September 17, 2009

Remember

This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope: God is Faithful!

This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope: God is Good!

This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope: If God be for me who can be against me!

This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope: God loves me!

September 11, 2009

I need a Word from the Lord


By Kathy Gaillard

Recently, feeling overwhelmed, I dropped everything and knelt down to pray, then I read the Word of God. God blessed me so much and put me in a place where I felt His love, peace and so much joy that I just wanted to linger and languish in His presence. Sometimes, in our busy lives, all we need to carry us through is a Word from the Lord.

There was a time that I struggled with memorizing Bible verses, but after years of reading the Bible, going to Bible study and hearing the Word of God, I now have some Bible verses tucked away in my heart for whenever I need or want them. I don’t always recall the addresses of the Scriptures, but I know the Word of God, and how to look up Scripture.

A Bible teacher once told me that it’s important to memorize Bible verses so that when you’re in a situation where you can’t (physically or emotionally) access a Bible, you have something ‘stored in your pantry that you can pull off the shelf.’ I thank God that I listened, and that I have a Word from the Lord for every circumstance life brings my way. I have a Word I can stand on when I’m weak, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) I’ve got a Word for when I’m sad, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) I’ve got a Word for when I’m concerned about my future, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) And, I’ve got a Word to encourage me when I feel that I’m not getting through to my grandchildren, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he grows up, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

The Word of God sustained me when my mother passed away. My father was too grief-stricken to take on the responsibilities of making the funeral arrangements. He and my mom had been married for almost 51 years and her death was emotionally crippling for him. All he could manage to do was hand me an insurance policy and a handful of crumpled money and I had to take care of all the details. She was his wife and she was my mother, but since somebody had to take care of the details, I knew it would be me.

I’d never met with a mortician, and I certainly didn’t know how to plan a funeral. I recall entering a showroom in the funeral home, being surrounded by caskets, and experiencing the reality of my mom's death. I had to return to the hospital where my mother died to sign for and pick up her personal belongings. Walking through that quiet hospital corridor was one of the loneliest journeys I’ve ever taken. I organized the funeral service, wrote the program, and decided what she would wear. But, throughout the days leading up to her funeral one Scripture gave me strength, peace and comfort: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” When I reflect on those dark days, I know God and His Word got me through. I also have personal knowledge of what it means to have God ‘carry you through.’

If you have ever felt overwhelmed, discouraged, lonely, hurt or hopeless, call on God for help. He will give you whatever you need--healing, comfort, guidance, peace, strength or love. There’s nothing quite as comforting as knowing that God has your back. A Word from the Lord can make a seemingly unbearable situation, bearable. It makes all the difference in the world.


Click link below to play Vickie Winans' "We Need A Word From the Lord"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBBehsH0Wlk

Kathy Gaillard is a Christian writer for examiner.com. Visit Kathy’s home page for more great articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-16376-Norfolk-NonDenominational-Christian-Examiner~y2009m9d9-Sometimes-all-you-need-is-a-word-from-the-Lord

September 2, 2009


If a man wants you nothing can keep him away. If he doesn't want you nothing can make him stay. Stop making excuses. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache. Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that is not meant to be.
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You are worthy, precious, valuable, and beautiful. Do not settle for less than God's best for your life. What God has for you it is FOR YOU. No one can take what God says is yours.
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Slow down. Wait on the Lord. Breathe. Rest.
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"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)."

Sisters

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot, humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter "Don't forget your Sisters,'"she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass.

"They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do."

"What a funny piece of advice!" the young woman thought. "Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!"

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors...
Careers end.

BUT...Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.

A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

I thank God for my Sisters!