| | | | | | Posted Thursday, February 5 2009 at 8:29 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
It seems that everyone I talk to is having a hard time discerning God's will for their lives. The questions are endless....What is God doing in my life? How will He work out the situations? Is He even concerned with what's going on in my life? Has God abandoned me? If He hasn't, where is He in all of this? Many I talk to, including myself (okay...truth be known...I talk to myself)...believe that God has a plan, but it is often difficult to see how He will make a way. The impossibilities seem overwhelming and endless. So, as I was emailing a friend last night...before I even knew what I had written....I looked before me and saw that I had typed these words:
When God has a plan.......He makes a path.
I thought to myself...WOW that's good! But, I also thought...WOW, God just spoke to my heart in a REALLY big way. He doesn't want us focusing on our feelings or emotions...or the impossibilities that overwhelm us...He only wants us focusing on Him. HE will MAKE a way...and HE will LEAD the way. God's plans usually don't happen in the way we want or in the timing we want.....but we can rest assured His plans are always best. Sometimes the only step we can see is the very next one in front of us; I'm convinced if that is the story of your life...then you are DEFINITELY walking with God...because that is exactly how He operates. He isn't growing us to become INDEPENDENT...but to become MORE DEPENDENT upon Him. So, if you find yourself clinging to God....He's got you right where He wants you AND you're in the best possible place you could be.
In the words of one of my favorite pastor, Charles Swindoll,
"When focused on God Himself....we find How perfectly He works, how sovereignly He controls, and how remarkable He changes the face of things once He moves in. At the precise moment when it will have its greatest impact, God ceases His silence and sovereignly makes His move. And when He does, life is full of surprises!"
If we're certain that God has a plan....if we have faith to believe that He has a plan for good....then we can rest assured He will light our path. We must have faith in God's faithfulness!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, November 27 2008 at 5:41 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! GOD BLESS!
Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.
~~Author Unknown~~
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, November 13 2008 at 9:04 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
LINK
Very few books impact your life in such a way that you will never live the next day in the same way you did the last..this book does just that. You will find it more than difficult to put this book down. Dr. Jeremiah clearly and concisely reveals Biblical Prophecy in a way that will impact the way you live your daily life; truly you will not be able to view the world, nor your individual life, in the same way after reading this book.
One of the things that will fascinate you, as you begin to read, is the current events that are explained in such captivating detail. The book reads as if it were just written a few weeks ago. In a few chapters you will have a better understanding of World Affairs and you will clearly find the answers to the question, What In The World Is Going On? This books purpose and presentation help you to understand Biblical prophetic events as they unfold around you at this very moment.
Dr. Jeremiah helps you to easily discover and understand the astounding truth about the upcoming Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Armageddon with amazing detail in an easy to comprehend style of writing. The discussion and detail that is devoted to understanding the role of America in Bible prophecy, the significance of Israel, the global oil crisis, Radical Islam and how they factor in to Gods prophetic plan provides the ability to view the world and your life from a completely Divine perspective. For those who are believers, your faith will be increased and strengthened; for those who are not, this book provides a doorway to Light amid the darkness, as you discover that you are witnessing the unfolding of Gods great plan!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, October 30 2008 at 6:10 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "Do not be afraid of tommorow;
for God is already there."
-Author Unknown | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, September 16 2008 at 6:42 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Whenever anyone asks me how I became so sertain about who and what God really is, I am reminded of the story of the little boy who was out flying a kite.
It was a find day for kite flying; the wind was brisk and large billowy clouds were blowing across the sky. The kite went up and up until it was entirely hidden by the clouds.
"What are you doing?" a man said,
"I'm flying a kite," the boy replied.
"Flying a kite, are you?" the man said. "How can you be so sure? You can't see your kite!"
"No," said the boy, "I can't see it, but every little while I feel a tug, so I know for sure that it's there!"
Don't take anyone else's word for God. Find Him for yourself, and then you too will kow by the wonderful warm tug on your heartstrings that He is there for sure.
-Billy Graham | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, September 9 2008 at 4:00 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
ACCEPTING GOD’S PLAN
by Charles R. Swindoll
Read Job 24:1--25
David, in Psalm 139, makes the appropriate comment, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it" (v. 6). If David lived today, he would write, "This blows my mind." The vastness of God's inscrutability has a way of doing that to us---and so it should.
If nothing else, the study of Job reveals that we don't fully understand God's ways. We cannot explain the inexplicable. We cannot fathom the unfathomable. So let's not try to unscrew the inscrutable.
If only the men who considered themselves Job's friends had acknowledged that. It would have been so much more comforting to Job, sitting in such enormous misery, longing for an arm around his shoulder and someone honest enough to say, "We're here, but we don't understand why this is happening any more than you do. God knows, but we're here to be with you through it. God is doing something deep and mysterious, but it is so beyond us we cannot understand it either."
May I go one step further? God doesn't have a "wonderful plan" for everybody's life. Not here on earth, for sure. For some lives His plan is Lou Gehrig's disease. For some lives (like Job's) His plan is a life of pain. For others, heartbreak and brokenness, blindness or paralysis, or congenital complications. For many, His plan is to answer no to their requests for healing. But we don't like that. Some won't accept it. In fact, they go so far as to say, "If you believe that, you lack faith." On the contrary, I say if you believe that, you believe the Bible!
The Bible describes the lives of people who don't get well, who don't quickly get over their problems, who don't easily overcome accidents or illnesses. God's Word pictures its heroes, warts and all. They hurt. They fall. They fail, and on occasion, by His grace, they succeed.
How well do you accept the unfolding plan of God for your life?
Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, August 18 2008 at 2:25 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: “I wish you would explain to me something.” “Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher.” “What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.” Macready’s answer was this:
This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”
*Are we as Christians living our lives in a way that reflects that the Word of God is Truth, or do people simply look at us and believe it must all be "fiction?" | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Saturday, August 9 2008 at 6:42 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Don't miss this video....
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Saturday, July 19 2008 at 1:13 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | If you compare your life to Christ,
how long would your list be
of matching characteristics?
Whew....that's a humbling question.... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Friday, July 11 2008 at 1:29 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | There are two kinds of people:
those who say to God, "Thy will be done,"
and those to whom God says,
"All right, then, have it your way."
-C.S. Lewis
Hmmmmmm....something to think about, "So what kind of person are you?"
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, June 3 2008 at 5:15 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | So what's the big deal about the Word of God? Well, if we're atleast half way honest with ourselves and admit we're selfish.....we can go ahead and ask the question that we ask about most things in life..."What's in it for me?"
Here's the answers to that question:
Psalm 119
Vs 4 - We are commanded
Vs 9 - It purifies our ways
(cleanse-purifies)
Vs11 - Keeps us from presumptuous sin (Vs 133)
Vs 18 - Spiritual discernment (Vs 130)
Vs 24 - We will extract solid counsel
Vs 27 - Teaches us to be a witness (Vss 74 & 79)
Vs 33 - To give us perseverance (Vs 112)
Vs 36 - Refocus my goals (Vs 59)
Vs 38 - It teaches us to reverence God (Vs 120)
Vs 40 - It satisfies the searching soul
Vs 46 - It gives us boldness
Vs 49 - Gives us hope (Vs 92)
Vs 51 - Gives a clear path during confused times
Vs 52 - Comfort in hard times (Vs 143)
Vs 54 - Gives deep inward joy (Vs 103)
Vs 69 - Gives strength under persecution (Vs 85)
Vs 72 - It reveals true riches
Vs 89 - It is an eternal word (Vs 160)
Vs 93 - It is the word of life
Vs 97 -
The Word of God is our sufficiency
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, May 20 2008 at 3:57 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "Good Morning, This is God! I will be handling all of your problems today. I will not need your help;so have a good day!I love you!"
Sometimes, we need to be reminded that God is fully capable of doing His job....thought I'd share with you...so sit back and relax, and watch the Creator of the Universe go to work in your life!
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Sunday, May 11 2008 at 2:57 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "What is God saying about me?"
It's a question we should be asking ourselves every moment of every day. We get so wrapped up with what family, friends, enemies, acquaintances, and various others are saying about us; but we forget that God talks about us too.
If you don't believe me, go to the Bible, in the book of Job..... Chapter 1. God has conversations about our lives. Each and every one of us is discussed in the Heavenly realms. So what's being said? What is the conversation that God is having about your own life?
Just something God laid on my heart....I hope it will give you an opportunity to draw near to Him.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Sunday, May 4 2008 at 3:28 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | You hear it alot...there is power in prayer. It is evident that A LOT of people believe in that because MOST people pray. Although, the majority of people are not satisfied with their prayer life. Specifically, their prayers don't seem to get answered, how and when THEY wanted. I receive so many prayer requests through ScriptureNow, and it saddens me that most of the prayers are compiled of nothing more than an early "Christmas list." It's an "I want this, I need this, I need that." Now, there is no doubt that it is GREAT that these people are seeking prayer....but the problem is, they are not seeking God. They seek God for what He gives, not for who He is.
We become easily confused that if we pray enough, or in the right way, or if the right "godly" person prays for us, "magically" our prayer will be answered. Even worse yet, we believe that God looks at His "naughty or nice" list and then decides on whether or not to "grant" us our wishes. God is not a magic genie. And it's about time, as we focus upon prayer, that we quit treating Him like one.
First, and foremost, God wants us seeking Him; desiring nothing more than His presence in our lives. He has given us the privelege of prayer so that we might commune with Him and get to know Him and His ways in order that we would walk in them. God does in fact work miracles, He does bless us endlessly, but not because of our prayers....it's because of our relationship with Him. It's because as we pray, we keep seeking Him. Prayer is our ability to show God our faith in Him. And we must learn to pray just as Jesus taught us to: that God's will be done, not our own. Trusting God means wholeheartedly believing that His ways are higher AND better. It's not that prayer changes things, it's that prayer changes us. It brings us into the presence of God, glimpsing at things through His eyes. Communing with God changes our perspective, it brings us to a place of realizing we are nothing, and He is EVERYTHING.
So, here's a challenge: The next time you go to pray. Just enter into God's presence with a humble thankful heart, and just sit quietly in His presence. Get to know Him better. For a change....ask Him what HE has to say, instead of doing all the talking.
You'll realize very quickly, the power is not in your prayer, the power is in your God!!!
Praying for you all always!
Cherie | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Friday, April 18 2008 at 4:35 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Yesterday I had another moment in which God spoke to me...thought I would share...hopefully it will speak to you, too.
I will share that it has always been so cute how my two boys just LOVE the UPS truck! (from a very young age...they understood quite clearly that the UPS truck brings TOYS and fun things, usually from Grandma and Grandad-which is a great thing) What was even more adorable was how they thought there was only 1 UPS truck in the world....they couldn't believe how that truck got around town like it did!
Anyway, …to the point. My oldest son saw the UPS truck going towards our home and asked, "Mommy, is that truck going to our house??!!?" I replied, "Oh no, we're not expecting anything...haven't ordered anything, don't know of anyone sending us anything." He sighed and laughed in the same breath and said, "Mommy...Mommy...Mommy...don't you know...You don't have to be EXPECTING something in order for something to just, show up!" I was frozen in that moment....it seemed like a minute, was an hour, and I realized that God had just spoken to my heart in a huge way.
Now you might think, "big deal," …what a nice moment….but, for two days I had "writer's block" on a devotional I was working on, regarding God, as our "Deliverer." For some reason, every time I went to write, the message just didn't seem to come. Well, I got the message. And it was loud and clear.
Are we expecting God to show up? When we've prayed, are we looking for Him? Are we looking all around for our "Deliverer?" As I've grown in my faith, I can certainly say that most of the time I do...but what I was missing here, was a BIG part of my faith walk..."God showing up when I'm NOT expecting Him to." It seemed clear that I needed to be alert in my faith- clearly understanding that God sometimes shows up with an "unexpected" surprise- an "unexpected" blessing. I realized that I might miss the delivery, if I wasn't looking for God in ALL things at ALL times.
He is our DELIVERER....which means, sometimes He will deliver when we're "expecting" something, and sometimes He will deliver when we're "NOT expecting" anything. I need to be more aware of His grace that is delivered fresh and new every morning. I need to grab hold of those things that He's ALREADY delivered. We just need to be excited that God IS our "Deliverer" and that He will sometimes show up when we're expecting Him and sometimes He'll show up when we're not. We must praise Him that He chooses to show up at all!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, March 25 2008 at 3:02 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | You have never lived the seven days in front of you, and you will never live them again.
Life is like a coin. Spend it any way you want to,
but you can spend it only once.
God wants to change your appetite, change your habits, change your style, and, in the process, change your entire life....
(let Him.)
-Charles Swindoll (parentheses added-mine)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Saturday, March 15 2008 at 2:25 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "If God had granted all the silly prayers I've made in my life, where would I be now?"- C.S. Lewis
Hmmmm.....something to think about. :) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, March 13 2008 at 4:33 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "One of the best ways to get back on your feet,
is to FIRST get on your knees."
-unknown
Find Prayer and Scripture at the NEW:
SCRIPTURENOW.com
LINK
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, February 12 2008 at 6:27 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Time after time, I find God speaking to me through the ordinary things in life...maybe it's because I make it a habit of looking for Him. Today was no exception.
My 9 year old son, who loves building things, found himself frustrated over a Lego piece that he just could not put together. I told him to PLEASE not get frustrated,... but just bring it to me, if he needed help. He sat, and remained frustrated...then He called out to me, "Don't you want to help me?" I replied, "Yes, I do, I told you to bring it to me." "Oh," was his reply. When he brought it to me, I snapped it together and He was stunned and amazed at how quickly I was able to resolve his issue! Before I knew it, not one second had passed and he had run to bring me another piece, and then another. He continued his building in delight, and I think he learned to just come to me for help, over anything, no matter how important or unimportant he might think it is to me.
Now, is it just me, or do you hear God speaking here. We cry out, "God, Don't you want to help me?" "Bring it to Me," He says. What is it in your life that you are struggling with? He wants you to bring it to Him. Why do we fail to hear Him the first time? WHATEVER it is, we must bring it to an awesome God who loves us and has supernatural power to "fix things." Once you see His awesome power work in your life, you'll find yourself running to Him over and over as fast as you can....and as a little child, saying, "Can you help me, can you fix this?" Didn't Jesus say unless we come to Him as little children we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
He was speaking literally here. WE are God's children and our help should ALWAYS come from Him, our Heavenly Father.
“I look up to the mountains-
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made the heavens and the earth!”
Psalm 121: 1-2
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, February 5 2008 at 3:00 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Don't miss the opportunity to take this test. You might be surprised at the results. As our God given right and responsibility to our nation, I pray that God will lead each and every one of you to vote according to HIS will.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE TEST:
LINK | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, January 29 2008 at 12:07 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Don't miss this....the lyrics are so moving!
(OH AND BE SURE AND CLOSE OUT MY BLOG PAGE SO MY BLOG PAGE MUSIC WON'T INTERFERE WITH THE PRESENTATION)
LINK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, January 7 2008 at 12:12 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "…come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Isaiah 2: 5
Just Enough Light
Sometimes only the step I’m on,
or the very next one ahead,
is all that is illuminated for me.
God gives just the amount of light I need
for the exact moment I need it.
At those times I walk in surrender to faith,unable to see the future and not fully comprehending the past.
And because it is God who has given me
what light I have,
I know I must reject the fear and doubt
that threaten to overtake me.
I must be determined to be content where I am,
and allow God to get me where I need to go.
I walk forward, one step at a time,
fully trusting that the light God sheds
is absolutely sufficient.
-Stormie Omartian
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Sunday, December 9 2007 at 2:57 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | I wanted to share with you another message that God gave to me yesterday. I wish I could shout it from the mountaintops, but posting here on EzraWeb will certainly have the same effect! :)
Yesterday, my children and I set out to attend a Holiday event. We had planned our whole day around it and we were REALLY excited. But as we arrived at the park, we found out, it was last weekend. I couldn't believe it! I was let down, my children were let down and we wondered, "what do we do now??" So as I pulled away I realized I needed to run an errand at the local drug store, so I opted to go to the one that was closest...I proceeded to drive, I was almost there, and for some reason..I took a U turn. Why? well, maybe the rest of the story explains that. So I headed back 4 miles in the other direction to a drug store that is actually closer to my home. As I drove down a busy street...I remained at the 40mph speed limit as hurried people FLEW by. As I was driving, admiring the beautiful snow covering the homes, I noticed an elderly man had fallen in his driveway. I took a second look, and sure enough, he could not get up. He laid there, watching all the cars rush by. I couldn't stop immediately because of all the traffic, so I told my two children who were in the back seats, "Mommy, has to turn around, we have to help someone!" .......so I made ANOTHER U Turn...and pulled into his driveway.
He looked at me in such awe! "Who are you, he asked, where did you come from??" His eyes were full of gratitude and you could tell his heart was warmed over. In fact, he didn't even seem to concerned about getting up anymore...he was just in such shock that I stopped! I got his mail for him, (which is what he was after...with no jacket, in dress shoes, in 27 degrees) We chatted, and he continued to look at me in such shock and amazement that I would have even noticed him much less stop to help him. His name was Bob...please pray for Bob.
So here it is, God said, "Be willing to make U Turns in life." You see, my day didn't go as I planned, it went just as GOD planned. I wonder how many cars passed by Bob because they were speeding, I wonder how many saw him, but didn't stop to help because they were too busy. God has plans for our lives, that work in HIS timing. We can't be ahead of Him, we can't be behind Him....our intimate relationship will keep us right in step with Him. Every morning before I rise, I pray that God will use me to be His hands and feet, to be His vessel in order to glorify His name; today He certainly answered that prayer. What if our holiday event would not have been cancelled, what if I would not have made the first u turn (which I still wonder why I did) and what if I would not have been going the speed limit? I would not only have missed be a blessing to this elderly man, I would have missed the awesome blessing that God gave to me....in my heart.
I challenge you to look at your own life...are you so busy with your own plans that you fail to REALLY look around you, to see if someone is in need or requires a helping hand. These are our opportunities that someone might see Christ in us. One day, we will meet Jesus (Matthew 25:31) and I wonder what He will say. Did we feed Him, did we offer Him drink, did we clothe Him, did we care for Him when He was sick, did we visit Him when He was in need? Jesus said, "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, YOU DID FOR ME." (Matthew 25:40)
Don't miss an opportunity to be a blessing, and receive the blessings God has for you, be willing to make U turns in life.
Love to you all!
Cherie
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, December 3 2007 at 3:22 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Don't for a moment think God doesn't speak to you through the mundane, little things in life. God is always speaking to us, we just have to be tuned in to listening. I love sharing the ways in which God has spoken to me, and God spoke to me over the past few weeks about....His Favor.
Twice in the past two weeks I was inconvenienced by needing to return two items in which I had purchased. One item was a Christmas gift.
Now certainly I am overwhelmingly blessed to even be able to purchase the gift and blessed with a car to be able to drive the ten miles to get it!....but that didn't stop me from feeling frustrated when I realized the item I bought, didn't work. So I drove back to the store to return it, only to find that I had orginally picked up the wrong item in the first place! So they gave me a BETTER, higher quality replacement, for a DISCOUNTED price! The gift was TWICE as much as I anticipated giving! All I could do was say, "Praise God!" and chuckle to myself at how God works.
The second time was when I went to get a refill on my printer ink cartridge. I got it home and it would NOT work...I was again, so frustrated that I had to go through taking the time to drive out and get another one. (You know how it is, we get upset over the most unimportant things in life) So I took it back and the worker said they would replace that one, and give me one FREE for my trouble. Again, what could I say but, "Praise God." For the second time in less that two weeks, God's favor was hidden behind the frustrating, agrivating, little things in life.
On my way home, I felt God's presence as He revealed to me that His favor can be hidden behind things, that we see as a "problem." I am ALWAYS seeking God..ALWAYS listening for His voice....can you tell? :) Whether it be on a trip to the grocery store or in the quiet time of prayer. I seek God ALWAYS.
So, my question to you is, are YOU seeking God in everything, always? If you're not, you may be missing His hidden favor. Some could call my situations just part of "business." But what if the item I'd bought as a gift had worked? What if the cartridge would have printed just fine? I would never have received twice as much as before. I could have never seen God's favor. And God is in the "business" of giving His favor!
We will have to experience things in life that are going to cause us ALOT of frustration; but God can use those things to bring about blessings in our lives!!!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, November 15 2007 at 1:35 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | So, if the truth be known, I have absolutely NO green in EITHER one of my thumbs...I did not inherit that awesome genetic from my TOTALLY "green thumbed" mother, unfortunately. In fact, I have even been known to kill cactus!! So you won't be surprised that when we moved into our new home a few months ago and my dear aunt told me we had a "Burning Bush" in our back yard....I laughed, thinking, "yeah right!" Well, she was right. And it sits right outside the back window of my office room. I look at it from my desk and everday I laugh at loud at God's sense of humor in my life. For those who know me...this is really funny, that I would move into a home, and everyday be looking out at a burning bush!
Okay, so I haven't heard God's voice coming from it yet...although, knowing God, I better be expecting it. :) Just had to share this little snipit of my humorous walk with God with all of you! I'll let you know the moment I hear God's voice....I'm sure it will be something pretty important if I do! :)
Cherie
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Sunday, November 11 2007 at 3:17 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Okay, I have a confession to make, last night...I through a tantrum. Okay, so I didn't fall to the floor, kicking, screaming, and crying.....although, I really felt like it; it's just that I have two children and I would be setting a NOT so good example! :) LOL
So this was a VERY NONimportant thing in life, where God decided to speak to me. I can't get over how He always speaks to me at the most UNEXPECTED times. Okay, here it goes...my children and I were trying to watch a movie we had rented (Mee-Shee...if you haven't seen it, very cute family movie) and I could NOT get the DVD player to work through the cable box! I am actually VERY technically inclined and I became VERY agitated as I worked endlessly, hooking up things in various ways, trying to take short cuts that I knew would typically work...NOTHING! I wanted to pull my hair out. All I wanted to do was watch a movie. Now in light of all the suffering and pain in the world, I should be chastised for even making a big deal about it...but this was time with my children that I desired to have; and as you know, if you have children, you'll move heaven and earth to be with them and spend any time with them at all.
Okay, before you start to think I'm rambling on, I wrestled with it all and then...I just threw a tantrum, I was so frustrated, stuck, unable to do anything, helpless and the TV and the movie just sat there. I stared at it, it stared at me.
Now you're really going to think I'm crazy...I sat down and prayed about the TV and DVD player! Now, I knew all along there was a "Master Controller" that basically was in control of all the components and somehow deep inside I KNEW it was keeping me from moving forward! It was locking certain keys that allowed me to do what I wanted to do! BUT there were no instructions on how to do it. After praying, I picked up the "Master Controller" and on the controller, I KID YOU NOT, it said "SOURCE." Now, what caused me to look at it any differently..who knows....well, God does. I pushed it, and BINGO! We had picture!
Here it is....this is what God spoke to me throughout the evening. He reminded me, and asked me, "What is your source?" What is your source of strength, joy, peace, love, mercy, grace? If it isn't God...the "Master Controller" you're not going to get anywhere,.... and if you do, you're going to encounter roadblocks where you'll be frustrated and helpless. There will be a moment, just as when I stood helpless; that you will come face to face with God. After you've tried everything and fought endlessly in this journey of life, you will realize, there is ONLY ONE way.....Jesus......and when you come to Him, He unlocks the door that enables you to have eternal life and walk in Victory each and every day. I am thankful, that unlike my remote, God has given us an instruction book, His Word, to CLEARLY show us the way.
I asked God to forgive my little tantrum, and as always, He gave me a Fatherly hug, and embraced me with a chuckle. He said, that He will draw me near to Him however He can, through the "little" things in life, if necessary. The word He gave me for today was "I don't care how you come to Me, just come." (even through tantrums) If you take anything from this rambling entry, just know that whatever it is you're struggling with....go to the SOURCE....your God is waiting for you.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, November 5 2007 at 11:29 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | I make it a habit of spending the majority of my time with God; and I've learned during that time, to just sit and listen. I use to pour my heart out...which I still occasionally do; but I found my time more well spent if I just sat, and listened.
As I spent time with Him over the last few days He revealed to me that His greatest desire was that His people would yearn for Him....burn with desire for Him. (thank you Shane&Shane for the awesome song from God- putting His words into a melody) So I began emailing my friends and asking them one by one...."Do you yearn for God?" "Do you have a passion for Him that burns within you?" Are you filled with the overwhelming desire to know Him better?
Webster's dictionary defines "yearn" as:
to long for persistently. (continuously)
It seems that we long for God when we're in desparate times and need answers to prayer.... But what about each and every moment of our lives? Are we yearning for God?
I can tell you one thing that is for certain....if you will YEARN for God in the way that He yearns for you, your life will never be the same. You will come face to face with the Creator of the Heavens and the earth...and you will stand in awe.
Go ahead, I dare you.....Yearn for God.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Saturday, October 13 2007 at 11:01 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY ISN'T.
-God
http://www.GodSpeaks.com
LINK | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Saturday, September 15 2007 at 8:46 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Well, I met LEE STROBEL today...for those who don't know Mr. Strobel, he is an atheist turned Christian after the conversion of his wife. God is using his award winning journalistic skills, to by all possible human means, prove that Christ was the REAL son of God. He has written many books such as the Case for Christ, the Case for Faith, the Case for Easter, etc. I would encourage anyone who is looking to increase their faith to just pick up one of his books.
His new book just released is "The Case for the REAL JESUS." It answers many of the critics questions that have risen over the past several years including those raised through the Da Vinci Code release. Mr. Strobel is a down to earth, humble, and VERY intelligent man, who is going to the ends of earth to prove, using the best of the abilities of the greatest scholars and historians in the world, that Jesus lives! Your faith will be increased greatly by His findings...we all experience doubt in the midst of our faith. Mr. Stobel aims to eliminate that doubt. You won't be disappointed!
God bless!
Cherie
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, September 11 2007 at 3:14 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
I offer up prayer to our God of love, mercy, and grace, in rememberence of those who lost their precious lives on this day, for those who live their lives without their loved ones, and for those who continue to fight for our freedom....May the Lord give you HIS peace, strengthen You, surround you with His presence, and fill you with His love until it overflows. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
I THANK MY GOD IN ALL REMEMBERENCE OF YOU!Philippians 1:3
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, July 23 2007 at 2:18 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Who or What is leading Your life?
Is it You or God?
Is it Worry or Worship?
Is it Defeat or Victory?
Is it Despair or Joy?
Is Christ In You? Or Is He Not?
That is the Question!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, June 28 2007 at 5:50 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Once there was a young man who approached a hermit with this request: “Show me how I can find God.” “How great is this desire of yours?” asked the saintly man. “More than anything in the world,” came the reply.
So the hermit took the young man to the shore of a lake and they waded into the water until it was up to their necks. Then the holy man put his hand on the other’s head and pushed him under the water. The young man struggled desperately, but the hermit wouldn’t release him until he was about to drown. When they returned to the shore, the saint asked, “Son, when you were under water, what did you want more than anything in the world?” “Air,” he replied without hesitation.
“Well, then, when you want to find God as much as you just then wanted air, you eyes will be opened to the wonder of God.”
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, June 18 2007 at 5:50 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes"
But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen."
Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?"
So Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."
Sally just smiled and s aid, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help" She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally couldn't stand it any longer.
He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.
Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."
***************************
Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done...
And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) ...whatever it is...You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.
He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven.
He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.
The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved. Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today.
God is at the window!
When Jesus died on the cross; he was thinking of you!
JESUS SAVES......when you're free falling and your parachute doesn't open...never fear, He'll be there to catch you!!!!!!
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, June 12 2007 at 9:26 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Hello my brothers and sisters!...I was asked 3 months ago to join a contest headed by Mr. Donald Mitchell, (Harvard Graduate, CEO of a Management Consulting Firm in Boston, and author)to write an essay on the "2000% Solution for Saving Souls for Christ" By the grace of God, my essay was chosen by a panel of judges as runner up and will be published in a book within the next year. God is awesome!
I now look forward to the journey of implementing the solution God has given to me!
God bless you all and can't wait to share the new ministry God will be leading me into!
Read the official Press Release on ChristianNewsWire.com and Thursday on PRNews.com
LINK
More Christmas Gifts Delivered for God: Global Contest to Save More Souls Runners-Up Are Announced
A global search for better ways to help save souls has identified a variety of profoundly more effective ways for Christian evangelism to be practiced by engaging vastly more Christians in evangelism at much lower cost. The solutions include securing weekly commitments from congregants to set a good example as Jesus did, introducing children to the Gospel during Christian face painting and other activities by using the Wordless Book, following our Savior's example of seeking out sinners who think their sins are unforgivable, organizing and training women to present themselves as witnesses to the unsaved, raising money from friends and acquaintances to extend the reach of salvation activities, providing volunteer-based call-in Christian counseling services for those who want to discuss Salvation after hearing a Faith-based broadcast message, developing a multimedia walk-through Bible experience to help people learn about a true relationship with Jesus Christ, and establishing very low-cost noncommercial Christian radio stations where none exist.
Contact: Donald W. Mitchell, 781-647-4211
WESTON, Mass., June 12 /Christian Newswire/ -- Management expert Donald W. Mitchell announces the runners-up in a global contest he sponsored to give a Christmas gift to God by finding ways to conduct Christian evangelism more effectively. Mitchell said, "I am thrilled that so many excellent solutions were suggested. Praise God."
The winning solutions were provided by:
1. Cherie Hill, founder of www.ScriptureNow.com (securing weekly commitments from congregants to set a good example as Jesus did), who observed, "When it comes to saving souls, Jesus gave us the solution in one simple command, 'Follow Me.'"
2. Vicki Simons, children's ministry volunteer (introducing children to the Gospel during Christian face painting and other activities by using the Wordless Book),
3. Gisele Umugiraneza, a part-time evangelist (following our Savior's example of seeking out sinners who think their sins are unforgivable),
4. Gael Torcise and Wendy Lobos, leaders of White Glove Gals, www.WhiteGloveGals.com (organizing and training women to present themselves as witnesses to the unsaved),
5. Herpha Jane T. Obod, a teacher, (raising money from friends and acquaintances to extend the reach of salvation activities),
6. Tom Andersen, operations director of NeedHim Ministries, www.NeedHim.org (providing volunteer-based call-in Christian counseling services for those who want to discuss Salvation after hearing a Faith-based broadcast message), who commented, "Since NeedHim began in 1996, we've had the privilege of explaining eternal life through Christ to hundreds of thousands of people, one precious soul at a time."
7. Greg Volich, president and producer, The God Experience at the Ark, www.TheGodExperience.org (developing a multimedia walk-through Bible experience designed to help people learn about a true relationship with Jesus Christ), and
8. Roger de Brabant, general manager, CHIM FM Radio Network, www.CHIMFM.com (establishing very low-cost noncommercial Christian radio stations where none exist), who noted that he draws inspiration from the words of Jesus in John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no man can work."
Details of these Holy Spirit-inspired practices will be reported in a new book to be published within a year tentatively titled, 2,000 Percent Solutions for Saving More Souls: Effective Ways You Can Pursue the Great Commission, which will be coauthored by Donald W. Mitchell and those who contributed the solutions. A publisher has not yet been selected. All profits and royalties from the book will be donated to the ministries represented by those who presented the solutions to further their evangelism efforts.
Mitchell noted, "I'm very pleased that these solutions range from things that can be done by individuals, to activities that congregations can pursue, to programs that Christian organizations can implement. There's something here for everyone."
Read about Mr. Mitchell here in FORBES MAGAZINE
LINK | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, June 4 2007 at 12:18 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
AMAZON.COM SHORTS PRESENTS:
Life can bring us to the point of realizing we have no where to turn, but God. Our faith is challenged with the feeling that God could have helped us, and He didn't, He could have been there, and He wasn't.
As “Christians,” shouldn't God protect us? Don't we deserve that? Our flesh begs the question, “Can God, be trusted?” What you will find is that trusting God comes down to a choice, and that choice, to put your faith in God, will give you the power to walk in Victory through the darkest valleys of your life.
LINK
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Friday, May 18 2007 at 5:32 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Choose NOW to love someone who does not give love in return,
Choose NOW to show kindness to someone who mistreats you,
Choose NOW to give mercy to someone who does not deserve it,
Choose NOW to make peace with someone who is creating strife,
Choose NOW to forgive someone who chooses not to forgive you,
Choose NOW to reach for the hand of God;
and be filled with His Spirit that gives you the Divine Power to be a reflection of Christ.
Why Now? Because all we have is NOW, God gives us only enough grace for the present moment. So receive His grace and mercy, and in turn give it to others, NOW.
(Cherie Hill)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, May 10 2007 at 11:32 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | As I sat in quiet meditation today, reflecting on all of God's glory in my life, I was consumed with awe. I look at all God has done in my life, all that He has redeemed, healed, and brought glory to....and I am amazed. There is no one or nothing that could ever change my faith, that God exists and longs to pour His grace out upon us. I have only seen the beginning of what God has in store for my life...but I wonder what greater plans He has for me in the future to reach the unreachable, when it comes to furthering His kingdom. When I am consumed with the thoughts that I am not able to do such extraordinary things, I am humbled in the presence of the Lord and hear His voice saying to me, "I am."
So as I closed in one of my daily prayer times with God today...I could hear a million voices, that we as Christians hear daily, saying to me,
"Prove that your God exists!"
And the quiet, gentle, humble spirit within me, without hesitation replied , "Prove to me that He does not!"
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, May 10 2007 at 4:46 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | "A little faith will bring your soul to heaven;
a great faith will bring heaven to your soul."
- Charles Spurgeon
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, April 26 2007 at 5:20 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Faith, finds peace and contentment in current circumstances;
and moves forward with confident hope and assurance in God,
while finding strength in His grace,which is sufficient for all things.
-Cherie Hill (I know, shocking, isn't it!) :)
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Friday, April 20 2007 at 9:37 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | If You knew what was on the other side of your mountain,
YOU WOULD MOVE IT!
-Mark Hankins
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, April 16 2007 at 9:03 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children.
The teacher asked a little boy: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later)
Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God up there?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. Possibly he just doesn't exist.
A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions.
The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy:
Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she possibly may not even have one!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, April 12 2007 at 3:35 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
I can get more out of God by believing Him for one minute,
than by shouting at Him all night.
-Smith Wigglesworth
Is there any reason why you should not have faith in God?
Has God ever broken one of His promises?
I defy any infidel or unbeliever to place a finger on a single promise of God ever made and failed to fulfill.
- D. L. Moody
Defend the Bible?
I would just as soon defend a lion.
Just turn the Bible loose.
It will defend itself.
- Charles Spurgeon
I don't have to figure out how God is going to solve my problem.
I don't have to understand how He's going to bring it to pass.
That's His responsibility.
My job is to simply believe that He will.
- Joel Osteen
The kind of faith that pleases God is faith
in what the Word of God means,
not merely in what it says.
- Bob George
Faith takes God without any ifs.
If God says anything, faith says, "I believe it";
faith says, "Amen" to it.
- D. L. Moody
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Friday, April 6 2007 at 6:43 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | I pray that you too will feel the Holy Spirit move within you as you listen to: "Sunday's Comin'"
LINK
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Sunday, March 25 2007 at 4:51 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
As we begin each day, we can only hope and pray that God will use us for His purposes. We desire that He will draw us nearer to Him, but one can never imagine that He would do so in such an amazingly powerful way as with the "Running Girl." Dan Blankenship's gift of writing is more than comparable to any bestselling author, and he displays his talent in a novel that will move your soul. You'll find this book difficult to put down as you wonder, "What is God going to do next?" The question is not so much what God will do in this riveting story, but more so, what God will do within you. You will find your faith strengthened as you see that God is always in control, and He always has a plan. Although we may not be able to see it, we must trust in Him, and trust that His plan is for good and not for evil. We often believe that God is just using those that are "chosen," but what you find through this novel is that God is looking for great people of faith, those that are willing to be used without hesitation for His purposes, and He found that kind of faith in "The Running Girl." Will He find that kind of faith in you?
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, March 19 2007 at 11:12 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
The one of a kind Prayer and Scripture Ministry, ScriptureNow.com , is transforming lives around the world through the authoritative power of God’s Word. In a remarkable Christian ministry like no other, ScriptureNow.com uses the anointing of God, to speak His Promises into the lives of people in over 30 countries.
Through various marketing avenues, ScriptureNow.com founder, Cherie Hill seeks those on the Internet who are crying out to God, believers and non believers alike, through her so famously capturing titled ad, “God’s Advice”. As she receives emails, each one is typically answered within hours. The response is met with intercessory prayer and provides the individuals with at least five Scriptures that God has spoken to her in relation to the person’s situation. It is an anointing that has transformed lives and inspired all those who visit the site. Some have even believed that it was truly God’s email!
As ScriptureNow.com has brought about amazing miracles, and emails continued to pour in, God spoke again to Ms. Hill to write a book called, “Be Still (Let Jesus Calm Your Storms)” Not having any aspirations of being a writer, Ms. Hill relied completely on the voice of God once again, as she tackled the responsibility of relaying the message God had spoken to her. “Be Still” now races to the Amazon.com Bestseller list following Ms. Hill’s Amazon Short, “The Transforming Power of Truth,”
which is already an Amazon.com Bestseller.
“There are simply no words to describe the awesome power of God that I have seen through this ministry.” says Ms. Hill. “I can only say there is an anointing here, that even I cannot comprehend fully. For all those who doubt in the transformative power of God’s Word, come visit ScriptureNow.com and experience it for yourself.”
Cherie Hill has a BA in Psychology, is a Licensed Registered Counselor, is pursuing a Certificate in Biblical Counseling, and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. As a published author (Be Still: Let Jesus Calm Your Storms), Freelance Writer for EzraWeb.com, and Biblical teacher through the daily segments of "Spirit Waves" on EzraWebRadio.com, Cherie devotes her time to listening to God's voice and bringing His messages into her writing.
Cherie can be reached at:
http://www.ScriptureNow.com
godsword@scripturenow.com
Or cheriehill@comcast.net
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, March 13 2007 at 1:47 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Today, I took my two boys to the park down the street where there are streams that feed into a river. There were two streams, one that had no rocks and the other that did. My 8 year old son and I admired how beautiful they were, and my 8 year old son turned to me and said,
"I think the rocks make this stream more beautiful." And in that moment, I knew God had spoken to me.
I thought for a moment at how similar our "river of life" is to these streams. The "rocks," our opposition, adversity, and sin in life, are just places where we must let God go to work. As I looked at the stream, I noticed that there were some small rocks and some large..the smaller ones were overcome with the flowing water (God many times takes us right over our adversities) and the larger ones simply created detours of the flowing water (God will always make a way). It seemed clear that what one could see as obstacles in the stream, keeping it from flowing freely, simply made it more beautiful by the opposition it encountered from the rocks.
Whatever stands in our way, or threatens to overcome us in life, is simply something God can use to make our lives more beautiful. He will always make a way. He will either take us over it, around it, or through it, and He makes for certain that He will flow through our lives better than ever before.
I thank you Lord, for speaking to me today through the precious life of my child... reminding me that I am YOUR child and that You are with me always.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Monday, March 5 2007 at 9:40 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Hello All! Well I've been blessed enough to be published in Amazon Shorts! It is a wonderful way to read short articles (5,000 words) by your favorite authors. I am praising God as my short hit #1 Bestselling Short today for Religion and #5 for overall shorts! My Goal is to take Jesus to the top!!!! So if you'd like to just read a Holy Spirit inspired article, one that you can even use to send to someone in witnessing to them, see my Amazon Short, "The Transforming Power of Truth!"
LINK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Thursday, March 1 2007 at 5:23 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | “Every evening I turn my worries over to God.
He's going to be up all night anyway.”
-Mary C. Crowley
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Wednesday, February 28 2007 at 4:58 PM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | | Do you ever wonder if something is wrong with you when you encounter opposition? Because God is fully invested in your progress,and He tutors His children in many ways, something may actually be just right with your life!
Join me TODAY on Heather Madder's Radio Show,
"On The High Road!" I will be a guest today and we will be addressing the purpose of our storms in life and how to get through them. You can listen in at:
http://www.grapevineradio.com
Wed/Thursday 1:00pm PST
Fri/Sat/Sun 8:00am & 8:00pm PST
Don't Miss It!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Posted Tuesday, February 20 2007 at 3:21 AM | | | .............................................................................. | | | | | |
What if all the hurts that you've felt from other people could be dissolved in God's perfect love?
What if your disappointments could be instantly reversed by the complete satisfaction He brings?
What if you could stop looking at God through all the distortions of life and begin to look at life through Him instead?
-Chip Ingram
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|