Jesus, Her Baby Boy...

51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:51-52

Earlier in Luke chapter 2 it says that Mary kept all of these things in her heart and she pondered them...that was when the shepherds came to worship Jesus, her baby boy...she had already had the angel come and announce her pregnancy, His birth. Then they had brought Him to the temple and Simeon prophesied over Him then Anna. Then when He was twelve He had gone to the temple and sat with the Pharisees and not only understood them He asked them questions! They were amazed by this Jesus...her baby boy...

She pondered all of these things in her heart. Her baby boy, Jesus, the Messiah. Like the song says...when she kissed her little baby, she kissed the face of God...oh Mary did you know?

I cannot even imagine the heartache she must of kept in her heart...her hopes, her dreams....her little boy...her baby boy...Jesus. Jesus the Messiah...the One that would be crucified to save us all.

You Are An Important Part of the Team!

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
I Cor 12:15-19

I had read this passage in my devotions a few days ago. I was mulling it over in my mind and when I was worshipping on Sunday with my worship team I thought of it in a different light. I was thinking during practice that I was sure glad that Churba was back this Sunday. Churba plays the percussion. He had been sick the Sunday before. His instruments are the "pretty parts" of our team. When He is gone we still function but it really leaves "holes" in our worship. It is the same when one of our singers are gone or when the guitar is gone or the drums...we are a team! When one of us is gone there is a hole, plain and simple.

It is the same with the body of Christ. We all play an important part! When one of us is missing we can still function but it isn't the same! Something important is missing! God gave us each special gifting that complements each other. Do not let the enemy convince you otherwise! You have an important place in the Kingdom of God. When you let the enemy place bitterness or offense or anything that keeps you from fellowship you are cheating yourself and others. You count!

So today I am here to affirm your ministry. Whether it is serving in the kitchen or cleaning the church or praying or giving a comforting word or preaching the sermon you have an important part to play. Please be a team player for God! We count on you!

Let me end with this example of ministry.

Hannah ran up to a friend of mine who has only come a few times and hugged her and told her that she missed her! My friend later told me how much that meant to her and made her feel so loved. Hannah is five and she ministered that day in a very important way! If Hannah can minister to someone so can you and you might not even know how important something you might not even consider to be ministry can effect others!

I'm Back!

I'm Back! I have been out of the loop for the past few days because my friends came to stay with us. I have to tell you that we had a great time together. We laughed and laughed. We shared things of our lives that we might have missed. We laughed some more. We prayed and shared things that the Lord had been doing...we laughed some more.

It is so great to have good friends that you can pick up right where you left off the last time that you were together. Good friends that you can laugh or cry with...friends that you can call night or day to have them agree in prayer with you.

So today I am thankful for great fellowship with friends. Really they are more like family!

Open My Eyes....

Open my eyes, Lord. I want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that I love You. Open my ears Lord and help me to listen, open my eyes, Lord I want to see Jesus.

That is an old song that I haven't thought of in a long time. I was looking up all of the passages in the bible that had something to do with eyes. Jesus touched many eyes so that people could see with their physical eyes. He healed many people with spiritual blindness too. There is one passage that said that if they would only open their eyes and listen with their ears that He would heal them.

That made me think....Lord Jesus, open my eyes, and my ears so I can see and hear and be healed. Help me not miss out on one thing that You are doing! Adjust my vision. I want to see everything! Jesus help me to not miss out on any opportunity of ministry. Help me to see ministry opportunities. Help me to enjoy Your beauty. I want to see You and to see what You are doing...I want to see Your hand move. I want more of You.

In All I Do Let Me Honor You!

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. I Cor. 10:31-33

Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God! This pretty much sums it up. If everything we did, we did to glorify God how much better life would be! If I made sure that whatever I did glorified God, and I worked at not offending people so that nothing would stand in their way of receiving salvation how much more could I accomplish? I know that I have offended others...sometimes I have used the excuse of God's grace to excuse my behaivor, especially when I was younger.

I hope that I have never offended someone and stood in their way of Jesus. Lord forgive me if I have ever done that, and if I have been at fault for keeping someone from seeking You then please redeem what I have done. Lord Jesus, please help me not to be on the "lookout for me" but to seek Your will at all times. Help me to keep the long term goal in focus and help me to be a good example for You! I want many to be saved for Your glory! In all I do let me honor You, amen.

Love Is...

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 6 Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. 7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. I Cor 13:4-7 NCV

What the world views as love and what the Word says is love is vastly different. In the world you can fall in and out of love so easily...if you "aren't happy" then bail. Here it says that love is not selfish. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done, ouch that one hurts! There have been times when I have been guilty of this...not proud of it but it is the truth.

I am thankful that God loves this way instead of the world's way. I am so thankful that Jesus loves me and doesn't keep track of when I mess us...I am so glad that He doesn't want our relationship to be "even and fair." He loves me right where I am.

Jesus please help me to love the way You love. Help me to see people through Your eyes. Give me compassion, help me to be righteous. Thanks God!

We Are Family

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 NKJ


It sounds kind of corny but I am so excited that it is Sunday tommorrow and that means church! I love my church. We are a family. God has so blessed us.

What better thing is there than to worship God with people that you love? You don't have to be in church to spend time in the presence of God but I love to worship with my church family. There is just something special about "dwelling together in unity." It truly is a blessing. It really is good and pleasant!

One of the really great things is that I know if I am having a hard time, or if I am having a bad week, I can call any one of my church family and they will pray for me. If I needed them to come over they would be there. And likewise for them. We have each other's back! We can laugh together or cry together. We like hanging out!

Thank You Lord for a great church family. Thank You that we can come together to worship You.

A Sword for the Lord!

Last Wednesday night I taught on Gideon to the kids. It was great fun! I talked about God calling Gideon, "oh mighty man of valor" while he was working at night to hide from the Midianites. I then told them how Gideon later gathered the army and God told him how to choose the men and when it was said and done there was only
300 men. I told them how they went and followed God's instructions on how to conquer the Midianites.

Then we got to the part where they smashed the pitchers and yelled "A sword for the Lord and of Gideon!" We practiced this in class. I even smashed a pitcher (by accident but it had great effect!)It was so much fun. We did our craft and went home.

On Monday night my grandkids were in the back yard playing and I hear a voice yell "A sword for the Lord and one for Gideon!" I had to laugh. It wasn't quite right but it still stuck. I knew if I was laughing that God took great joy in it also. So today that is my story..... "A SWORD FOR THE LORD AND OF GIDEON!"

Have a great day!

Feeding On His Faithfulness

1 Do not fret because of evildoers,Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;Do not fret—it only causes harm. Psalm 37:1-8 NKJ

First of all if you are reading this I would encourage you to read the whole chapter of Psalm 37. It is an awesome chapter!

I would like to testify how I have seen this at work in my life! I have seen evil people who lied and plotted against my family come to nothing because God took care of us. We had to commit our actions and our life to the Lord because in the world's eyes there was no way out. But I am here to say that I saw God take what looked like impossible circumstances and turn them around without us slinging mud! He defended us! We had no other choice but to rest in the Lord. Fretting and worrying wouldn't get us anywhere but perhaps crazy! Truth prevailed! It wasn't overnight but God did bring the truth.

After the victory we had to make a choice not to be angry and allow bitterness to take root in our lives over this betrayal. It wasn't easy because you would think that you were making progress and then I would hear the anger in my voice when I spoke of the incident. Then I would release it to the Lord and will forgiveness again. When you forgive it allows healing and it allows God to deal with the situation because you aren't in the way!It is an ongoing process.

I can hardly wait until one day when I get to see how God finishes and finesses the details of this part of our lives. I know that there is more to come because I am just seeing the tip of victory. God will complete the work that He started! And when He does I will share it with you!

I am so glad that I serve such a mighty God. Thank You Lord for defending us and bringing the truth to light. Thank You for giving us Your promises and thank You for seeing them through. I love You.

A God Appointment

This week a great thing happened. It is what I call a God appointment. I needed my hair cut so I took advantage of a day off and went to my hairdresser. She is a really nice gal and I have been going to her for my hair for a few years now. Well, during the course of my haircut she shared with me that her and her husband have been trying to have a baby with no success. I told her that I would pray for her before I left.

At that point I started sharing stories of others who I have prayed for whom God has given babies. God is so good. You see by sharing God's greatness it does two things...it builds faith in the person I am getting ready to pray for and it stirs my heart too.

Tonight I want to praise God for some of the miracle babies. A couple in our church who had been barren for 16 years....thank you Jesus for two beautiful boys. For my friends in Oregon who God miraculously provided their son. At a workshop last year I taught on heart desires and prayer. A gal came up to me afterwards and asked me to pray for her to conceive. About eight weeks later she showed up at my work with her mom. I asked her what she was up to and she told me (in all smiles) that she had just returned from her doctor and she was pregnant! Thank You Jesus for a beautiful baby girl. A few years back I prayed for another hairdresser and I heard recently she had a baby boy. God is good!

I am so excited and so honored that God arranged for this appointment. I can hardly wait for the call...to tell me once again of God's greatness. It will happen and when it does I will post about it! Then you can rejoice with me!

Freed from the Chains

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Gal. 5:1

Why is it that when Jesus fres us from our bondages we sometimes will go and put the chains back on? It must be something that we all struggle with or God wouldn't have written in the Word of God to tell us not to do!

Look at the Israelites for one example. They were slaves to the Egyptians and cried out to God to save them. When God delivered them from slavery whenever it got tough they wanted to go back to Eygpt! To the people who beat them and murdered their babies. I think that is crazy but I have done the very same thing before. I think that the familair is comfortable to us. So the old bondages are comfortable but we need not to go back to what Christ has freed us from!

I have a relative that God totally delivered and saved. This week we got a call from her. She put back on the chains. She is miserable again. It wasn't like she remembered. It didn't happen overnight. The devil was patient...he slowly regained ground. How sad.

Jesus paid the price for our freedom. Don't pick up the chains and wrap them around your self again. Take advantage of the freedom God has granted you. When things get tough and you think about the "good old days" get in the Word. Read the truth! It isn't the way you tend to remember...you wanted out for a reason the first time. Don't let the enemy recolor it pretty because it isn't. Bondage is bondage. Don't let what Jesus paid for you be for nothing. Stay free...and then go find someone else who needs to be freed.

Freedom comes at a price but anything worth anything costs....

Shanin

Sow the Seed Everywhere!

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept [it], and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." NKJ

Jason and I have been in Idaho for almost fourteen years now. We love it here. Has it always been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Yes, even if it was just for one it would have been worth it....however many have been saved.

I am most excited when I look back over the past couple of years. Now first, let me tell you that the last two years have been hell on earth in some aspects. We have been through some trials but I would like to say that God never left us through those times. We did get discouraged but we never gave up...not because we didn't feel like it on some days but because we desire to finish the race that God has set before us.

God has spoken some promises to our hearts. I know that He will deliver on those promises...how? I don't know but I do know that I serve the God who can do the impossible! We are starting to see the tip of victory! I am so excited! I can only imagine (or maybe I can't) of what God is starting to do...like I said earlier, when I look a few years back NOW I can see God's hand moving! One couple came to Jesus. They truly gave their lives to God, their whole family! They brought another family that was part of their family, (did you get that?). They too accepted Jesus...I remember the first Sunday their son received Jesus. We were all excited and shared it with the parents and they smiled and I am sure thought, "What just happened? Now what do we do?" LOL Then their family came to know the Lord within weeks of the son's salvation.

Like I said, it has been a few years now...they have pursued Jesus and grown! They have sown the seed everywhere. People have seen the dramatic changes in their lives. Some didn't like it. Now we are starting to see the harvest. In the past three months they brought another family who needed a Savior. They have embraced Jesus and our church. In the past week two more have accepted Jesus! WHOOPEEEEEE!!!! We are celebrating!

I am starting to see the snowball effect. You know the best part? Most of these salvations are the men first and then they lead their wives. Jesus is healing marriages. They are hungry for Jesus. They had something that didn't work and saw something that was working and decided to give it a try.

Let me say this. I have seen many accept Jesus and many not stay with Jesus. It is the ones who choose to be discipled that really walk with Jesus. They have something solid to hang on to when the hard times come, and they do.

So let me finish with this....sow the Word everywhere! Some sow the seed, some water it and some harvest it. It is a team effort. But do not forget to fertilize the seed once it takes root. Water them too...and please remember to pray for our babes in Christ!

Celebrating New Life!

Shanin

Don't Forget to Set Your Clocks...

It is spring forward time! So we will have more daylight hours starting tomorrow... The older I get the more time it takes to adjust to the time difference.

I would like to celebrate the new time change with a praise. I received a raise yesterday! God is so good to me. In these times of uncertain economic conditions I have a wonderful job. God placed me where I work at just the right time. He was so in control. I am so glad that I was obediant and stepped out in faith. It was scary at the time but God was so patient with me. He directed my path.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path...how true.

SO today I am here to say that I serve a really big God who is in control of everything. I just have to trust Him and not try to take over!

Spring time here we come!

Shanin

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!

13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13-15 NKJ

I love this scripture because I love working with children. But we are kids too. I have been thinking...scary I know...how many new believers or people who are checking out Jesus or the church do we try to implement "rules" on them right away? Are we rebuking them or rebuking those who bring them? Does it really matter how they are dressed? Does it really matter what kind of make-up they are wearing? Jesus will change the important stuff as a relationship develops but if we are quick to forbid them for even coming to Him just as they are won't we be held accountable? Please notice that I said, "the important stuff."

In other words, don't sweat the small stuff. Leave it to God to speak to them at the right time. You might be instrumental in that or you might not be...I know that there are some things over the years I have changed in my life that might never would have bothered me years ago...Jesus was patient with me, He loves me. He brought these things to my attention and changed something in my heart. I am thankful that there were people in my life that loved me enough to overlook my immaturities and not make it an issue. Because of their love for me and Jesus they gave room for Jesus to work things in my heart without further injury.

If Jesus can overlook the small stuff, can't we? I don't want to get in the way of "kids" coming to Jesus. I want to see them crawl into His lap and for Him to bless them....the other stuff will come in time!

This is the Day That the Lord has made...

I WILL rejoice and be glad in it...

There are those days that I have to choose to do this. I have to make the committment to "will" to rejoice and be glad in it! Most usually after I decide that I am going to choose to worship the Lord those days turn out to be some of the best days! I think that the devil so desires to distract us from what God has for us that he would do anything to mess up a great day in the Lord!

So the next time your day is going downhill quick...stop and make the decision! It helps me to say, "This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it." You might have to repeat it with clenched teeth at first but it will sink in and then your day will have a better "look" to it!