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!
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!
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!
Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.
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
All Scripture quotations are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.
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.
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!
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.
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
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
I was reading Ephesians 3 in The Passion today, and the words in the title of this blog resonated within me. As believers, it’s our privilege, honor, and our responsibility to live by faith. The Bible says more than once that “The just shall live by faith.”
You’ve probably heard that before, me too. But I had not seen so clearly before that living by faith, trusting Him, actually brings us to the place where the resting place of His love becomes the very source and root of our lives. Just as hope is an achor to our souls, our lives become rooted in rest, the resting place of His love.
Once again, I am learning more about rest, His rest, and the deep and wide impact of choosing to remain in rest in Him. And that everything that God asks us to do has a benefit. He is such a good, good Father.
Oh dear ones, how He loves you and me. The enemy of our souls would have us live distracted, anxious lives. Let us instead turn our faces to Heaven, and to Him, and believe and receive these words of Jesus:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].
Matthew 11:28 AMP
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!
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 3:14-20 TPT
Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.
The following is an excerpt from the book titled, “His Voice in My Heart.” by Lori O’Neil. It is shared with the permission of the author and publisher. It is book 1 in a series of three, a jouuney that speaks from the Heart of God, messages to heal, confirm and deepen our relationships with Him.
My birth is not a season, it is the beginning of the end — which is the beginning.
All must die for the body is not eternal. The spirit would live forever were it not for sin. Sin brought death to the spirit, while the body lived on — for the spirit to live for eternity it must be born anew, made new.
“– Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
RENEW
I came as a child that you might see, I came as a babe that you might believe…
That you could be made new — totally freed, from a life of sin and death. A life without Me — yearns to be free,
Invite Me to your home this night. Ask me in — I’ll bring the light. Then you’ll see that all you need is the gift that was given — the One True Light. (John 1:4, 9) That light is Me.
There was no room at the Inn, will you ask Me in?
“And the angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he wil reign over the house of Jacob, forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end'” Luke 1:30-33
“And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid hin in a manger, for there was no room in the inn.” Luke 2:7
Read also: John 1:12-14 and Romans 6:23. — “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God… “ “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…”
His Voice in My Heart, His Voice in My Heart, the Journey and His Voice in My Heart, to Freedom! can be purchased from Nation Of Women Publishing.
You can larn more about Lori, her books, and her vision to reach the lost and hurting, as well as opportunities to participate on Wordscroll.org.
On a personal note, I met Lori on a trip to Israel in May/June of 2019. It truly has been a grace connection. The Lord enabled me to connect her to Nation of Women Publishing, which brings me joy. However our connection goes much deeper as she has been there for me, encouraging me in the Lord, praying for me and my husband as we walked through the last three years. Its been a faith walk and I am SO very grateful for her love, late night texts and all. She truly “put skin on” Jesus for me. I treasure and hold close the word that God gave her for me — “Stand on your faith, I have heard your prayer. This will not happen quickly, but it will happen. And I believe!
Oh how HE loves you and me. Remember always, He is Immanuel – God with US — God with YOU.
We see this word used a lot this time of year, particularly in Christmas movies. While I thoroughly enjoy a good Christmas story, they are not real or a basis for belief.
In reality, BELIEVE is a word to be treasured and meditated upon. What we choose to believe goes to the very core of who we are and it impacts our lives.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, what He says, what His Word says, and His promises are the anchor of my soul. In good times, in stormy/hard times and every other time, I choose to stay anchored, believing that He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Storms may come, but He is a good Father, perfect, never changing, so this is what I BELIEVE:
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.
John 14:6 TPT
…I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever.
John 11:25 TPT
My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands.
John 10:27-28 TPT
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow! I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep.
John 10:10-11 TPT
“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!
John 14:27 TPT
For the Father tenderly loves you, because you love me and believe that I’ve come from God.
John 16:27 TPT
We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold,
Hebrews 6:19 TPT
So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!
Hebrews 10:23 TPT
Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.
I’ve heard and said this prayer more times than I can count, and possibly you have too. But tonight I ŕead it in The Passion translation for the first time. Then I read it again and again while thinking on His great love, of the king of the universe, the Almighty, Most High God. And I was reminded that FIRST of all, his desire is to be known as our beloved father.
OH how He loves you and me.
I remember a time in the last year or so, things seemed so hard, overwhelming, impossible, but God. I heard Holy Spirit whisper to my heart, sing a hallelujah. It wasn’t easy to start. I went out to my back porch and turned the volume up all the way, and I started to sing a long as loud as I could, with tears streaming down my face ….I sing a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies…fear has lost its hold on me… By the time the song was done, I felt his grace surrounding me, I was stronger, knowing He is for me.
It isn’t always easy to praise God when we are going through difficult times. But it is so important, so freeing, so healing, so right. Praise is powerful and it drowns out the enemy. As we praise God we are resisting Satan and his lies, and he must flee! I can imagine him screaming nooooo….as he runs away.
Think about this… if the praises of toddlers and babies are powerful enough to shut the enemy up, we (as his children) can expect the sane when we praise with child like faith!
You have built a stronghold by the songs of children. Strength rises up with the chorus of infants. This kind of praise has power to shut Satan’s mouth. Childlike worship will silence the madness of those who oppose you.
Psalms 8:2 TPT
Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.
Psalms 8:2 MSG
A Grateful Grace-full Life 