Happy Birthday Stephen

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 
1 Corinthians 1:30

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Stephen

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to the best "Son" a Momma could ask for.  

Love you,

Mom

Happy Birthday Momma

Happy Birthday Momma as you celebrate your 89th Birthday with family and friends in Heaven. 

Love you and miss you everyday,

Shirley

Our Prayer Requests

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.  Psalm 5:3

There are times when you just get tired of voicing the same over and over and wonder why you even brother.need?  You feel like everyone has just forgotten about you.  When I start feeling like I have been forgotten by everyone, I need to stop and think about what I am asking God for.  Is it something I need, is it for a family member and am I praying with the right attitude.  Do I begin with a thankful heart or do I just go right in with my list of wants?  Hmm, something to think about... 

Remember God is there with us as we take each step through out our day.  So when you start feeling like no one cares remember God does! 

I have this chair that I usually sit in while watching TV and knitting away.  I think I will start calling this chair "my prayer chair."  The movie "War Room" talked about having a prayer closet, but since I don't have the space for a prayer closet I will have "my prayer chair."  This is where I will take my petitions to God and wait as He speaks to my heart.  Do you have a place you can call your prayer closet/chair?

  Lord, for Tomorrow and its Needs

by Sybil F. Partridge

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs

I do not pray;

Keep me, my God, from of sin

Just for today;

Help me to labor earnestly,

and duly pray;

Let me be kind in word and deed,

Father today.

January 6 devotion, forgot to post...

Fishers of Men

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Matthew 4:19

When God calls us to do something our response so off is "I'm not ready or I can't do that."  We forget that if He is calling us He will equip us.  He already knows what we are capable of doing, all we have to do is rely on Him.  We will succeed when we do things for the right reasons, when we do it with a servant's heart.  We need to not question and accept the call on God's terms, not ours.

Make Me a Channel of Blessing

by Harper G. Smith 1873-1945

Is your life a channel of blessing?  

Is the love of God flowing thro' you?

Are you telling the lost of the Saviour?

Are you ready His service to do?

Make me a channel of blessing today,

Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;

My life possessing, my service blessing,

Make me a channel of blessing today.

January 5th devotion, forgot to post....

The Rainbow

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth...  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.  Genesis 9:13, 16

Each day God's beauty is all around us.  Even when we are at our lowest He gives us His beauty, I know that is true for me.  You see God gave me a rainbow!  Several years ago I felt like my world was coming apart at the seams and I did not know which way to turn but as I was driving along the road God put a rainbow in the sky for me.  Not just one rainbow but two rainbows and the end of one of those rainbows was right in front of me.  As I drove through the rainbow I remember my car being filled with brilliant colors and God was speaking to me, reminding me to put my trust in Him as everything was going to be okay and I have done exactly that.

Oh I still have moments when I feel like is all is lost but then I remember God's promise to me.  Only God can take our weary spirit and fill us with fresh expectation.

"God Put A Rainbow In The Sky" 

preformed by Mahalia Jackson

God put a rainbow in the sky
A rainbow in the sky
A rainbow in the sky
God put a rainbow in the sky
A rainbow in the sky
A rainbow in the sky
It looked like the sun wasn't gon' shine no more
Oh, God put a rainbow in the sky.

When God shut Noah in the grand ol' ark
God put a rainbow in the sky
Oh, yes, the sun grew dim and the days were dark
God put a rainbow in the sky.

Seeking Wisdom

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:6

How many times in our lives have we gone after the desirable instead of really think it over and making a wise decision.  If you are like me, a lot.  We are out shopping and we see something that we think is really great and we asked our friend for advice.  The friend says, "That will look really great on you!" so we buy it only later to return it as we either didn't need it, it looks awful and makes us feel frumpy and we really couldn't afford it in the first place.

We need to start seeking God's direction in all areas of our lives.  We need to make sound financial decisions based on the principles taught in God's Word.  We don't need to continue over and over making a decision, a wrong decision, based on what someone else is telling us.  When we continue to do the same thing over and over and over expecting different results is insanity.  Seek God's counsel.  After all He has our best interest at heart and we are His number one priority.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.

Psalm 35:5

All For Jesus

by Mary D. James, 1871

All for Jesus, all for Jesus!

All my being's ransomed powers;

All my thoughts and words and doings,

All my days and all my hours.

Oh, what wonder! how amazing!

Jesus, glorious King of kings,

Deigns to call me His beloved,

Lets me rest beneath His wings.

In The Garden

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27

Have you ever really thought about the beauty of the garden, the unspoiled beauty, Adam and Eve lived in?  Have you ever really thought about what it was like to walk and talk with God through the garden without a care in the world?  We can, you know...  Oh we won't actually be walking in a garden but we can walk and talk with God daily through our quiet time, a time we set aside to be with Him alone.

You know we are a lot like Adam and Eve.  We want everything now and we don't want anyone or anything to stand in the way.  We choose to ignore God and His direction for our lives and by our actions we cause others to stumble just as Eve did.  We walk away from God and His leadership to meet our own desires.

But you know what God never leaves us, He is waiting for us to say I'm sorry and to ask His forgiveness for the sins we commit.  Just as He promised our Redeemer lives.  Jesus sacrificed His life for us allowing us access to God's presence.  All we need to do is step into the garden of prayer.

Beautiful Garden Of Prayer

by Eleanor A. Schroll

There's a garden where Jesus is waiting,
There's a place that is wondrously fair;
For it glows with the light of His presence,
'Tis that beautiful garden of prayer.

There's a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And I go with my burden and care
Just to learn from His lips words of comfort,
In the beautiful garden of prayer.

There's a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And He bids you to come meet Him there;
Just to bow, and receive a new blessing,
In the beautiful garden of prayer.

  Oh, the beautiful garden, the garden of prayer,
Oh, the beautiful garden of prayer;
There my Savior awaits, and He opens the gates
To the beautiful garden of prayer.

Created by God

From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. Psalm 113:3

On that day so many years ago God created man and woman in His image.  He created us to have an imagination, intellect, and most importantly, a soul, the deepest part of us.  This is where we long to feel whole, loved, cherished and understood.

God wants to have a relationship with us.  So when those days come that you are feeling unloved, that no one cares for you, remember the Creator of the universe cares for you and He will always be there for you and me.

God's Word tells us in Psalm 136:14, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  Give thanks to God for creating you and for loving each of us perfectly.

Today is the start of a brand new year.  What kind of footprints will you leave as travel down the paths this year has to offer.  Will they be gigantic leaps of faith or tiny steps of slow steady progress.  May each of us lean on God for His direction as we start the journey into 2016.

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

by Joachim Neander, 1680

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,

The King of Creation!

O my soul, praise Him,

for He is they health and salvation!

All ye who hear,

now to His temple draw near;

Praise Him in glad adoration.