June 27, 2021
I haven’t had the opportunity to really sit and write out a devotional but I feel I can share a few things and ask for continued prayer.
I’ve known the Lord my entire life but when situations and attacks come, I know I must spend time with Him in His presence to see with His eyes. Time doesn’t change our need for sitting in His presence. The last few months the I’ve had to trust in ways I’ve never trusted, give in ways I have never given, walk paths I’ve never walked. The Lord continues to speak to me that where I am right now in each day – that is where my ministry is. But sometimes with all the new stuff thrown at us and Mom, on top of our grieving hearts, I don’t always handle it well. There are so many unknowns. I have no words to tell my Mom about her future except one day at a time and He is with us every moment. That doesn’t seem like much of an answer for someone almost 91 who is now out of her home with feelings of rejection and loss. It’s a walk of faith and hope for sure. Never before have I prayed so hard for someone with a broken heart. I am standing on His promises that we have the mind of Christ and our minds are sound. I am coming against the words spoken over her that she needs to be in a nursing home because of her memory loss. Her mind has gone through a concussion and stroke in the last few years but that doesn’t stop the hand of God! The enemy is working his best through this horrible situation but the enemy is already defeated and we have the victory.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Me, all this makes me angry and I am not wanting to get bitter, mean, hard hearted, prideful, unforgiving or wanting revenge. Those feelings pop up every time and almost every day when a new piece to this puzzle is revealed. I need prayer too that I can hear Him so clearly with every move to make. My reactions and words are the biggest influence for her right now. There’s so much that seems negative, so many decisions to make that need ironed out but at the same time I must keep my heart and mind on Him.
Then there is still the grief of loss from Caleb’s death. Even though there’s lots to this situation too I MUST keep my eyes on the Lord and KNOW that Caleb is healed and out of pain. The injustice hurts us but Caleb is not hurting anymore. But there are the times I just cry and cry because my grandson left this life so young.
This week we had prayer request after pray request come in for healing of those so close to death. Ed went and prayed for a lady in our family with cancer believing a miracle. Our precious friends in Alabama had Covid and we prayed and believed for a miracle. All 3 of these sweet people are healed and rejoicing with Jesus today. Then some of our closest friends lost a son and grandson this week. Four beautiful people graduated to heaven but it hurts us here to see them go. We will be doing at least one service very soon and possibly another. We tend to want to carry the burdens and grief of these families but we are thankful we know that we don’t have to. We KNOW the Comforter and Savior Who did carry the hurt for us.
Moses was fighting a battle and losing. It wasn’t looking good. The Lord had told him as long as he raised his hands in praise he would win and when he dropped his hands he would lose. We don’t know how long he had raised hands but they were growing weary. That’s when two great friends came in to help. They held his hands up for him! What an amazing story that is.
“But Moses’ hands were heavy and he grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed and defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in the book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek and his people from under heaven.” Exodus 17:12-14 Amplified Bible
We all have times of growing weary. If we didn’t He wouldn’t have given us words of encouragement during those times. “Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.” Galatians 6:9
“And don’t allow yourselves to be weary or disheartened in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!” Galatians 6:9 The Passion Translation
How awesome it is during these times to have friends come in with helping hands. Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. Good friends. What is a friend? A friend is someone who:“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17
“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
“No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends.” John 15:13
Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Hold up the hands of another. Listen to one another. “Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles.” Galatians 6:2
“So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love. Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy.” Philippians 2:2
“He who sings a song to a heavy heart is like him who lays off a garment is cold weather. A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings on silver”
“..Admonish, urge, encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today..” Hebrews 3:13
“Two are better than one, because they have a good and satisfying reward for their labor. For if they fall; the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“This is My commandment; that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends. I do not call you servants any longer; for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from My Father. I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.” John 15:12-15
“Rejoice with those that rejoice - sharing others joy and weep with those that weep -sharing others grief.” Romans 12:15
“Sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being. It encourages you to know that you’ve changed someone else’s life.” Proverbs 18:20 Thank you for your prayers. I know many of you are going through trials and situations too and we are praying and believing for you. God made us a family to help one another and I am so thankful for each of you and your love and prayers!
So, guess what we did this week? Got a puppy😊 I know we are crazy but he makes us laugh!
I haven’t had the opportunity to really sit and write out a devotional but I feel I can share a few things and ask for continued prayer.
I’ve known the Lord my entire life but when situations and attacks come, I know I must spend time with Him in His presence to see with His eyes. Time doesn’t change our need for sitting in His presence. The last few months the I’ve had to trust in ways I’ve never trusted, give in ways I have never given, walk paths I’ve never walked. The Lord continues to speak to me that where I am right now in each day – that is where my ministry is. But sometimes with all the new stuff thrown at us and Mom, on top of our grieving hearts, I don’t always handle it well. There are so many unknowns. I have no words to tell my Mom about her future except one day at a time and He is with us every moment. That doesn’t seem like much of an answer for someone almost 91 who is now out of her home with feelings of rejection and loss. It’s a walk of faith and hope for sure. Never before have I prayed so hard for someone with a broken heart. I am standing on His promises that we have the mind of Christ and our minds are sound. I am coming against the words spoken over her that she needs to be in a nursing home because of her memory loss. Her mind has gone through a concussion and stroke in the last few years but that doesn’t stop the hand of God! The enemy is working his best through this horrible situation but the enemy is already defeated and we have the victory.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Me, all this makes me angry and I am not wanting to get bitter, mean, hard hearted, prideful, unforgiving or wanting revenge. Those feelings pop up every time and almost every day when a new piece to this puzzle is revealed. I need prayer too that I can hear Him so clearly with every move to make. My reactions and words are the biggest influence for her right now. There’s so much that seems negative, so many decisions to make that need ironed out but at the same time I must keep my heart and mind on Him.
Then there is still the grief of loss from Caleb’s death. Even though there’s lots to this situation too I MUST keep my eyes on the Lord and KNOW that Caleb is healed and out of pain. The injustice hurts us but Caleb is not hurting anymore. But there are the times I just cry and cry because my grandson left this life so young.
This week we had prayer request after pray request come in for healing of those so close to death. Ed went and prayed for a lady in our family with cancer believing a miracle. Our precious friends in Alabama had Covid and we prayed and believed for a miracle. All 3 of these sweet people are healed and rejoicing with Jesus today. Then some of our closest friends lost a son and grandson this week. Four beautiful people graduated to heaven but it hurts us here to see them go. We will be doing at least one service very soon and possibly another. We tend to want to carry the burdens and grief of these families but we are thankful we know that we don’t have to. We KNOW the Comforter and Savior Who did carry the hurt for us.
Moses was fighting a battle and losing. It wasn’t looking good. The Lord had told him as long as he raised his hands in praise he would win and when he dropped his hands he would lose. We don’t know how long he had raised hands but they were growing weary. That’s when two great friends came in to help. They held his hands up for him! What an amazing story that is.
“But Moses’ hands were heavy and he grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed and defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in the book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek and his people from under heaven.” Exodus 17:12-14 Amplified Bible
We all have times of growing weary. If we didn’t He wouldn’t have given us words of encouragement during those times. “Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.” Galatians 6:9
“And don’t allow yourselves to be weary or disheartened in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!” Galatians 6:9 The Passion Translation
How awesome it is during these times to have friends come in with helping hands. Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. Good friends. What is a friend? A friend is someone who:“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17
“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
“No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends.” John 15:13
Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Hold up the hands of another. Listen to one another. “Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles.” Galatians 6:2
“So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love. Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy.” Philippians 2:2
“He who sings a song to a heavy heart is like him who lays off a garment is cold weather. A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings on silver”
“..Admonish, urge, encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today..” Hebrews 3:13
“Two are better than one, because they have a good and satisfying reward for their labor. For if they fall; the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“This is My commandment; that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends. I do not call you servants any longer; for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from My Father. I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.” John 15:12-15
“Rejoice with those that rejoice - sharing others joy and weep with those that weep -sharing others grief.” Romans 12:15
“Sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being. It encourages you to know that you’ve changed someone else’s life.” Proverbs 18:20 Thank you for your prayers. I know many of you are going through trials and situations too and we are praying and believing for you. God made us a family to help one another and I am so thankful for each of you and your love and prayers!
So, guess what we did this week? Got a puppy😊 I know we are crazy but he makes us laugh!
