Monday, March 18, 2024

God Alone

 




Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.


         I will both lie down in peace and sleep; For You alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)


Words penned by David.


Having had too many nights with either minimal or no sleep, I picked up my Bible and reread this verse. A dear friend shared it with me many years ago.


What I realized as I went through another sleepless night was that I was not trusting God for some things going on around me that may affect me.


This verse tells me that David would be able to rest in peace and then sleep. He then tells the LORD that He alone keeps him safe.


How did God keep David safe? By being with him during the times Saul was chasing him. Also, when his son was hunting him down.


Each of us will have times when we feel that our back is against the wall or that we are in a circumstance by ourselves. God is with us as we go through those rough spots.


Our pastor has spent the past 50 days recovering from a stroke, there were days that it was one step forward followed by two steps backward. Prayer has kept him and his wife going as he has received intense therapy at a hospital in a neighboring city. He will be coming home in four days.


Prayer: Father God. Thank You for being with us during the difficult times in our lives. Thank You for reminding us that You are always are with us, guiding us through those times. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen


.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Going on a Break



 Needing to rest. I have been ill and am trying to get over this thing. Also, I have had a major upset that I have to work through. I don't know how long this will take. Please pray for me to get over this illness and through the aftermath of the circumstances of this upset. 


Thank you!

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Ash Wednesday Music


https://stockabode,com




 Here are the hymns we sang at our Ash Wednesday service this evening.  We loved singing these old favorite hymns. I hope you enjoy hearing them. Sing along with them, if you choose.


Are Ye Able Said the Master





When I Survey the Wonderous Cross





Beneath the Cross of Jesus



                                                                    
                                                            The Old Rugged Cross
                                           
                                           
                                                  
                                              




Thursday, February 8, 2024

God Alone

 

SlideServe



I will both lie down in peace and sleep;

For You alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)


Words penned by David.


Having had too many nights with either minimal or no sleep, I picked up my Bible and read this verse. A dear friend shared it with me many years ago.


What I realized as I went through another sleepless night was that I was not trusting God for some things going on around me that may affect me.


This verse tells me that David would be able to rest in peace and then sleep. He then tells the LORD that He alone keeps him safe.


How did God keep David safe? By being with him during the times Saul was chasing him. When his son was hunting him down.


This issue of trust is connected to faith. I have learned that we must have faith in order to trust God without reservations. Years ago, the pastor I sat under said that a lot of people practice “Billy Goat” religion. They say they believed in God, then the next word they said was.”But”.


A scripture passage I found recently has given me pause. “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV) I believe I need to learn to live by faith more than I do.


Prayer,


Father God. Please help us, Your children, to trust you more as we live each day for You. Guide us as we make decisions and as we talk to those we meet in our daily activities, In Jesus’ Name, I pray. AMEN


Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Father God, We Trust You

 


'''Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all you do and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)


On the afternoon of January 29th, 2024, our church office put out a prayer request for our pastor who was in the ICU. His wife had taken him to the ER. The entire church received the same message.


I texted his wife with a prayer that evening. I called my best friend for prayer. I received a call from a young woman who had heard of the pastor’s circumstance.


On Tuesday, January 30, the pastor’s wife texted me to with an update. Pastor had had a mild stroke.


Since last July, we are in a new denomination. During our Mustard Seed prayer time, I was told to add a certain name to our prayer list. It was a name I did not recognize. I asked who he was. He is going to be our interim pastor. (In one day’s, time the district had arranged for someone to come in and carry out Pastor Rick’s duties.) I like the way this has been handled.


One of the men in our local church volunteered to bring us a message this past Sunday. So, things are going on.


I found myself telling God that I knew we had to trust Him for the outcome, and we will. I find myself telling Him that for some of my personal issues and now for this circumstance facing the church.


I believe God knew Pastor and his wife, Cheryl would have this circumstance enter their lives. I also believe that they will trust the Lord, implicitly.


My best friend once told me she trusted God implicitly. I am learning that I can, like her, trust God without reservation. As I have shared with some in a Facebook group, I believe God chose this word “trust” for me for this year. I learn something about it each week.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

January Reflections

 




Slow Start

January always seems to be a time where I have ‘settled in’ after a somewhat busy time in December. Early in the month, we experienced colder temps which added to my slowness. On Saturday after New Year’s, we awoke to see three inches of snow flurries on the ground. What we were supposed to receive was not supposed to stick.

Taking Down Christmas

I took down our new-this-year Christmas tree on Epiphany. This new tree, being bigger than the older tree, required more attention. I was used to NOT undecorating the smaller one. However, the new one had to have the decorations removed. I could get it in the box I had used for the other one. I just happened to have some boxes I had saved that were just the right size for what I needed.

Newness In Our Lives

Our local newspaper changed the method of delivering our newspaper to us. In the past, it was delivered by carriers who had motorized routes. As of January 2, the newspaper company has utilized the United States Postal Service to deliver the copies to the subscribers. In order to do this effectively (same day delivery), The company had to alter their print schedule to Tuesday through Saturday. A friend who is on Facebook really does not like the new system. A lot of people commented negatively about the new delivery system.

At least, now, I don’t have to go on a “scouting expedition” to find the paper. Only one day, we did not receive that day’s edition. I called and asked why. The young woman could not tell me. She could have given me a credit for that missed paper; however, I wanted the paper. The next day we received the missed one as well as the one for the correct day.


Writing Efforts

In searching for a paying market that I may submit to, I found one that appealed to me. I chose a topic for their Spiritual Growth section. One email letter told their word count was 1,000 words. The website of the magazine said the requirements were 800-1250 words. At first, I had a difficult time reaching either of those word counts.

I asked a question on a Christian Writers group about how strict a publication could be about a word count. I remembered the woman who started the writer’s group I was in telling us when she taught creative writing, she told her students to “just writ their story” and not worry about the word count. I included that memory in my question. The moderator told me that those word count guidelines were firm. And what I had been told was incorrect. Another member agreed with the moderator. I believe he knows that she is correct; he publishes books.

I submitted that manuscript to that market. I received a response in two weeks. They didn’t believe it would fit their needs. I had a private little “pity party” and realized they may be correct in their thinking. I started reading it again and found some typos. I wound up responding to their notification by thanking them for their time.


A Friend’s Grief

I received a phone call from a friend early one evening. I had just called and talked to her, asking how her middle son was. He had been in the hospital since Christmas, just over two weeks. About a half-hour later, she called me back. Her son had passed away. Her granddaughter had called from the hospital to let her know. He was a few months younger than our son. My friend has a younger son who also is in precarious health. Please pray for my friend; her name is Vicki.


Brrrdy, Brr, Brr, Brr

That is my expression for January cold weather. I haven’t had to use it lately until now.

For about two weeks, we had windchill temperature readings, at least three different times of snow, with accumulation. We have rarely seen the sun. When all this started one of the forecasters said the temperature that night would be the lowest since December 2022. I have a friend who is wheelchair bound and works in our church office. On one particular Friday, she chose to stay home rather than risk something happening to place her in a perilous situation.

A Time of Concentrated Prayer

On the last Monday of the month, our congregation received a prayer request via phone call from the church office. Our pastor was in the ICU at one of our local hospitals. His wife took him to the ER. I knew it was serious. I texted a prayer to his wife that night. On Tuesday morning she gave me some details. A little later, she talked to the neurosurgeon. Our pastor had a mild stroke. On Sunday, February 11th we will have an interim pastor. We are in a new denomination and did not know how the presiding elder would deal with this circumstance. I am impressed that she acted in such a timely manner. One man in our congregation will fill-in this coming Sunday. 

Please pray for Cross Roads Global Methodist Church and our pastor and wife as God takes us through this circumstance.



Tuesday, January 30, 2024

We Will Find Rest

 


connectusfund.org 


Thus says the Lord:

Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the

good way is,

And walk in it.

Then you will find rest for your souls.

But they said," We will not walk in it." Jeremiah 6:16 (NKJV)


Words of God spoken through Jeremiah


Jeremiah prophesies against Judah, calling her to repent or face judgment at the hands of Babylon.(1)


Stand in the ways and see,

Could the Lord through Jeremiah be telling the people of Judah that they need to look at how they live, to evaluate their lifestyles in the light of His Word?


And ask for the old paths, where the/ good way is,

Could the Lord be telling them to look fondly to the values they were taught and see the goodness of the relationship they previously had with Him?


And walk in it;


Could the Lord be telling the people of Judah to revive the practices of of their relationship with Him?


Then you will find rest for your souls,


Does God give them the hope of finding peace and soul rest? Does God give us hope when we listen and obey Him?


But they said, "We will not walk in it."


The people of Judea answered in a negative way. They did NOT want to walk in the way that the Lord told them they needed to do. Are we sometimes guilty of the same stubbornness today? Do we keep on doing what we like rather than what He tells us to do?


Prayer


Father God: Guide us in the path You want us to follow. Guide us through the difficult times we face. Give us Your wisdom as we progress through each day. In the Name of Jesus. I pray. Amen.

(1) Jeremiah Study Bible © 2013 page 972



God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...