One of my favorite Christmas memories is when our kids & grandkids would go “Christmas Tree Shopping & Chopping.”
I recently shared the message below in a couple of Facebook groups that I participate in, and it seemed good share it with you today.
I suspect that for many of you, like us, the holidays are difficult. This is our 5th Christmas since my husband was diagnosed with a rare disease and due to the need to keep his immune response low, we live a very sheltered and sometimes lonely life.
I want to encourage you, as I am encouraging myself today: be grateful for every victory no matter how small, every good day and good thing you can think of — maybe even write a list of your blessings too. that you will remember with joy your good holiday memories. Pray for others who are in similar or maybe even worse circumstances.
My prayer for you is that you will tangibly feel and know that you are loved, you are seen. That you hearts will find grace, help, peace, comfort and even joy in your journey. That you and your loved ones will experience healing in your bodies, your mind and in your emotions.
Oh how He loves you and me!
“Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” Romans 15:13 TPT
I woke up earlier this week with this lovely hymn on my mind. I haven’t sung it for years and years, and yet I remember the words so well. That’s true of many of the precious hymns I sang as a child.
I felt compelled to hear it and learn about its history, and while searching I found this wonderful blog by a fellow believer. I haven’t been able to contact him, but I am sure he won’t mind me sharing this link to Barry’s Hymns, which he has been writing for many years. There are so many, and he shares his thoughts and the stories of each one. Here is what I found:
(1) O what a wonderful, wonderful day-Day I will never forget; After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met. O what a tender, compassionate friend-He met the need of my heart; shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away, And my night was turned to day-Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
(2) Born of the Spirit with life from above into God’s family divine, Justified fully through Calvary’s love, O what a standing is mine! And the transaction so quickly was made When as a sinner I came, Took of the offer Of grace He did proffer-He saved me, O praise His dear name!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away And my night was turned to day-Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
(3) Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time; I have a future in heaven for sure.There in those mansions sublime. And it’s because of that wonderful day When at the cross I believed; Riches eternal And blessings supernal From His precious hand I received.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away And my night was turned to day-Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
This song also reminds me of the angel’s declaration, when He and Heaven came down:
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miraculous sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in the feeding trough!” Then all at once in the night sky, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing: “Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.”” Luke 2:9-14 TPT
As I reflect on celebrating the birth of Jesus next week, I am keenly aware of His great love for all of us. My prayer for all of us is that He will reveal more of who He is and how very much each one of us are deeply loved by Him. That in knowing His love, it will be revealed through us and our world will be impacted.
He is God, He is faithful, and He is unfailing. He is good and His mercies endure forever. That’s why I/we can and must believe, wait, hope and expect the Lord.
Last weekend I attended a women’s event at Crossfire Church. My dear friend, Pastor Judy Hemmila and her daughter, Tammy Trent spoke.
God knew I needed it, and he met me there. I am being very transparent in writing this, in hopes that someone else will read this and be encouraged.
I had recently received news about my husband’s health, and honestly I was struggling to continue to stand in faith. It will be 5 years in November since he became ill. Through prayer and faith he gained back much of what had been lost, but this news from the doctor made my heart ache. I was shook up thinking of what things were like 5 years ago and not wanting to go through it again.
So, back to the meeting, and what helped me to regain hope.
The message: Wave Walkers
“Peter shouted out, “Lord, if it’s really you, then have me join you on the water!” “Come and join me,” Jesus replied. So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out. Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” And the very moment they both stepped into the boat, the raging wind ceased.” Matthew 14:28-32 TPT
“Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.’ I am Yahweh, your mighty God! I grip your right hand and won’t let you go! I whisper to you: ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you!’” Isaiah 41:10, 13 TPT
Tammy shared:
God was there…and is now.
Never mistake your numbness for his absence.
Stay anchored. Keep going back to the Word, what he as promised, what he has done.
He is the way out.
His intentions are good.
We need his blueprint and his vision. His Direction – Deut 2:3.; He is doing something new – Isa. 43:18-19; His promises are Yes and Amen – 2 Cor 1:20
Judy shared:
What are you rooted in that will help you weather the storm?
Where are we right now in the waters of life – head above? Or below? He keeps us from drowning.
Stay focused on Jesus! With Him all things are possible.
Don’t let your reasoning block you from experiencing the will of God.
Doubt is a friend to unbelief.
Let’s stop looking at what is pulling us down. And look at what is pulling us us up — the Word. (My add – the Living Word, He is Jesus, who loves me unconditionally, who NEVER leaves or forsakes me.)
I know they said much more, but these are the words that reached in and pulled me up, back into the place where I could once again breathe the air of faith.
Their words of faith, and both Judy’s and Linda’s prayers helped me to regain hope, faith, and trust in who He is always – a faithful God.
If you are struggling today, I speak the name of Jesus over you. Close your eyes and whisper His name. As you do I pray that you will sense His presence, reach out to Him and let Him fill you with the peace that only He can give. Know that He loves you, sees you, and cares deeply for you.
I WILL extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:1-2 AMPC
It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.
Lamentations 3:22, 24 AMPC
Let these scriptures permeate your soul today, and give Him praise. HE IS LOVE, and oh how He loves YOU and me!
I am one among many American Christians praying for Israel.
Will you please join me in praying concerning Israel, its people, leaders, and the IDF (Israel Defense Force) — and against the enemy’s plans?
Father, I call for your angel armies to be released for the safety/protection of Am (the people) and Eretz (the land) Israel. Strengthen and give godly wisdom, insight, and understanding to their leaders, and hearts to hear and heed Your will. Grant unto them grace, help, and victory.
I cancel every assignment and plan by the enemy for harm, I command them to be exposed and undone now! All funding dries up now, and any assistance of the enemy from the inside is exposed, confused, and ineffective. I decree equipment fails, guns jam, and the fear of the Lord falls upon the enemy!
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
In writing this, I am reminded of:
Proverbs 16:6 KJV By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: And by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
Luke 1:67, 69-75 KJV (the declaration of Zacharias, the Father of John the Baptist) And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied, saying, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
How thankful I am for prayer! For a God who is faithful, who hears and answers, and whose Word reveals His grace, mercy, and His will!
I am spending this week at Southwest Believer’s Convention. If you want to be encouraged, build your faith, and more, I invite you to join me either in person or online. It’s free and a great way to refresh your faith.
Typical Boykin look, beautiful eyes so focused, and pink tongue poking out.Ribbons 2 & 3Final ribbon for SHR. 😍
Happy to share that Jackson earned his Started Hunting Retriever title in May, at just under 10 months. The trainers from Southern Oak Kennel – Great Lakes brought him down to the Kankakee River HRC, and with some great handling by my son Jon, Jackson earned his pass for started. The weekend before that, we had Jackson home for the weekend, and he earned passes and ribbons 2 & 3 at the Great Lakes HRC event in Fenwick, Michigan. I’m so proud of how my “boys” did.
Jackson has been back at Southern Oak for the month of June — he did so well in the 1st 3 months that the trainer recommended 1 more month.
Jon will continue Jackson’s training the rest of the summer, preparing him for the fall bird/duck season. We may try some upland hunting too…. I purchased a 28 guage compact shotgun, and Jon is teaching me to shoot trap at the South Kent Gun Club.
During his time at SOK, Jackson has both grown and become a very curly boy – so cute! 🙂 I am looking forward to having him home in a couple of weeks and restarting our walks.
Today I am grateful for… good trainers for Jackson, for my son Jon who is so willing to teach me and do things with me, for a husband who has always encouraged me to do whatever is in my heart, for summer Friday’s off, and for a God who loves me completely and unconditionally.
What are you grateful for?
Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. – William Faulkner
Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.
Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7 TPT
Luke chapter 1 includes the powerful, miraculous stories of two women and Moms-to-be. What they have in common is their belief in God, that He will fulfill his promises.
We can have that in common too!
What things has the Lord spoken to you? Put yourself as the “she” in this verse. Be encouraged, believe that He is who He says He is and will do what He said He will do.
Luke 1:45 TPT Great favor rests upon you, for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord.”
Luke 1:45 AMPC And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.
I am reading, Some Days You Dance, by Vikki Burke. It is really ministering to me. I wanted to share it with you, so I contacted Vikki and she graciously agreed to ket me share a bit.
Let this sink in, my friend. Think about it until it saturates your heart. God doesn’t love us in spite of ourselves. He loves us because He knows who we were truly created to be. He loves us because He can look beyond the temporary effects of sin and see us through His plan of redemption, restored to our original condition, crowned with glory and honor, exact duplicates of Himself with whom He can walk and talk and fellowship on His own level.
Even before we were born again, God saw in us the children He always dreamed of. He saw in us the most magnificent, God-like beings ever created; men and women so divine that on the day God made them, all of heaven caught its breath in awe.
Wow! I don’t think I have ever heard it said better. I’ve read and thought about it several times, and I am working to “saturate my heart” with it, as Vikki recommends. And, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Interested? You can purchase it and her other books from DennisBurke.org, on Amazon, or from a number of websites that sell books.
As it says in Ephesians 1:4 (TPT),
And in love, he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence.
In good times, in hard times, at all times, we must hold fast to His promises. Trust in His love, and cast all of our cares upon the One who cares for us. He knows us best, and His love for us never fails.
I pray you will receive and hide His Word in your heart and hide yourselves in His faithful heart.
I am praying these words taken from Psalm 20 over Israel. Over all those I know or don’t know. Over all those who have personally experienced or have been impacted by acts of terror. Over the Israel defense force who stand ready to defend their nation and over their leaders.
Complete Jewish Bible May Adonai answer you in times of distress, may the name of the God of Ya‘akov protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Tziyon… May he grant you your heart’s desire and bring all your plans to success… Now I know that Adonai gives victory to his anointed one — he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we praise the name of Adonai our God. They will crumple and fall, but we will arise and stand erect. Give victory, Adonai! Let the King answer us the day we call.
The Passion Translation In your day of danger, may Yahweh answer and deliver you. May the name of the God of Jacob set you safely on high! May supernatural help be sent from his sanctuary. May he support you from Zion’s fortress! May he remember every gift you have given him and celebrate every sacrifice of love you have shown him. Pause in his presence May Yahweh give you every desire of your heart and carry out your every plan as you go to battle!… Yes, God will answer your prayers, and we will praise him! I know Yahweh gives me all that I ask for and brings victory to his anointed king. My deliverance cry will be heard in his holy heaven. By his mighty hand miracles will manifest through his saving strength. Some find their strength in their weapons and wisdom, but my miracle-deliverance can never be won by men. Our boast is in Yahweh our God, who makes us strong and gives us victory! Our enemies will not prevail; they will only collapse and perish in defeat while we will rise up, full of courage. Give victory to our king, O Yahweh! The day we call on you, give us your answer!
Amplified Classic MAY THE Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you]; Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion… May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans… May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God. They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call.
A Grateful Grace-full Life 