faith – Page 3 – A Grateful Grace-full Life

Jerusalem Day Memories

I enjoyed watching the dancing and singing taking place today in Israel (on Facebook) in celebration of Yom Yerushalayim – Jersulsalem Day. I was reminded of my trip there 5 years ago. I was blessed to be in the old city on Jerusalem Day then, and I took this short video of some young men in their way to Ha Kotel – better known to us,as The Wailing Wall.

As I reflect on this tonight, my prayers as always with and for God’s people and His land. And I am grateful fhat:

‭Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.
Psalm 121:4 NLT

I am learning some Hebrew through a free class on Facebook, so let me practice a bit on you.

Yom Yerushalayim Sameach, which means Happy Jerusalem Day. And laila tov, which means good night.

I pray you will receive and take hold of these words from Psalm 3:

[But in the depths of my heart, I truly know that you, Yahweh, have become my Shield; You take me and surround me with yourself. Your glory covers me continually. You lift high my head. [4] I have cried out to you, Yahweh, from your holy presence. You send me a Father’s help. Pause in his presence [5] So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby— then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory.

Update from the Little Brown Dog – Jackson’s 1st Ribbon.

At 9 1/2 months Jackson completed day 1 of the HRC (Hunting Retrievers Club) Started Hunt Test on May 11. Day 2 didn’t go as well when he couldn’t locate duck #2, No worries though, he will be in his next event this weekend, after another week of training. He is a happy pup who enjoys swimming and has a drive to hunt.

I am looking forward to the event, and to having him home in a few weeks. However, I am grateful for the training he has received. It has given him a good foundation and will help him be more obedient and in tune with the desires of his master.

Good training, it certainly applies to me/us too. I am so grateful for the training of the written Word of God and the teachers God has brought into my life. I need to reinforce it and keep learning every day.

‭2 Timothy 3 14-17 AMPC‬
But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word, we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

Miracles for Two Women

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.

Because His Heart Was Focused

The Little Brown Dog at 6 Months

Jackson reached 6 months old on January 28, and wow, has he grown! He is long and sturdy, and at a bit over 30 lbs is getting to be quite a lap full! His fur has gone from wavy to downright curly, and his adult teeth have grown in.

Play is still a big part of his day, catching balls and playing with Oliver. But there is also more time spent now just hanging out and chewing on antlers.

He hasn’t attempted the basement steps yet — which is more than OK with me, but he is well able to jump up on furniture. As you can imagine, this is an opportunity for learning and discipline.

Jackson’s adult teeth have had a big impact on his toy selection. About a dozen toys that made it through Oliver have been thrown out, and even “extreme chewer” toys are no match for those teeth.

Jackson is soft-hearted and wants to please, but also a bit willful and stubborn. Next month, he will go to a trainer for obedience and bird hunting training. I feel a bit like I am sending him to military school, but I know it is for his good. An undisciplined dog can be a danger to itself and others. An obedient dog trusts his master, responds to his commands, is safer, and has a more enjoyable life.

This made me think of Hebrews 12. It says that God’s discipline isn’t always enjoyable, but it is evidence of His faithful love.

‭‭Hebrews 12:6-7 TPT‬‬
For the Lord’s training of your life is the evidence of his faithful love. And when he draws you to himself, it proves you are his delightful child.” Fully embrace God’s correction as part of your training, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. For who has ever heard of a child who never had to be corrected?

Let this Saturate Your Heart

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.

Oh how He loves you and me!

Hiding in His Faithfulness

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.

Oh how He loves you and me!

Update from a Little Brown Dog – 12.10.2023

An update from Jackson.

My name is Brambleberry’s Andrew Jackson, but I go by Jackson, and by Jackie or Jack when my person Jon is training me.

I was born on July 28 and will be 5 months old at the end of this month. I came to live with my family on October 18. I am growing fast, at 20 lbs now.

Favorite person: I am loyal to all 3 of my people for different reasons.

Favorite place: any room in the house with my people in it. If Cindy and Jon or gone, I like to lay on the rug by the back slider, ready to greet them when they come back.

Favorite toy: anything I can chew on or chase, but particularly deer antlers, they are the BEST!

Favorite activites: playing with or laying by my big (130 lb Labrahound) brother Oliver, training with Jon and taking walks.

So far I have learned to respond to sit, shake, to wait by my food until they either say or motion to go ahead, and that potty is always outside.

I am working to learn bird hunting commands, like hold, hunt ’em up and bring it. I hear them say I am a bit stubborn, so they are teaching me to come when I am called.

It seems like something special must be happening soon. Yesterday, Cindy spent hours baking cookies and listening to music, I could tell one was her favorite because she was singing along. I wonder what’s next!

From Cindy: This is such a special time of year, when we take the time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. My favorite song is Oh Holy Night. It reminds me that it’s when everything changed, it’s when…

God (who is love) so loved the world (every person) that He gave His only (dearly loved son) so that we might be saved. Through accepting Jesus, we are redeemed and reconciled to God, adopted into His family as His dearly loved children. Joy to the world, indeed!

Oh how He loves you and me!

Choosing Peace

Sharing some thoughts about His peace with you has been on my heart for a few weeks, particularly with all that’s going on in the world thesse days.

If you are feeling anxious, fearful or stressed, I hope you will be encouraged by this good, good news!

You get to choose: No Jesus — No peace, OR, Know Jesus, Know Peace!

How do I/we choose peace?

The 1st step is to ask Jesus to come into your heart, to be your savior and Lord.

The next step is to get to know Him through His Word — and to choose to trust and believe that He is who He says He is, and that His Word is truth.

Then when a fearful or anxious thought comes, you fight that thought with truth the truth. You remind yourself of who He is and that you are His.

Next, read and personalize scriptures, speaking and applying them to yourself. Here are some examples:

Isaiah 9:6, says that Jesus is The Prince of Peace.

John 14:27 TPT says, I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!

Philippians 4:6 TPT says, 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,

1 Peter 5:7 TPT says, Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Isaiah 48. It reminds me of who He is, and that is teaching me and leading me.

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Isaiah 48:17 NLT

My prayer for you is found in Romans 15:13 TPT, It says, 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!

Be encouraged dear one. Oh how He loves you and me!

Pray Ephesians 3 – but don’t miss verse 20!

Ephesians 3:14-19 is one of the Apostle Paul’s power-packed prayers. You can read and receive it as prayer for yourself, or personalize it, and pray it to the Lord for yourself or others.

It struck me tonight that I have read this prayer often, but I stopped at verse 19 and missed the powerful words of verse 20. So, to emphasize verse 20, I started with it below and followed with verses 14-19. I hope as you read this, you are reminded of Who He is, the great things He desires to do in your life, and of the amazing love that our perfect Father has for you.

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. Ephesians 3:20 TPT

So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
Ephesians 3:14‭-‬19 TPT

Lessons from Mr. Rogers

Below is a prayer that was prayed by Mr. Rogers. But first is lesson on gratitude from him. If you enjoy these you may want to purchase “The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World’s Most Beloved Neighbor.”

Mr. Rogers never talked about his faith on his beloved childrens program, but it was a part of who he was, and prayer was a part of his every day life. He had a unique way of making everyone feel loved and accepted… as in the example below (from the above book) during the taping of one eposode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

Mister Rogers said, “I wonder if you don’t have somebody in your life that just the very thought of that person makes you feel better…It would be wonderful if you could take a minute, at least a minute every day, to think of such a person. “Just think. Just be quiet and think,” he said softly. “It’d make all the difference in the world.”

in a 1992 graduation ceremony he prayed: “Dear God, please inspire our hearts to come ever closer to You… We pray for those people who know us and accept us as we are. Those people who encourage us to see what’s really fine in life… We pray for all the people of Your world, our sisters and brothers whose names we may not know but whose lives are ultimately precious in Your sight. With all our hearts, we pray for all Your children everywhere—yes, everywhere…And finally we offer our strengths and our weaknesses, our joys and our sorrows to Your never-ending care. Help us to remember all through our lives that we never need to do difficult things alone, that Your presence is simply for the asking and our ultimate future is assured by Your unselfish love. In our deepest gratitude we offer this prayer. Amen.” You can watch it here.

I am inspired by this, and reminded to “just be quiet and think…and to be grateful for those people have encouraged me to see what’s really fine in life — for a minute every day, and to take a moment to pray for them. I hope you are too.

I read that it was Mister Roger’s practice to pray at the studio door each day “Dear God, let some word that is heard today be yours.” And to that I say, amen.

You can view episodes of Mister Roger’s Neigtborhood or watch, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with Tom Hanks, on several streaming services.

On My Heart: Prayer, Rest, Friendship with God

It’s been on my heart to share a few of the resources that the Lord has used and is using to teach me. This list is far from complete, but I hope you will find something that will minister to and encourage you.

Billye Brim’s website has Prayer Cards with a bit of Hebrew mixed in. They are a delight to read and use.

Terri Copeland Pearson is an excellent teacher on prayer and a joy to learn from- the series “Praying Like A Grown Up” is so good.

This is an excellent daily devotional. It really ministered to me the 1st year, I still find myself reading it at times. I Hear His Whisper: Encounter God’s Heart for You, 365 Daily Devotions by Brian Simmons

Many of Graham Cooke’s teachings are available on YouTube. I have enjoyed several, but this one (broken into several short videos) I needed to hear: The Practice of Rest. You can also purchase and download from Brilliant Bookhouse.

I often play the music by Kimberley and Alberto Rivera when I pray, sometimes just to fill the atmosphere with peace. A favorite is Prayer Soundtracks.

Mama Jane’s Secret: Walking in Deep Friendship With God by Chad Norris. I have it both on Audible and on Hoopla as an e-book rental from the library. I am listening for the 4th time now and learning a lot. It’s available on Amazon and from other online book sellers.

I am so hungry to know Him more and so grateful that it is His hearts desire for each one of us. Oh how He loves you and me!

Strong in Faith

One of the books In am currently reading is titled, Watchman Prayer written by Dutch Sheets. It teaches about prayer strategies for protecting your home, family & community from the enemy’s schemes.

I was both struck by and ministered to by the following quote. I am still thinking about it and wonder if it will give you a “pause and think about that” moment as well. The emphasis on the last part is what I find myself focusing on.

“Abraham did not grow strong in faith because he refused to acknowledge the natural circumstances. He grew strong in faith while acknowledging—even contemplating—his and Sarah’s conditions but respecting the promise of God so much that it carried more weight than the earthly reality.”

I highly recommend the Give Him 15 prayer website, GH15 app and his books. You can learn more at http://Give Him 15 website. He is also on YouTube, Facebook and Rumbl. We have much to pray about in these times, and our prayers of agreement are powerful.

Absolute Stillness

I am thinking about what that means tonight. What comes to mind is that there is absolutely no movement or effort on my part, I am in a place of complete trust and rest. Oh, the Father and our precious Savior know how much it’s needed. And I am grateful.

I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the one I love, waiting as long as it takes for him to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and he will not fail me. For he alone is my safe place. His wraparound presence always protects me as my champion defender. There’s no risk of failure with God! So why would I let worry paralyze me, even when troubles multiply around me? God’s glory is all around me! His wraparound presence is all I need, for the Lord is my Savior, my hero, and my life-giving strength. Trust only in God every moment! Tell him all your troubles and pour out your heart-longings to him. Believe me when I tell you—he will help you! Pause in his presence.
Psalms 62:5‭-‬8 TPT

A Joyful Expectation

I recently sold a cute little purple scooter to a young mom and I’ve been thinking about the reaction of her lttle girl. Apparently there was a discussion between the mom and daughter before the arrived, because she jumped out of the car, looking for her surprise. Her mom said something like, “now wasn’t that a nice surprise?” The little girl stood at the end of the drive waiting for me to bring it to her. I couldn’t see her smile because both hands were over her mouth, but the twinkle in her eyes gave away her delight.

I was reminded that we are the children of a good, good Father. Of how Jesus taught the importance of child-like faith — and that its the delight of a daddy (or mommy) to give their children good gifts. That’s how God is too. He wants to bless us, but to receive from Him we must believe Him — Have faith in what He says. Hebrews 11:6 makes it clear:

And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 TPT

And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.
Hebrews 11:6 CJB

I can imagine how very sad the mommy would feel if her little girl didn’t believe there was a surprise for her, if she doubted her mommy (who loved and cared for her all the time) and just sat in the car. I never want to act or react in a way that would make God feel that way.

Instead, when I face challenging circumstances and even I can’t see or know what’s next… I will remind myself that He is love, His child and that He loves me. I will trust Him, believe that what He says in His Word He absolutely means. I will remember that He is faithful and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Oh dear ones how deeply loved you and I are by God. Let’s thank our good, good Father, Let’s give Him the gift of faith and please Him by trusting Him. Let’s live with a joyfilled expectation of experiencing His goodness! And let’s praise Him with these words of King David:

But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side, I will not be afraid of what comes. The roaring praises of God fill my heart as I trust his promises. You’ve kept track of all my wandering and my weeping. You’ve stored my many tears in your bottle—not one will be lost. For they are all recorded in your book of remembrance. The very moment I call to you for a father’s help the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee. This one thing I know: God is on my side! I trust in the Lord. And I praise him! I trust in the Word of God. And I praise him! So I’m thanking you with all my heart, with gratitude for all you’ve done. I will do everything I’ve promised you, Lord. For you have saved my soul from death and my feet from stumbling so that I can walk before the Lord bathed in his life-giving light.
Psalms 56:3‭-‬4‭, ‬8‭-‬10‭, ‬12‭-‬13 TPT

Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!
Psalms 27:14 TPT