God is our Guide and Strength..for each new day!

God will make a way 
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength
For each new day
He will make a way
He will make a way


By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today
Lyrics by: Don Moen


The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~ Isaiah 58:11

One of Gods creatures - Strength

Have you ever watched a horse run along a sandy beach, it's muscular legs kicking up the loose sand? What about seeing a herd of wild horses gallop through inches of soft snow? Have you ever stood next to a horse to hear it breath and to feel the soft touch of its muzzle on your shoulder?

     I can't say yes to all these questions, sadly. Horses have been my favorite animal since I was a little girl. I remember watching horse movies one after another. There were times when I would gallop around the house like I was riding a wild steed, that I could supposedly train. (what a dream, right?) 
      Then my dream of riding a real horse came true when I entered third grade. We took riding lessons for about a year and a half. They were some of the most memorable and exciting days of my life. I rode a horse named Presley, a handsome chestnut with a black mane. The riding lesson price soon went up so high, that we stopped our lessons. We've ridden horses on vacations too. We went to Chincoteague to see the ponies there, and we also met the grandson of the owner of Misty. 
     I think that the thing that always drew me to horses was the grace and strength they showed. They run so smoothly, and show no fear. God made them to show us that we should be like them. We should never show fear toward Satan and his plans to lure us away from God. All horses know their owners voice, whether man or just God. We should always heed to our masters call no matter how hard it is for us to get to him. 

 “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds."  ~ Job 39:19-24 

Springtime: An awakening

Lily Of the Valley

Spring is my favorite time of the year! Everything wakes up from the long winter slumber. It is truly a fresh start for everything and everyone. The birds once again start there beautiful relaxing songs that go from the early morning hours till the sun sets in glorious colors. The trees and bushes start to grow their blossoms, some poking their heads out of the thawing ground toward the sun. Blooming cherry blossom trees are my favorite trees to see during the early spring. The sun shines, casting rays of sun through treetops. Those sun rays remind me of God's light on us from heaven. Spring also reminds me of God's promise to Abraham, that he would never completely destroy the earth in a flood ever again. Cardinals move with the colder weather and soon are gone from the trees. Blue jays and various warblers come to adorn our trees once again. 

Knowing You, Jesus by Graham Kendrick

I was at a retreat this past weekend and I just wanted to share this song that we sang!

VERSE 1: 

All I once held dear, built my life upon,

All this world reveres and wars to own,

All I once thought gain I have counted loss,

Spent and worthless now compared to this.

CHORUS: 

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You

There is no greater thing.

You're my all, You're the best,

You're my joy, my righteousness,

And I love You Lord

Verse 2:

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,

To be found in You and known as Yours,

To possess by faith what I could not earn,

 All surpassing gift of righteousness.

VERSE 3: 

Oh to know the power of Your risen life 

And to know You in Your sufferings;

To become like You in Your death, my Lord,

So with You to live and never die.

A Father and His Child..

She liked verses 9-11 the best,
 but knew the whole psalm by heart!

Last Friday I was helping, in the hospital where I volunteer and I saw a welcoming and beautiful thing taking place. A father and his young son were inside a hospital room, sitting next to a bed with a frail woman, probably the wife and mother. They were reading a book, and when I went over to ask if they needed anything, it amazed me to see that they were reading the best book in the world, the bible! I ended up talking to them a little and they told me that the woman was indeed the woman belonged to them. She had been the christian and now both son and father had excepted the Lord, just about three months ago. It made me so happy and I smiled, and it made the woman smile too. The little boy likes the stories of 1 and 2 Kings with all the battles and he even liked the story of Job. He kept asking his dad questions, and sometimes they required a simple answer, but the dad was so patient, and would answer them without being frustrated. It made me think of the love God has for us, even when we don't completely understand the things he tells us. They were reading from Psalm 42, the woman's favorite. She recited it, as they read along and what a beautiful harmony it made! The scene made me remember the times when I had sat on my dad's lap and looked on as he read the bible to us. I probably won't see them ever again (the woman was let out earlier in the week), but they did make an impression on me and I wanted to share that with all of you.  

"The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

~ Psalm 46: 7 or 11 (they are the same), NIV

Prayer Is Powerful!

   Prayer is a very powerful weapon and tool. Satan doesn't like when we pray to God to come and help us, because he knows that God will help us. Prayer can change lives or heal the most chronic of diseases.
   I am currently reading a book called "No Longer A Slumdog". It's about the children of Asia who are at the bottom of the social status pyramid. Even though discrimination is prohibited, it is still happening. There are police officers always around, but if they were to protect the dalits (the lowest of the social status) they may get in trouble by the more powerful ranks. The children are going hungry and most will always be in debt to the people they work for. They can't go to school because they are poor, they don't know how to play because they are expected to work, and they are in need of Jesus because they don't go to church or have religious freedom.
    Most of the stories have happy endings because the man who wrote the book has started a school for the dalits. The learn of Jesus as they progress in the program. There are still lots of children in the streets and slums of Asia that need our prayers. Lets keep them in our daily prayers!

Modesty: Not Just Something On The Outside

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 1 Timothy 2:9-10

The dictionary defines modesty as the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc. I think that it is a great definition, but it is missing something. Modesty is not just a description for the outside of your body, but also the inside; your heart. Actually, modesty is a matter of the heart completely. Outer modesty comes from what you value and store up in your heart. You reflect God's love and reserve when you dress with modesty. When I get dressed in the morning I look in the mirror and ask myself if God would approve of what I am wearing. We should all be asking that question and we should also be asking if our heart is in the right place, so that we can let God shine through us.  

Our Help and Safety in times of Trouble…

     God will always be right by our side, even in the worst times. One of my favorite names that describes Jesus is omnipresent. In the dictionary that I have at home the definition is all-enveloping, which is exactly what God is. He is always around us, enveloping us in his strong arms. Psalm 121 is a cry of help and sometimes we make it our own, because we may be afraid or unsure of what is going to happen. It also assures us that God is always there for us.
     This psalm starts with a question, and right away it is answered. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth (verses 1and 2)” The psalmist looked up toward the top of a mountain and asked who would help him. Mountains are extremely tall and can be intimidating, especially if you are at the bottom. He was answered with a wonderful response. The Lord, who made the earth (which includes mountains) and heavens, will help him.
     Verses 3 and 4 are my favorite verses of this chapter. Some people think that God sleeps and that’s the reason why we have trouble in our lives. They have it all wrong! God is NEVER asleep, not matter what happens. God tests our faith, but only up to what we can handle. He will always provide a way for us to run back to him. If we fail those tests, he doesn't just throw us away, he draws us back to him in an even more real way than before.
     Protection is another way of God conveying his love toward us.We don’t have to worry about anything. He watches us at night, when we sleep, and during the day, as we go about our work. We just have keep out eyes fixed on him through all trials. God will keep us from all harm. He knows exactly what we are going to do every day and he will make sure that we are safe from all fatal blows. This psalm is full of assurance of our safety along life’s dangerous road.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10