In All Things - Praise the Lord!
"Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
(Phillipians 4:6 NIV)
My husband
and I were awakened numerous times last night because of a storm. When I went to bed I listened to the news about the
storm that was headed our way. It had torn through Alabama and Georgia already causing many deaths. Finally at
about 2:45 we prayed, "Lord please place a hedge of protection around our home and help us sleep." I
heard my radio alarm at around 5:55 (it goes off at 5:25), when I got out of bed Scott said well thank God we made it through
the night and our house is still standing. To which I added quickly 'yes, but we forgot to ask the Lord to wake
us up fully rested!' A little silly, but when you are anxious and worry you do not get rest. This verse was
a sweet reminder to me this morning. That no matter what the conditions are when I lay my head down at night - that
should be my prayer. "Lord Jesus please place a hedge of protection around my home, please give us a good nights
sleep and let us awaken fully rested. Help us not to worry and find rest in you."
In everything, even the smallest of circumstances
we will find rest in the Lord. I pray your homes were protected last night. I hope that you all have a great weekend,
invite someone to church with you this Sunday. If you do not go to church, pray that the Lord will help you find a church
home that stands on His Word. Have a great Friday. Count Your Blessings ... for you ARE
Blessed! Pray for the families and people of Alabama and Georgia this morning that have lost loved ones and their homes because of this storm.
Love, Tracy
The Gift Of Life
"For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word
of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." (1
Peter 1:24-25 KJV)
I was thinking about this verse this morning,
I was thinking how sin is a lot like flowers and grass. With each season grass and flowers change. With each moment
our lives change. With grass and flowers, most die and come back each season, we can be a lot like that.
We die to who we are, and then our circumstances may get the best of us and we try to handle life's troubles
without the Lord. I love John 8:31-32, "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If
you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Verse 32 - just know the truth - and the truth will set you free. I love it! Know God's
Word, follow God's Word and you will be free from what has a hold over you. Look at the end of the verse above in
1 Peter - But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
The word of the Lord endures forever. We were talking Sunday about the word "endure" the on-line dictionary
has these descriptions ... To carry on through, despite hardships; undergo: To bear with tolerance: To continue in existence; last: and To suffer patiently without yielding.
No matter what we face in this journey called "LIFE,"
we will always, always, always have the word of the Lord. All it takes is for us to die to who we are, no longer trying
to figure things out on our own, no longer wishing and hoping things would just happen. Each day is a new opportunity
for us to get closer and closer to Jesus, He died so that not only would we have life ... that we would have Everlasting Life.
So whatever circumstance you face today, arm yourself with His Words and look to
Jesus for He IS THE ROCK on which we should stand. If you do not have access to a Bible, I often use www.biblegateway.net. You can read the whole Bible there or just one verse. Encourage one another today. Count your blessings
... for you are Blessed! Have a great day. Love, Tracy
Take Heart "These things I have spoken unto you, that
in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33 KJV) I always like to read how the Message words it - "Jesus
answered them, "Do you finally believe? In fact, you're about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and
abandoning me. But I'm not abandoned. The Father is with me. I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will
be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart!
I've conquered the world." (John 16:33 The Message)
Did you
ever think about someone else's' troubles? Did anyone ever say to you, boy you think you have it bad, listen
to this ... this morning in my quiet time I was thinking about troubles, valley's, disappointments, challenges etc...
in the lives of people close to me. We all have them. I don't think one person lives a full life without experiencing
a valley at some point. Are our hearts compassionate? Some people actually live with one obstacle after another.
Some people create their own obstacles, some are blessed with few trials. This verse is one of my favorite verses -
I have it underlined and highlighted in all my bibles - I love the 3 words ... but take heart. The
Lord says, don't worry. I've got it under control. Find rest in me. Trust me. Not only find
rest in me - but find me.
My
Mother did not live the easiest life, but it was not the hardest either. I am sure if she were here today she would
say Tracy, it was what it was and the Lord brought me through it all stronger than the time before. It was very rare
that she wallowed in the life that she and my father had made for themselves. I am sure she worried, I am sure she had
dreams of things being different, but she never lost site of what was important to her and that was her love for Jesus and
her love for her family. She had 9 children, 6 son in laws, 2 daughter in laws. At the time she passed away she
had 17 grandchildren she loved (there are now 2 more) and not a day went by that we did not feel her love. We were a
close family. I felt it daily.
Can you feel the love of Jesus daily? Are you in His Word each day to learn more and more about Him and drawing
closer to Him. Do you know how much He loves you? Can you hear His voice inside your heart guiding you each day?
If you say no, I don't hear Him, I don't feel Him - are you asking why? Whenever I am walking alone it is because
I have walked away from the Lord, not because He has left me. I try to handle life on my own. Did you ever do
that? How's that working for you? It never works for me and I find myself saying ... what was I thinking!
The path Jesus has placed before us is not one that will not a valley in it, but He will be right there walking with us.
I pray that you are seeking for Him today and I pray you turn to Jesus and lean on Him for you strength. You can't
and you are not meant to handle your troubles alone.
Have a great day. Count your blessings .... for we are blessed! Love, Tracy
Call on Jesus
"And
he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For
what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (Luke 9:23-25 KJV)
Sometimes I sit and wonder what people
do when they don't have the Lord. Even in a small circumstance, like being tired, what do they do when they have
no answers and no rest? A man at church has being going through Chemo and it has really taking a lot out of him, he
is depressed. I was thinking last night about him and all he is going through, I am so thankful to those in our church
who are there to encourage him daily. What about that person who doesn't care to go to church on Sunday, who encourages
them? Who tells them that Jesus loves them? Where do you feel you are called today? What burden is in your
heart? Do you feel each day is a day to serve yourself or has the Lord placed you in a mission field where you have
a heart for those around you?
I can remember
back in 2000 when I had an uncle, an aunt and two friends with Cancer. The Lord just placed a burden in my heart
to send them a card every week to encourage them and tell them Jesus was with them as they faced this valley and that He loved
them so much. I remember talking to one of my friends one night about the cancer that had taken over her body and I
said, "No matter what you are facing today, no matter how alone you feel, you are not alone - Jesus loves you and He
is hurting right along with you and she said well, "if" I get to Heaven I will ask Him why. I said why what?
She said, why do good people suffer?" First let me tell you, you don't have to wonder "if" you will
go to Heaven. Jesus said "whosoever will call upon my name shall be saved." Call upon the name of Jesus!
No matter what you are facing today, whether it be daily pain, a terminal illness or financial hardship, the only way to get
through it is with Jesus. You may not be healed on this earth, but you will be healed forever in Heaven. He is
your Rock, He is your strong tower. He loves you. If it was only you, He still would have given His life for you
- because of who He is. I pray that what ever you face today that the Lord will bring someone in your path today that
will encourage you. I also pray that you will ask God to place someone in your life that you can encourage daily.
Don't look at life as hopeless - Jesus is your source of Hope! Encourage those around you today in His name.
Have a blessed day
today. Please pray for Doug Heffner as he faces chemo treatments. Let us count our blessings ... for we are so
blessed! Love, Tracy
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