you to feel. So each time you hear the word peace - know that it is a gift that God gave you - He chose it just for you - He loves you! Accept His calm assurance that all is going to be okay!

June 10

"Present your case", the Lord says. "Bring forward your strong arguments.", The King of Jacob says.
Isaiah 41:21

Have you ever thought of how you should present your case for the Lord? When we get to heaven all that matters is that we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, but when we stand before the lost, how do we present Jesus to them? What are our strong arguments? We should be ready at any moment to share our faith. I challenge you to be ready and know what you are going to say. Better yet, share your testimony with me - I would love to hear it.... if you are not a member of blogspot and you don't want to share it for all to read then e-mail me: stgulledge@yahoo.com

June 9

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
Psalm 16:1

There are so many meanings of preserve: To keep alive, protect or spare, to keep up; maintain, to keep possession of, to prepare. These can all apply to when call out to God for Him to preserve us. We all have a time in our lives that each meaning can apply more that one of the others. Yes we need to call out to Him and we really need to take hold of the last part of the verse - "I take refuge in You". When we call out to God we must remember to run to Him for that shelter of protection that we are asking for. So many times we stand there and call out but then that is it, we don't move towards Him so that He can do just what we have ask Him to. We must learn to trust and run to Him, curl up under His shelter and relax and know that we can be safe from the storm.

June 8

Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."
John 13:37

In today's life we basically ask ourselves - Why can I not follow the Lord right now? And our answers are: time with our jobs, our families, or our hobbies. Think about it, we make many excuses of why we can't do things for the Lord, so that is the same as following Him. Do we even say the words - "I will lay down my life for You"? Are we making bold decisions for Christ? Are we showing others that we are completely and totally sold out for Christ? I think we are often like Paul - we have great intentions, but when push comes to shove, we may not be all we say we are. Thank goodness that God already knows our faults and weaknesses and He still loves us! May we realize where we have failed Him, and seek to be all that God has called us to be. May we put our priorities in order, spend more time with Him, and be the disciples that He can be proud of!

June 7

Put them in fear, O Lord, That the nations may know themselves to be but men.
Psalm 9:20

I think about night storms and hurricanes that come through and help us to rememember that God is still in control. We have seen the "awakening calls" but America is still focused on the men. I can only imagine what it will take for America to realize that we have an all powerful God that is our creator and maker! And even when people see the miracles that come out of storms and hurricanes, they still can't see God. We are a spiritually blind nation. We must stand strong as Chrsitians and be that lighthouse for others to see Christ. He is all around, but they can't see him, and sad to say they don't want to. We must live a life that others see and it compells them to want what we have - and His name is Jesus!

June 6

Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
Psalms 66:8

Well I was guilty of not letting this be done this weekend. When travling on the back of the motorcycle, I kept in mind that my husband was in front of me and when I had a song that was in my head, I would not sing outloud. My husband sang quite a bit on the trip. We need to get over the fear of sounding awful and just remember who our praises are being sung to and SING! After all God created us, and this voice that we have, so He thinks it is awesome. We were created to praise Him, so get over yourself (myself) and just do it. You have seen people just walking down the street praising His name, and what are our first thoughts? They are weird. No they are just obedient, praising Him and letting it be heard. Be on the weird side today and just let His praises be heard!


(Sorry I am behind, VBS and the trip this weekend took my focus away.)

June 5

Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.
Proverbs 4:24

I have always stood on the fact that our words are the biggest testimony we have. We are not always sharing with others our testimony of how Jesus changed us, but we still have a testimony in everything else that we are saying. As Christians, we are a representation of Christ. Everything that we say and do represents Him, so when our words are not matching up to the words that Jesus would be using this is wrong! The Bible is clearly telling us to put these words far from us. Why, because they do not represent Who you truly stand for. We should be aware that there are others always listening to us, and they are seeing if we are the Christians that we claim to be. I know that this is not right, but it is very true, non-christians want to see just what is different about us from them. So be very careful that your words are pointing them to the one Who is different, His name is Jesus. If you are using words that are not becoming to Christ, then you are not pointing others to Christ.

June 4

Pray, then, in this way:'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 6:9

Even when I was little I remember learning this prayer, it has to be the most popular prayer ever know from Scripture. This is how Jesus instructed His disciples to pray. We don't think very often about having instructions for praying do we. First we must think about the first part - Who we are praying to. This is huge for us, for we know that there are many relgions out there but we serve the one true God. When we say our Father, we acknowledge just who He is to us. As a child who grew up without a Father, reading this became very special to me. I understood, that I had an earthly father and I was told how much he adored me. I can related to God being my heavenly father in a way that some may not. I can't see Him just like I couldn't see my earthly father, but I know that He is real and that He loves me beyond measure because I am told of this. I accept this as the truth (this is faith). Next we are to acknowledge where our Father lives, He is in heaven. Why because we know that He is the creator of this earth, and He is far beyond where we are and He has prepared a place for us later, which is Heaven. Hallowed be your name, hallowed means to honor as holy; consider sacred; so this we know about God, His name is Holy. So I beleive that when Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray he was telling them to remember just who God is - He is our Father; where He was - in Heaven; and always to remember what is so important about Him - His Holy name.

June 3

Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
Psalms 111:1


My first thought is "of the upright" - was this when they could be standing up and singing? And read on, they were in the congregation - WOW! May this be a thought to remember when we are so tired of standing and singing, this is a Psalm - a prayer to God! We should remember this even when we don't want to stand and sing, we should still Praise the Lord. Who knows, He just may put a little joy in our heart. Open up -Let Him in! Next time forget about the people around you, just remember these words - "I will prise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation" and just do it - Praise HIM! You will begin to experience God in a way that you never have before - enjoy!

June 2

Pay attention and lisen to the saying of the wise; apply our heart to what I teach.
Proverbs 22:17

The key words here is listen. Sometimes it is best when there are several speaking to just sit back and take it all in. Store up the things that are important, so that you can use them later. Just like everything else, you must filter what you hear, some if it may not be useful and you must consider the source. There are many people that seem to be wise, but just ask the Lord, He will let you know! They may be so full of words that all you hear is "blah, blah, blah"... it will be clear to you. God does have great things to say throught many great people, be willing to hear and then learn from what you hear.

June 1

Psalm 31:21
Praise be to the Lord, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a beseiged city.


This beseiged city to me was when I was lost. God loved me and cared for me even when I had no cares for Him. I think we can all say that we have all been truly blessed when we were so undeserving. Now, as believers, is truly a time to thank Him for sparing our lives and allowing us to have the opportunity to choose Him. He is worthy to be praised, so let Him know!

May 31

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
Psalm 41:9

Have you ever been betrayed by someone who you tought was a friend? It hurts, cuts you so deep, it's as if you can really feel that knife that was stabbed into you back. Even thinking about it now can bring back those feelings, and once again, you feel all alone, as if no one in the world cares. But we have hope to hold on to! We have a true friend sticks closer than a brother, His name is Jesus. He will never leave us or forsake us. All I can say about that friend that has hurt you, is, I am sorry. I know what you are going through and you will get through this. You can learn to pray for them and ask God to help them to realize that wrong that they have done. And even though they may ask for forgiveness, you can forgive! Your relationship may never be restored to what it was, but God can give you the grace and mercy to become friends with them again. Yes, they will just have to understand that trust will have to be earned, but time can heal wounds. Let your other best friend, Jesus, get you through it! It's time to let the healing process begin.

May 30

Enemy, don't laugh at me. I have fallen, but I will get up again. I sit in the shadow of trouble now, but the Lord will be a light for me.
Micah 7:8

Have you been in this place? If you haven't, you may be one day. We may all go through something that we feel others are watching us and making fun of us, but remember, there is an enemy behind them! His name is satan. He seeks to destroy us, but don't let him do that. He wants you defeated but you must remember that you serve somebody that is much greater than Satan! His name is Jesus - and during your times of trouble He is the one that you are to run to. He will be that lighthouse for you to run to and He will be the one to guide you through that storm! You must remember that the fruit does not grow on the mountaintop but in the valley and we must walk through that valley sometimes in order for us to grow. Hold on to Jesus and let Him walk with you and nurture you and help you to grow. He will help to restore you and make you what He desires for you to be.

May 29

Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the followers did not know it was Jesus.
John 21:4

Do you think that we have been guilty of this too? That Jesus has been right there with us and we have missed Him completely? Yes, we often do. We have to be aware that He is all around us, He can come to us in the way of another person, and if we are not careful, we can just brush Him off and neglect Him. Look for the opportunity to see Jesus today. Send a smile across a room, help somebody to a car, open a door for somebody, just let somebody know that Jesus loves them. Embrace the opportunity to meet Jesus today. He is there waiting for you and for me.

May 28

Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done.
Galatians 6:4

These are very strong words, but how often do we really do this? So many times we look at what others are doing and size ourselves up with them, this is WRONG - and we have scripture to tell us why! Yes we know that we are responsible for our own actions and we are the ones that we are to focus our time on, but it's so much easier not to have to look in the mirror! We are not responsible for anyone else but us! It's not fun but we need to take a look at ourselves and see just how we line up to scripture and the example that Jesus set for us. I know that we are not going to be perfect, but are we striving to be? It's easy to say, "I will ask for forgiveness later", but should we? You are challenged today to examine yourself (me included) and ask God - "How can I be more like you?". He is going to reveal to us where we have been wrong and how we have been right. Take time to spend with Him today, so that He can help you on this path. When He tells you that you may be been wrong, make it right with Him and that person you may not have been showing Jesus too. Remember as a Christian, you are suppose to be a reflection of Christ for others to see. When you are striving to be more like Jesus, then you are living a life that you can be proud of and Jesus can too.

May 27

Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.
I Corinthians 11:4

When I read this I immediately thought about people wearing caps in the church. I know growing up we were always told of it being disrespectful to wear a hat or cap in church, but the verse is not talking about being in God's house, it talks about praying or prophesying, so I had to dig a little deeper. Covering the head shows a mark of subjection, and it makes him look downwards instead of upwards to his Spiritual Head, Christ, to whom alone he owes subjection. Here is another way it is explained; so a man who prays or prophesies with a veil on his head, reflects a dishonour on Christ, whose representative he is. So now it makes sense, and when we see a man about to pray, we will know know why he takes his hat off before he prays.

May 26

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4


I think most of us feel as though we have walked through the shadow of death. And if we haven't, then hold on, it won't be long and you will be there too. But we have great comfort in these words! We are to fear no evil, why? Because God is with us. No matter what it is that we are going to be going through we must hold on to that thought and know that God is going to be there right there with us, even if we feel that He is not there, He really is. As the crook in the staff is wrapped around you and pulling you to Him, take comfort in that! Know that He wants to hold you near to Him so that He can take care of you. Now it is just up to you to let Him do His job!

May 25

"Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;"
Job 19:26 NAS

This was Job, and he knew that no matter what was going to happen to him, and all that was going on around him seemed so awful, he knew that when he died, he was going to be with God. That is confidence! That is faith! We should have that much confidence in knowing that because we have placed out faith in Christ - we are going to be with Him. There are religions that lead you to believe that you can loose that salvation, but I am here to tell you that placing your faith in Him should give you that confidence that you are HIS - ALWAYS! Rest in that, soak it up and the spill it out to others! No matter what happens to us here on earth, we know that in the end we will have peace, joy and be standing with the LORD forever!

May 24

Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:14

We hear the saying all the time, if you are going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk, and here it is in the Bible. We are to be very careful of not only saying that we are Christians, but we are to live as Christians. How are we telling others that we serve Christ? What can others see that we do? Sure they can see us showing up at church, but how else to they see us serving? How are we giving back out time and talents to God? This is one of those verses that we need to look deep inside ourselves for. Are we teaching? Okay you don't have that gift, so ask God - what is my gift? He will tell you and then it is up to you to use it! It may be singing, it may be serving in the nursery, or just helping in VBS (don't you love my plug? It's June 7-12...), or it could be by being a greeter at church. Let's also take it beyond church, are you sharing Christ with others? What can the outside world see that is different about you, something so different that they realize that they want what you have? I encourage you to not only say you are a Christian but show others that you are a Christian!

May 23

Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.
Proverbs 30:5

First there is the word tried –tested and proved good, dependable, or trustworthy.
Wow - every word has been tested and proved good, dependable and trustworthy! What a comfort that should be for us. And then to read on, He is a shield - a person or thing that protects. Well we know God is much more than a person or a thing. There were so many definitions of shield but they all lead to one thing, it protects. And next refuge - a place of shelter, protection, or safety. This is great news for us, we are to be encouraged! When we need someplace to go from the storms that are closing in around us, we are to run to God and His Word. He is what protects us from the storm, He will stand beside us and guide us. So again I say be encouraged, it is proven that God is that best place to go and stay with in times where we don't feel like there is anyplace to go.

May 22

Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way.
Mark 1:2

Now we all know that this was speaking of John coming before Christ, but there is an important question here - Who shall prepare the way? Now that John is gone it is up to us to prepare that way, to let others know about Jesus. If we are not the ones doing it, who do you think will? We have so many cults, other religions, and many false religions out there, that somebody will share the "news". We have people that are trained continuously to share what they know, and they are spreading a false word to this world. If we were as committed to sharing Christ with all those that we know, we would be building new churches all around. Why are we so hesitant to share? Is it rejection? Keep in mind that it will not be you that they reject, but Christ. He had that happen all the time, but He kept on sharing, and so should we. Don't be afraid, who knows. God may be waiting to use you to bring that person to Him. Wouldn't it be awful to stand before the Lord one day and He tell you just how many people He was planning to use you (and me) for to bring them to the Lord. Be bold - we need to be more like John and prepare the way!

May 21

Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar. For My house will be called a house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 56:7

Have you ever thought why He will make us joyful in His house of prayer? I think we are happiest when we have no burdens. God wants us to take those burdens and lay them at His feet. What better way to lay them down than at the altar. I believe His house is a place of healing and restoration. God wants us to come to His house, spend time with Him during praise and Worship, listen to His Word and lay down any burdens that we have so that we can live a fulfilled life. If you want to chose to be joyful, then give those burdens to God for Him to carry and let Him lift that boulder off your shoulder so that you can be joyful!

May 20

even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief ;
1 Timothy 1:13

This is our testimony, well for most of us anyway. We were not always pleasing to God, we sure didn't try to walk in the right ways, to seek to please Him or to basically just do good. Believe me if you are not living for Christ then you are living to destroy His name, that was our very nature. We didn't think the devil was after us, because he had us! I am so thankful for the mercy that God showed to me! He opened my eyes to my wicked ways, and thought I may still sometimes act ignorant that is my own chosing! I must be careful and you must too, make wise choices, choose to act becoming of who you are now! A child of the King, now act like it! Thank God for showing you just how ignorant you were and thank him even more for showing you mercy and grace by saving you!

May 19

Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge ; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols ; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.
Jeremiah 10:14 NAS

My first thoughts are: "yes every man is stupid", but then I remember the word every is included, and every includes me! We are all stupid, lacking in knowledge, that is for sure. So what do we do? We seek to know more, study His word, get prepared so that we are not called stupid! We are the goldsmith, we all have idols in our lives, it could be television, hobbies, kids, basically anything. We have to remember that these are not the most important things in life for us. Our relationship with Christ is suppose to be the most important thing in our life. We are to make sure that no matter what, we are spending time with Him, growing daily, so that we can be used by Him. Don't be the one to be called stupid!

May 18

Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Galatians 3:6

This was one to make me think. Believed: to have confidence or faith in the truth of. Reckoned: to esteem or consider; regard as. Righteousness: Morally upright; without guilt or sin:
So now we can read it as: Even so Abraham had confidnece in God, and it was considered to him to be without guilt of sin.

How much plainer can you get? This reminds me of exactly what faith is. We have to have that much confidence in God and know that He is absolutely without guilt of sin. It's one of those things that is so hard to explain, but it is one of those things that we just know, we believe it. That is what being a Christian is all about!

May 17

"Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you."
Philemon 1:23

It's amazing to see how the men of Bible times were described: brother, slave, worker, prisioner... Have you ever thought about how somebody describes you for Christ? When they describe you do they even use the term Christian? Something to think about! What do we want to be said of us? If people don't see that we have a passion for Christ then they won't use that in a description about us. Make sure that people know where you stand and just Who it is that you stand for!

May 16

"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent."
Prov. 18:28


Have there been times that you didn't keep silent? Guess what we were considered?Yes I said we, we have all been there! Our goal should be to keep silent when we know that we are suppose to. I heard my mother say many times, think before you speak! There are times that we should speak out but I also know that there will be a voice inside that lets us know if we should or should not say something, so listen to it. If in doubt - keep your mouth shut. Don't be compared to a fool!

May 15

"Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike {to You.}"
Ps 139:12
 
This just brings the thought that nothing is hidden to God into mind. Secrets seem to be the darkness, and the good things we do are the light, but God knows everything, so nothing that we do is hidden to Him. There are things that we have done or may do that we think can be pushed into a closet and hidden, but nothing is hidden from God. It may be time to face those skeletons and just give them to God. Not hide from Him anymore. Release it all, your cares, your concerns, your past, anything that you have been scared to give to God, do it now. Set yourself free. God wants us to walk in the Sonshine, not in the dark where all seems scary. This verse should remind us that when all seems dark that there is hope! God is there to be our source of light. So let Him in, let Him guide you through any darkness

May 14

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him."
Prov. 30:5
 
How comforting to know that no matter what we read we know that God is speaking the truth to us. He would never lie. We have comfort because He is the comforter. For those who don't put their faith in Him, they may feel as though there is no shelter from the storm. But not us, we are protected from the storm, we may have to go through one but we know that it will be okay, no matter how bad it gets. We may seem to forget that God is our shield unless we are allowed to go through the storm. When the sun is shining and the clouds are fluffy we seem take our eyes off of God. Storms may be a gentle reminder of Who is in control. Take time as you enjoy the sun to remember that God is still the One who guides you! And while you are enjoying the sun, take out the Bible and read it, God wants to tell you something!

may 13

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
Jas 1:17
 
How comforting, to know that God is the one who blesses us, no matter how that good thing or gift gets to us. He uses others to bless us and we should also be willing to be a blessing to somebody else too. Listen to God when he puts somebody on your heart, there is a reason for it. Do something good for the them so they can see just how awesome God is. May God chose to shine His light through you today!

May 12

"Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun ; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 9:9

Well I know that this verse has been given to the man, but as women we should think about this one. Have you ever thought about yourself as your husbands reward? God had a purpose for you when you got married. You have been given to your husband. Now how does that make you feel? I hope it makes you feel valuable. God wanted to bless your husband, so He gave your husband you! I guess now as women we need to take this verse to heart, think about that first word - enjoy. Do we make our husbands life enjoyable? Really think about it. What can we do to make our husbands enjoy that life that he has with us? Today make your husband know just how special he is to you! First start by praying for Him, that God will wrap His arms around our husbands, protect their minds from anything that would hinder his witness for Christ, that He will guide them and protect them and bring them safely home to us. Next go beyond, yes we like flowers but what about our husbands? Give him a flower, let him know that you were thinking of him today and praying for him. Today is our day to let our husbands know how special they are to us. If God thought of us as a reward for our husband, our husband must be worthy of getting a special prize. Remind that husband of just how special you are to him, we must value him just as God values us. Enjoy your day!

May 11

"even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,"
I Cor. 1:6

Oh how exciting! Isn't that what we would all like to hear about us, and even those that we know around us. There are several meanings of the word testimony, but this is the one that I like best - "evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof". And then we have confirmed - "made certain as to truth, accuracy, validity, availability, etc". Now think about it all together, Even as the evidence in support of Christ was made certain as to truth in you... I know that when we become Christians, that this becomes real to us, but can others see this about us? When others describe you to somebody, do they say - "oh yes, she is a Christian, in all that she does, she does for the Lord? Or do they say, "I think she is a Christian, she goes to church but I am not completely sure." Oh to have those last words said, it breaks my heart. I know that I have shared about being good fruit lately but this just goes along with it, we must be more aware that eyes are on us, the eyes of the lost just as the eyes of the Christian are on us, they watch us to see what we are doing. Now it may not always be right in their motives for watching us, but we have to be very careful what we are "saying" to those who are watching. It can only take one instance to destroy your witness. You can try and make it up, but by then the eyes are gone and they no longer care, they move to the next one to see if they are true or false and they cycle continues. Some watch just to make themselves feel better, some watch because they may think you inspire them and they want to be more like you! So keep this in mind, realize that eyes are on you, now take that same time to ask the Lord - what do you see in me? He sees a champion, His most precious jewel, now we must do our part and reflect what He sees in us. He is worthy to have His name reflected so that others may see!

May 10

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad ; for the tree is known by its fruit.:
Matthew 12:33

This is one of those verses to make you think, and it should make you wonder about your own fruit. Sure it is easy to be a fruit inspector for somebody else's tree, but what can others see about us? Are we all shiny on the outside, giving off that appearance of something just perfect and then when that person grabs hold us and they quickly see that we are bitter, even worse, rotten? Think about how you have been reacting to situations all around you lately, are people running from you or to you? It's amazing how I started with one thought and ended on another but it has to be for somebody, and yes there are days that this is right at me. My goal is to not be that bitter fruit and yes there are days that I have to work at it, so I challenge you to look at the fruit that you are producing. What are others seeing in you? Be pleasant, be good and may others see just what kind of tree you are, a Godly tree!

May 9

Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.
Job 23:2

Shouldn't we be this honest? We have these days, even though we know God is in control. We think of it as "just human nature" and it is just that, human, not God's nature. May we take our eyes off of our circumstances and focus on what is to come. Though it doesn't seem as days will ever get any better, they will. Hang in there and keep your eyes focused on God. He knows what you are going through, He is allowing it. You will be able to thank Him later.

May 8

"Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes."
1 Sam 12:16


God has called us to be different. We are to stand for Him and not be conformed to the world. We are to listen to God’s voice! He has a purpose and a plan for us but we cannot be silent and be used by Him. We are in the midst of something great right now and we will see great things done by God. The task is large but it is not too big for God. He calls us to be bold for Him and to stand firm in what He believes in. Stand behind our leaders! He has called them for His kingdom. If so many are trusting that God is right, then whom are the ones who are against His leadership listening to? Once again listen to the voice and ask God to guide your words. Don't be the downfall of something big.

May 7

envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:21

We are dealing with flesh issues. It is best to go back to verse 19 where it all starts:

19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

As a Christian we know that we are going to inherit the kingdom of God but we need to be careful that we don't let the flesh take hold of us so that we become a stumbling block. This is a list that we need to put beside a mirror and make sure that we are not reflecting any of these things. If anyone sees us using these characters of the flesh they may not recognize that we are a Christian. It could be even worse, they may know that we are a Christian and see that we act like everybody else, and see no need for Christ in their life. The rest of the chapter has great words of wisdom for us to live by. May we think before we speak and pray before we act so that we may have a reflection of Christ in our lives for others to see.

May 6

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Col. 9:7

For anyone that has been in a service with Chris Gulledge, they have heard the term "cheerful giver" before. He makes it very clear that when we give we need to give with a happy heart. If we have a bad attitude about what we are giving then we should not give. God doesn't need our money! God won't bless us either when we just give with the attitude of "just pleasing Him". We are called to give, and it is an honor to give back to God, look at how He has blessed us, and remember He will continue to bless us when we give with a thankful heart. Thank God that He has allowed you to give back to Him. We have truly been blessed and it is all because of God and not because of us.

May 5

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3

We should make an honest effort in being peacemakers. There are a lot of people doing damage in the name of Christians and we have to be careful and not be one of them. It’s scary to see how people act, all we have to do is follow what the Bible says.Yes I know that sometimes it is not an easy thing to do because we have this thing inside of use called flesh and it likes to rear it’s ugly head and act just like the devil. So hang in there, do your best and do all that you can to be a peacemaker today. Let Christ show through in all that you do!

May 4

Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. Ps 139:10


Even when we don't know what "there" is, we should know that God is with us. He never leaves us alone, even when we feel we are alone. Draw strength knowing that God is always with us through the good and the bad. The "there" in your life can be good right now or bad, just know that God will guide you through this, just let Him be your way. Trust Him for the path, His way is always right! Feel His arms around you today! Know that you are never alone!

May 3

Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:2
 
This is not God speaking to us but us speaking to God. How do we bless him? Well I think in the ways that we conduct ourselves. When we are pleasing in all things, this is a blessing to God. We should praise His name always, when we see something beautiful that He has created, let Him know, thank Him for letting you enjoy something that he has made for you to enjoy. This is the time of year to look around and see that beauty is everywhere. He has taken out his paintbrush and created some of the most beautiful colors! Enjoy seeing God in all that you do today. Take time to Praise Him, sing Him a song! Bless Him!

May 2

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
Matthew 7:19

And it is so easy to be the fruit inspector of others fruit, but we must remember to examine our own fruit. I am sure that we all have some rotten fruit now and then but we must make sure that our tree doesn't produce only rotten fruit, if so we might as well be chopped down and thrown into the fire, why because we would be useless. Don't be useless for God. Make sure that everything you put into your body is going to produce that good fruit. Feed on the scriptures, soak in the words of God through music, what goes in will come out, so make sure that as your fruit starts to bud, you are protecting it, then as it grows it will become a pleasant offering to God.

May 1

Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.
Pr. 21:2

Have you ever really thought about it. We always seem to think that we are right! That is just natural, but praise God there is a thing called conviction the keeps us on track! God will let us know when we are wrong and will keep us in check. It is just sad that sometimes our hearts have to feel like a ton of bricks before we realize we are wrong. Pray that you have enough wisdom to know beforehand when you are making a decision to do the right thing that He won't have to convict you that you are wrong. It's very easy to ask yourself first, if God would be pleased, and guess what - He will let you know!

April 30

"Do not let your heart be troubled; belive in God, believe also in Me."
John 14:1

Here again is where our faith comes in. We must learn to trust God for all things, worry is a sin. Believe that God will take care of all things for you. I must admit it is not always easy to give it to God, but it is a must. One way to make it a little easier is with a visual. You need a helium balloon in your hand, write what that problem is on that balloon and then release it. The good thing about that helium balloon is that it just keeps floating on up right into the hands of God. If you keep holding on to that string it won't leave, but you must be willing to let it go and give it to God. Once it is gone, you can't get it back, so leave it with God and let Him handle it!

April 29

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
1 Corinthians 9:24 NAS

So what is it that we are running for? Sometimes we don't even seem to care, we just want to win, no matter who we push out of the way to get there. Yes, we want to win, but we should be considerate of those who are around us. Is it worth it if we have done everything we could to "hinder" the people around us on our way to the finish line, just so we are the ones that look good in the end? Are they going to say when you win, that you were a worthy opponent and it was an honor running with you? This may not really go with the verse, but this was the thought that came to mind after reading it. Just sharing what I think!

April 28

Do not touch my annointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
Psalm 105:15

Ever really thought about this one? I guess being the pastor's wife, I have. I have often seen pastors get raked through the coals and it breaks my heart. So far we have been truly blessed but Chris has friends that I can't even imagine having to go through what they have been through. My thoughts are always, well they will get what is coming to them for trying to destroy God's man. Sad to say it is mostly words that people use to destroy them, and even sadder is that the people don't even realize that they are being a tool of the devil. They call themselves Christians, but when they are in the midst of destroying a man, they are going extremely opposite of God's word. Take God's words to your heart, think about them and hide them in your heart so that you and I may not sin against God.

April 27

(sorry - I worked 12 hours yesterday)

Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 3:7

At some point we all say that we are wise, we know what to do, when to do it and how to do it, and we have a tenancy to take our eyes off the Lord and take control of the reins ourselves. When eyes are off of God, it is easy to get caught up in the world and even do ungodly things. When we seek the Lord in our decision making, even for the little things in the day, then we are sure to not go wrong. Know that God wants us to consult him, to realize that if we don't keep Him in mind, we may just be making wrong decisions. We may not think we are doing what it is called evil, but if it is not pleasing to God, it might as well be evil.

April 26

Do not quench the Spirit;
I Thes. 5:19

Do you realize that you/I can actually be the one to quench the Spirit when we are having church? We can, we need to be aware of what we bring into the church before the service starts, we can actually be responsible for how the service flows. How many times have you been in a bad mood before church or just fought with somebody and then you get into church and wonder why you didn't get anything out of it. When we go to church we should have the same attitude as we do when we get ready to sit down with a friend and visit. You welcome that friend, they can see on your face that you want to be there and you want to spend time with them, so do that! Don't be responsible for quenching the Spirit in church. There have been times that I gone into a church and wondered just what was going on, I didn't feel that God was even welcomed in the church. We don't want to be that kind of church, we want others to feel the presence of the Lord, we want to them to spend time with God and know that is was great to be in the house of the Lord. Shake off those wrong feelings, better yet, give them to God so that He can work in and through you. Spend quality time with God, don't push him away.

April 25

Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Provers 3:3

This is one that I had to think about. Why were the words kindness and truth put together? Then the thought of gossip came to mind. Think of how many times things are said about somebody, are they kind or even true for that matter? People will take something that they have heard and run with it, telling others what they have heard and little by little it gets bigger and bigger and no doubt, it gets to the point of destroying that person that it is told about. A rumor is not kind and most of the time it is not true. I think that is why we are warned about this, it is so easy to get caught in this one and sometimes not even realize it. When somebody is "sharing" information about another person with you, may you remember this verse. If it is not kind and true about the person it is spoken about, make sure you wrap it around your neck so that it may not leave your lips and may you write it on your heart as reminder for you to pray for the person that it is being spoken about and for the person that is telling it. May you seek to be kind and true in all that you do.

April 24

"Do not let them depart from your sight, Keep them in the midst of your heart."
Proverbs 4:21


At the beginning of Chapter 4 see wee that this instructions from a father. We should remember what our parents say to us but this goes much deeper,this is from our heavenly father. In verse 20 it says "Give attention to my words", there is no doubt that we are to keep God's Word close to us. How else are we going to get to hear what He has to say to us? We should have a Bible at close range always. When you are happy, pick it up. When you are sad, pick it up. God always had something for us. This is where we can find peace, joy and love. And if you don't have one near you then sing praise songs, most of what we hear are God's words put to song. For us to grow as Christians we have to be nurtured, feed daily on the word of God, listen to His music, this is the best way for you to keep a good attitude, a good spirit, and for you to just enjoy your day. Always remember that your attitude is actually a choice, you can choose to be in a bad mood or you can choose to be happy. I don't think that you can stay in a bad mood when you are taking in God's word. What do you choose today?

April 23

"Destruction and misery are their paths,"
Romans 3:16

Now this chapter is talking about the world, not Christians. It describes the very nature of a lost person. Now somebody may not be destructive as in tearing down buildings but they are still trying to destroy the name of Christ. When I think of misery being their path, it takes me back to my mom before she became a Christian. She believed she was saved because she joined the church and was baptized, but she did not live the life of a Christian. She would always say "I know the Lord and He knows me, but it may not be just like you." Well my prayer was that God would make her so miserable that she would know whether or not she was His! And guess what - it worked. After she got saved we were talking about it, and she told me that she would sometimes come home from work and be so miserable. I laughed and then told her that had been my prayer for her. She told me it worked! I think that those who do not know Christ are miserable, they don't have the peace of God in their lives and they truly don't know what to do. My challenge to you is to watch people, what do their faces show? Are they happy, sad, miserable? Maybe you need to be praying for somebody to be miserable enough that they realize where they stand with the Lord. Yes it took several years, but to see that prayer answered was incredible! Continue to show the love of Christ to them, so that one day that person will say - "I want to know God like you know God!"

April 22

"Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere".
Luke 9:6

Departing was obviously after meeting up with the Lord. We must realize that we meet up with the Lord when we got to church and we must be doing the same thing when we leave. We must share the gospel, but do we? How many people have you even spoke to that you mention God in your conversations? Seems when a person is going through something rough we tend to mention that we will pray for them, but is that enough? I don't think so. I know that I am not doing my job, but we must all realize that an opportunity is in front of us each time that we walk out the door. We don't even think about using the word healing anymore but it's time to get over that and start believing who God really is and trust that he will heal those who are sick, we have not because we ask not! Today make a difference for Christ, be His voice, there is a whole world out there who does not know who He is. Remember you may be the only Jesus that someone sees today.What are they going to see?

April 21

Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Galatians 3:5 NIV

I knew what I wanted to share this morning and I had to search for the verse to go with it. I wanted a verse about Miracles. I know of four miracles that I would love to see happen: One for a friend that is trying to get pregnant, another for a friend that is awaiting an adoption, another is for my friend that has a 10 year old niece - Julie Ann, that may be facing cancer and also a 15 year old - Jade that is in hospital with 10 doctors studying her not knowing what is wrong . I know that God is still in the miracle working business. I also know that our prayers are for what we believe is best but sometimes they are not what God's plans are. So my prayer is still asking for a miracle but also asking God to wrap His hands around these people today. God has three hands that came to mind last night and these are what kind I am praying for: Healing Hands, Blessing Hands and Loving Hands! May He wrap these hands around the people that I am aware of and for others that are going through any issue right now that they just don't understand. I serve a Mighty God who loves us and wants to use us for His GLORY! May you feel God's presence in a mighty way today.

April 20

"Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you."
Deut. 3:22

As you go about your day keep this in mind. God has great plans for you and all He asks of you is to seek Him an all that you do. I think the word "them" can be your nerves so do not fear them! Do not be afraid of what may come, doors are opening up this very moment. May you have peace as you embark on a new beginning. Know that you have a friend who is praying for you and not only do I want the best for you, but God wants the best for you - He is fighting for YOU! How can you go wrong with us in your corner? Remember that you are somebody special, because God didn't take time to create junk! There may be something in your life that is to big for you to handle, but it is not too big for God - give it to Him and let Him handle it for you.

April 19

April 19

'Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Lev. 19:31
 
We live in a world where this just seems natural. Why do I say this? Well we have many people that may not go and pay for these services, but they do pick up the horoscope and check to see what they have to say, you can get your daily horoscope sent straight to your e-mail. Not only that but there are so many shows on television that are about this, not to mention witchcraft. People just seem to find this fascinating, but as fascinating as it is, you can get sucked in pretty quick, then you can't see where anything is wrong. Several times it is mentioned in the Bible to stay away from this, the reason, it is unhealthy for you. If you are seeking out anything other than God to give you guidance, then you are not trusting Him. God is the one to trust day to day for helping us. Instead of the horoscopes each day, turn to God each day. He has great words of encouragement for you!

April 18

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Proverbs 3:29

Its true to look around and see that others may have more than you, they seem to be enjoying life more than you, they take all these trips and the economy just doesn't seem to be effecting them in any way. We know that we wouldn't do anything evil to them but don't you think that harbouring thoughts about all of it is just as bad? We do damage to ourselves when we take our minds and thoughts off God and place them on other people. Sure the grass always looks greener on the other side, but guess what - you would have to mow it there too! You really don't know the struggles that they may also be going through. How many of us put up fronts sometimes just to make it look like we don't struggle in areas? They may be doing the same thing. Instead of being envious of them, pray for them, thank God for blessing them, and thank Him too for blessing you - if we were to take an inventory of what we have, we would realize that we are truly blessed, more than any monetary value could be placed on. Our greatest reward is knowing that when we die we are spending eternity in heaven with God. Those people that may have it all down here on earth and may not know God and what they have here may be their only treasure they will ever have. Maybe we should seek to see where they stand with the Lord so that they to can be blessed as we are!

April 17

Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
III John 1:12

tes⋅ti⋅mo⋅ny
   /ˈtɛstəˌmoʊni, or, especially Brit., -məni/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [tes-tuh-moh-nee, or, especially Brit., -muh-nee] Show IPA
–noun, plural -nies.
1. Law. the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court.
2. evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof.
3. open declaration or profession, as of faith.
4. Usually, testimonies. the precepts of God.
5. the Decalogue as inscribed on the two tables of the law, or the ark in which the tables were kept. Ex. 16:34; 25:16.

This should make you think! What is our testimony? Yes we have the testimony of our salvation, but it also goes beyond that. What are we saying to others all the time, do they see us as being a true follower of Christ? Do they see us as real? It's awesome to hear good things, and lately we are seeing God work all around us, but is He using you and me to do His work? Just think about it. What more can we do so that others will see and know that we are doing God's work. We may have our open declaration of faith, sure they know what we believe, but do they see that evidence to support it? Be real in all that you do. May your testimony be strong and true, so that when it is reported about you that they hear it is a good testimony.

April 16

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Isaiah 40:21

Immediately I knew what this verse was talking about, but we have to remember that not everybody has grown up in a home that goes to church, even if it was occassionally. This should be a reminder to us that there are people that live among us that have no clue to the greatness of God. Better yet, they don't even know who God actually is. You will hear me say over and over that we are His mouthpiece. Not everybody is going to pick up a Bible and read it to find God. So many people are out there searching for an answer, and most don't even realize that they are searching. Be the lighthouse for God, let your light shine so bright for Him that others are drawn to you, they want to see what it is that you have that they realize they need. We know, we have heard, but it is time for us to step up and let others know about Christ and let them hear about Him through us.

April 15

Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more: That men may know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 59:13

This would seem to be just so easy, a quick fix to all the sin in the world. For me, somebody who doesn't have grace and mercy, I be like wham - your gone! But we serve an awesome God, who loves people that are making wrong choices and doing wrong things, and always giving them just one more chance, knowing that these people were also worth dying for. I need to remember that these people God loves just as much as He loves me and even though He could just take them out of this world, He will leave them here, and who knows, He may just be calling me (and you) to be the very one to help show this other person Jesus.
So today, instead of getting aggravated when you see somebody doing wrong, extend grace and mercy to them, let them know that you serve a loving God that cares for them, that wants them to do right,and that wants them to know the Lord. You can be a warrior today, not to destroy but to rescue one from the enemy.

April 14

Do not trust in a neighbor ; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies
in your bosom Guard your lips.
Micah 7:5

This verse comes from a chapter talking about Isreal's moral decine but oh how well it fits in todays society. It's amazing to see how somethings have not changed in centuries.
At first I was thinking this is easy, but then I realized I am that type of person, I don't assume that everyone can be trusted. Then I got to thinking, why do we get this warning? It is because many people are not trustworthy or could this actually be a warning to others about us? I know that we want to think that we can trust everybody but that is not the case today. We are to be wise, listen before we speak, watch others, see how they communicate with others. We should be slow to speak and most important, we are to guard our lips. More damagae can be done with words than anything else, we can destroy people by what we say about them and the same can be said of us, we too can be destroyed by somebody else's words.
Just be careful of those around you, listen to what they are saying about others, sometimes if they are that easy to talk about others, then they are doing the same about you. And be more careful as you speak, always think about what you are saying, is somebody watching you to see if you are trustworthy?
I do believe that we all need friends, they help bring us joy when days seem to be unbearable, but we must be careful, there is a reason that we are told to be careful.

April 13

Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land, one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors or violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.
Jeremiah 51:46
  
Once again we are encouraged! I must say that living in the ministry is tough, and this verse is comforting because those rumors do come. Even when we know that they are not true, it is still easy to lose sight of the One who is in control and let those rumors control us for a while. We start to worry what will happen when others believe this rumor to be true. God wants us to step back, take a deep breath and once again, place it all at the foot of the cross. Give it to Him and let Him handle it. There have been so many times that it just dwindles away when it is placed at the foot of the cross. We are not supposed to worry - so don't!

April 12

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you a crown of life.
Rev. 2:10
 
We are all going to suffer that is evident. But we also must remember that we are not alone; God is with us all the way, no matter what the outcome of our suffering is. The thought that came to mind for me is that we must step boldly into suffering. Realizing that we can go through this battle because of Christ. He has been there and conquered! We are reminded of that today. Jesus paid it all so that we too will be victorious, so just tell satan - Bring it on! We are more than conquerors through Christ who gives us strength.

April 11

Do not make friends with an hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered or you may learn his ways, and get yourself ensnared.
Prov. 22:24-25
 
 
Now think about this one, people do tend to associate you with the people that you hang around. Do you want someone to misjudge you? The warning continues to also tell us that if you stay around that person it is easy to become like them. Haven't you ever been around a person that is negative all the time, after a while you seem to find all the bad in the surroundings instead of the good? Place yourself around positive people, better yet, be that positive person. When you are in the word, positive will be flowing from you. You won't be negative or become that hot-tempered person. Always remember positive in - positive out! When you have good things coming in your mind and heart that is what will be flowing out of your mouth and out of your heart.

April 10

Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.
Psalm 79:8
 
This makes us wonder what the sins of our own father could be that could be held against us, but then as parents we can also think about that same sins we have done that could be used against our children. Other times it is written that the sins of the father will be passed down through the generations. We must realize once again that a spiritual battle is going on. Satan wants to make sure that the children will follow their fathers in the mistakes, but we know that God wants the very best for His children and when those children become His, they can overcome the stronghold that has been placed on a family. This should make us drop quickly to our knees in asking God to forgive us for the ways we have lived in the past and have that mercy on our children, that they will make the wise decisions to follow Christ and not the world. The obedient living that we do right now can make a difference in the life of our children and our grandchildren. May they see something in us that points them to Christ in all that we do.

April 9

(sorry this didn't get posted yesterday - when I tried to post the computer would shut down)

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
2 Kings 6:16

 
What words of encouragement to us, even now! No matter what battle we are going through, we have to remember that we have more on our side. God has placed angels around us to protect us, to minister to us, so we have nothing to fear. We can face any battle that is going on because Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. We may feel defeated at one point but just remember that in the end WE WIN! Hang in there and remember that you are not alone. Not only is God your comforter and protector but He has placed earthly friends beside you to help you go through the storms too. Let them know what is going on so they can pray for you and help to encourage you.

April 8

"do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:"
Ephesians 1:6

Paul took time to thank God for his friends, the new believers. We should also do the same. We have seen so many come to Christ and than that seems to be it, we tell them how much we love them, how excited we are for them and then we go about out business. We need to be more like Paul and pray for the new Christians and really those that have been believers for a long time. Just as Paul we should pray for wisdom and understanging for them. We should most of all pray for their protection from Satan. He is going to go after the new ones harder than ever. We need to the the ones praying for that hedge of protection around them and lifting them up to the Lord! Pray that they will hear God's voice and seek to listen and do His will. And most of all, when you see them doing something for the Lord, let them know that you see them growing! We all love to be encouraged, but new believers need to know that they are doing someting right. Today not only be an encourager but pray for the new Christians that you know. Be more like Paul today. You will be blessed.

April 7

Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
Psalm 146:3

I wrote this gem five years ago...I can't help but think of all the people who are mourning the death of the Pope. Many people think that he was their way to heaven but they have just believed in a lie.  You may go far here on earth because of how good you are but it won't get you into heaven. I have been amazed at watching these people who looked to him as their savior.
Here at home we had also lost a very dear friend this week. I know for sure that Miss Lucy is in heaven today because of her faith in Christ. She trusted in God for her salvation and because of that we have assurance the she is standing before God right now, rejoicing in Heaven!
There in only one person to trust for Salvation and His name is Jesus!

I just had to share this one today, it still means the same to me as it did then. This week were are reminded of what Christ did on the cross for us. Take time to think about Him and what He did for us so that we could spend eternity with Him. There is only one Savior and His name is Jesus!

April 6

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
I John 4:1
 
It is sad to think that there are people in the world trying to pass themselves off as men or women of God. Any time we hear someone preaching it is up to us to make sure they are speaking the truth. Listen closely, are they pointing us to Christ? Do they mention Christ? Take notes, go back and read the scripture to make sure what was said was right. If this were not important we wouldn't have a warning about it in the Bible. Ask God to help you know the truth - He will help you.

April 5

Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
James 3:11

Many questions were ask around this text where the answer is no. These questions are to make us realize that we are like the source. What flows from us can be two things, this fountain can be our mouth or our actions life. We can’t be “fresh and bitter”, what comes out of us should be fresh. When we are spewing anything bitter it definitely is not from God. We should keep our focus on what is good and right, and try to be that fresh water at all times. We do have control over our actions and our words, let’s keep them under control. You just never know when somebody is standing beside the fountain and wondering what kind of water is in it. Can they get the wrong idea?