Monday, October 29, 2012

The Great Physician

Haven't posted in a couple of weeks because I have been so very busy. I got a new part-time job at my church as a receptionist, plus my brother has had some major health issues and has been in the hospital. Because of this, my mind has been on doctors and healing..my brother, who can't keep food down, ended up having his gall bladder removed a week ago. That led to many complications and he recently was just moved out of ICU, but is still dealing with not keeping food down. Doctors have done and are still doing many tests, but can't figure out why. There are many, many people praying for my brother and sister-in-law, both saved and seeking a miracle from God. I know He knows what is going on with my brother's health and He is going to do something wonderful in this situation. We just have to trust our Great Physician! I read this poem and was encouraged, as I hope any of you going through a similar situation, may be encouraged!

The Great Physician

(Author Unknown)
Welcome to the Great Physician
Office hours are as you come,
He’s a Specialist in all problems
And His day is never done.
He can heal a heart that’s broken
He can mend the spirit, too,
No matter what your ailment
He does have the cure for you.
His fee for service never alters
He serves rich and poor as well,
He’s our one chance for Salvation,
He alone saves us from Hell.
There’s no fee for services rendered
All He asks is that we believe,
That He bled and died to save us
And all His blessings we will receive.
Do you have a special problem
That is troubling you this hour?
Then just simply leave it with Him
You can find no greater power.
Don’t delay in seeking treatment
Please, my friend, don’t hesitate,
For His office is soon closing
And He’ll shut and lock the gate.
I wouldn’t want you to suffer
While the Doctor’s so close by,
Your whole life will be much better
If my Physician you will try.

*** IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ***
When You Have Sinned… Call Psalm 51
When You Deal with Fear… Call Psalm 34:7
When You Need Someone to Trust… Call Proverb 3:5
When Someone Comes Against You… Call Isaiah 54:17
When You Need Christian Assurance… Call Romans 8:1-30
When You Need God’s Mercy… Call Psalm 56
When You Get Tired of Doing Good… Call Galatians 6:9
When You Get Angry… Call Ephesians 4:26
When You Feel like You Can’t Go on… Call Philippians 4:13
When You Need General Help… Call Psalm 121
source

Counting my blessings:  
Gifts ugly-beautiful
1,040- All these "what ifs" that I need to be reminded of!
1,041- Pain and suffering
1,042- God's timing and ways

A gift
shared: 
1,043- Food, family, gatherings

saved:
1,044- My brother's life, when moved to a different hospital...I truly believe he most likely would not have survived. We are still praying and believing for a healing miracle!

surrendered:
1,045- "There is an essential difference between submission and surrender. The former is the conscious acceptance of reality. There is a superficial yielding, but tension continues...It is halfhearted acceptance. It is described by words such as resignation, compliance, acknowledgement, concession. There remains a feeling of reservation, a tug in the direction of non-acceptance. Surrender, on the other hand, is the moment when my forces of resistance cease to function, when I cannot help but respond to the call of the Spirit. The ability to surrender is a gift of God. However eagerly we may desire it, however diligently we may strive to acquire it, surrender cannot be attained by personal endeavor." source

unexpected: 
1,046- Again, seeing the beauty of life, nature, creation!(wildlife, seen when looking out my window)


undervalued:
1,047- Time in communion/conversation with the Lord!

unconventional:
1,048- Being content, in a world that promotes being discontented.

silent:
1,049- "Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of Life, which they are thenceforth to rule. As the Swiss Inscription says: Sprecfien ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden (Speech is silvern, Silence is golden); or as I might rather express it: Speech is of Time, Silence is of Eternity."" from the poet Thomas Carlyle

still: 
1,050- Seeing how peaceful and still my friends in the animal world can be...


strong:
1,051- "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'" 2 Corinthians 12:9

humbling:
1,052- God's mercy and grace....always humbling!!! I am so undeserving!!

honoring:
1,053- worship through music...I am so thankful for the ability to honor God in this way! (love this Chris Tomlin song!)

happy: 
1,054-So many things of the fall season that remind me of His blessings...


3 Gifts in Christ:
1,055- bright fall colors (view out my living room window)
1,056- Reflecting on His love for me every day.

1,057- Finding peace in His presence!



  
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Monday, October 15, 2012

One Thing We Can Count On: A Promise of Many Blessings

People will always let us down. 
Money, things, jobs, and all this world offers us may fill a temporary need, but in an instant they can all be lost or taken from us.
Schedules, plans, goals, and dreams can even be changed or be out of reach for us.
Life isn't always a rose garden....There will be times of sickness, sadness, stress, and chaos.

When we are feeling like all is falling apart, what can we count on?
Not even our feelings are dependable. 
They change, day to day. Sometimes they will deceive us. 

In truth there is only One person and one thing we can depend on.
“For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.” (Lamentations 3:31-32 NIV)

I consider how the Lord has gotten me through many times of hardship, when I have had questions about why or how things could happen. When I've been at the end of my rope and had no strength left, He is here to pull me up out of the depths of despair.

 "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." (Psalm 54:4)

And when I wonder if joy can ever return to my life, He plants a seed of hope and gratitude within me for even the simplest blessings. Even the long, hard, tiring days are seen in a different light, for He sustains me!

There is one thing we can count on...but it's not anything that this world values. If we trust in our Savior's ways, we are promised many blessings from the Lord.


"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Ephesians 1: 3(NKJV)

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Listing my gifts from the October Joy Dare list.
3 gifts orange:
1,001- Bright pumpkins, stacked and carved.
1,002- A beautiful autumn sunset.
1,003- The changing leaves, preparing to fall off their trees for winter.

3 gifts falling:
1,004- Many, many leaves.
1,005- Falling temperatures...even though I'm not a fan of the cold!
1,006- Jumping and falling into piles of leaves!

A gift caught, let go, mid-way:
1,007- caught: The sparkling of sunlight on the lake on a sunny afternoon. 
1,008- let go:  what is behind me.
Philippians 3:12 – 14 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1,009- mid-way: Midway between this earthly life and heaven....caught in the middle...I hold on to God's Word!

3 gifts reaped:
1,010- fields reaping the harvest of corn...
1,011- and soybeans.
1,012- Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

3 gifts returned-
1,013- My wallet, when I left it at work and didn't know until the next day.
1,014- I returned home from a long trip with my son, who went to see a dental specialist...5 hour round trip.(so glad to be home!)
1,015- Having returned to the workforce, after 4 years of being a full-time mom/homemaker.

3 gifts redeemed:
1,016- "I thought I could have leaped from earth to heaven at one spring when I first saw my sins drowned in the Redeemer's blood."  Charles Spurgeon 
1,017 - "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace"  Ephesians 1:7  
1,018- - Beautiful song!!! "Redeemed"

A gift baked, stirred, eaten:
1,019- baked: fresh pumpkin rolls.
1,020- stirred:
1,021- eaten: homemade grape jelly, gifted to us from a friendly neighbor.

3 gifts prayed for:
1,022- a new job
1,023- my brother's healing/better health
1,024-my son to make wise choices and have more joy in his life.

3 gifts praised for:
1,025- my new job!
1,026- comfort and peace, in spite of not being healed immediately.
1,027- trusting God will answer my prayers, in His time.

3 hard eucharisteo:
1,028- Giving my son's future over to God (again, and again)
1,029- Trusting God to provide.
1,030- Praising God, when my family is feeling oppressed.

3 gifts of change:
1,031- Adjusting to a new schedule (working evenings)
1,032- The changing of seasons...
1,033-  The changing of how the lake looks, as summer turns into fall.

A gift small, smaller, smallest:
1,034- Small: My 4 pound Chihuahua, Jet...with his sweet temperament.
1,035- Smaller: My feisty 3 pound Chihuahua, Sophie, who waits impatiently to have her freedom...
wants to be out and about... 
and loves to investigate with her big "brother". 
but doesn't like the cold fall winds that blow off the lake...
1,036- Smallest: The unborn fetus (life)
Local pregnancy center,saving unborn babies every week.
(Annual fundraiser)


3 gifts of the promise of blessings:
1,037- Times of rest and relaxation. 


1,038- A rainbow of promise, after many showers! 


1,039- There is a day coming when Christ returns and takes us to live with Him in heaven!(What a wonderful promise and blessing!)


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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Greatest Gift, Multiplied

Hello, again, all my bloggy friends! Another week has flown by and I have no idea where it went! Anyways, I am here today because it is a special occasion for me.....I am listing my one-thousandth gift!!! I have kept you all waiting for a whole week, in great anticipation(I'm sure! haha). I wanted it to be special, something I would always remember. Of course, I've used this one before and it truly is the greatest Gift of all....you got it!
 
But as I was contemplating this, it came to me that this Gift is much more than just ONE gift. Through Christ, we have many other gifts! I found the list below and thought, WOW! This is just a small taste of all the many gifts we receive thru knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!! Really, the list is endless! As you think about all you are thankful for today, and some days it can be more difficult than others, look over this list. It is an amazing eye-opener for those who sometimes can't find anything to be thankful for, including me.

Jesus Christ is the Greatest Gift of All
80 Gifts From Jesus
Self-Help E-Bookstore

Jesus Christ gives life-changing gifts of freedom to whosoever follows him as Lord and Savior.  Gifts are in random order.  All links contain scripture promises.  Many links will contain Words from the Holy Spirit, visions and interpretations relating to a particular gift.  

  1. Gift of ability to forgive others  (Mat 6:12; 18:27; Eph 4:32)
  2. Gift of faith  (Jam 1:6, Phil 1:25)
  3. Gift of a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb12-28) 
  4. Gift of the anointing of the Holy Spirit (1John 2:20)
  5. Gift of physical healing  (1 Cor 12:9)
  6. Gift of helping others  (1 Cor 12:28)
  7. Gift of light to my soul  (John 8:12)
  8. Gift of a church  (1 Cor 11:18)
  9. Gift of a shield   (2 Sam 22:31)
  10. Gift of patience (Gal 5:22)
  11. Gift of strength (Psalm 28:7)
  12. Gift of spiritual armor (Eph 6:13)
  13. Gift of deliverance (Dan 6:27)
  14. Gift of righteousness (Eph 6:14)
  15. Gift of sacrifice (Rom 12:1)
  16. Gift of prayer  (1Cor 14:14)
  17. Gift of hearing God's voice (Rev 3:20)
  18. Gift of adoption as God's child (Rom 8:15)
  19. Gift of knowing you are precious to God (Ps 116:15)  
  20. Gift of a good night's sleep  (Pr 3:24)
  21. Gift of the Word of God  (Heb 4:12)
  22. Gift of salvation  (Ps 27:1)
  23. Gift of cleansing of your sin  (1John 1:7)
  24. Gift of the favor (Ps 5:12)
  25. Gift of thanksgiving (Ps 26:7)
  26. Gift of His gentleness (Gal 5:23)
  27. Gift of self-control (Gal 5:23)
  28. Gift of a clean heart  (Ps 51:10)
  29. Gift of high priest (Heb 7:26)
  30. Gift of comfort (Is 51:12)
  31. Gift of the ability to order your life (Ps37:23)
  32. Gift of our rest (Heb 4:11)
  33. Gift of mercy (Heb 4:16)
  34. Gift of grace (Eph 2:8)
  35. Gift of a friend who will never leave you (John 15:13)
  36. Gift of a guidance for your life (Ps 23:3)
  37. Gift of living water (John 4:10)
  38. Gift of the delight in Him (Ps 37:4)
  39. Gift of equipping in every good thing (Heb 13:21)
  40. Gift of overcoming the evil one (1John 2:13)
  41. Gift of purity (1 John 3:3)
  42. Gift of abiding in Him (1 John 3:24)
  43. Gift of the power of His resurrection (Phil 3:10)
  44. Gift of righteousness (Is 61:10)
  45. Gift of dreams and visions (Joel 2:28)
  46. Gift of His presence (Jude 24)
  47. Gift of His refuge (Psalms 46:1)
  48. Gift of His safety 
  49. Gift of His strength (Psalms 59:11)
  50. Gift of His security
  51. Gift of courage
  52. Gift of rest
  53. Gift of the mind of Christ
  54. Gift of discipline
  55. Gift of signs and wonders
  56. Gift of impartation
  57. Gift of understanding 
  58. Gift of angels (Psalm 91:12)
  59. Gift of help
  60. Gift of prophesy
  61. Gift of pleasure 
  62. Gift of His will 
  63. Gift of wisdom
  64. Gift of blessings of good things
  65. Gift of Lovingkindness
  66. Gift of abundance
  67. Gift of compassion. 



    Since this was a special one-thousandth gift post, I will wait till my next post to start listing my gifts from the October Joy Dare list. Here, in Indiana, our trees are all starting to really turn and the colors are beautiful! I hope to be posting some awesome photos, as well! Have a blessed Autumn week!

     

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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

His Mercies are New Every Morning {noon, or night}

I've been trying to slow down a little lately, to take time to be with the Lord each day and just talk to Him....but isn't it just like ole' Satan to make my life more busy and crazier than ever!? He will do anything he can to pull me away from time with God. I was reading Ann Voskamp's blog, "A Holy Experience" yesterday and was thinking about how crazy busy that homeschooling, farmer's wife, and mom of 6 must be! I raised a son, as well as was a stepmom to two ~ all who are now grown. My hubby and I recently downsized and moved to a cottage by a lake. I keep thinking, "Things should slow down for me." but it seems like time is so easily stolen away by all that still needs to get done before winter comes. My son, who has had some physical issues and has had to travel to get treatments has needed me to accompany him and will most likely be traveling (a 5 hour drive, there and back) about once a week. I just recently got a new very part-time job, working a few evenings a week, as a receptionist at my church. This week, my hubby and I have also been fighting off a mean stomach flu. Talk about feeling overwhelmed and consumed!

In my attempt to stay in God's Word and  fellowship with other Christians, I am currently involved in 2 Bible Studies, one at my church and an online book/Bible study. Finding time to be alone with God hasn't been easy lately. We currently are having our new lakehouse re-roofed and the roofers are here every morning by 7-7:30. (Though, they should be done within a week or so.) Since I am more of a night owl, I try to get some time in with God after my hubby goes to bed, usually around 10 p.m.  With the new job, though, that will be more of a challenge.
Google Image Result for http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs/42/60/bible,fall,lamentations,photography,quote-4260f76bda4e2813bedd4d521c047853_h.jpg

I love these verses! They remind me that I don't have be be consumed by a crazy, busy life. They give me a chance to start anew each day with a new perspective.  Thankfully, God's schedule is very flexible and He doesn't mind me coming to Him in the evening, instead of the morning. I also love being reminded that His compassions ~ or mercies(English Standard Version) ~ never fail...they are always right wherever and whenever I come to Him.

Did you ever just say to yourself out loud..."The Lord is my portion."? What exactly is a 'portion' anyways? 

One writer wrote:
When the psalmist speaks of God as 'my portion', it seems in one (very direct) sense to be identifying a relation with God as the lot he has identified himself as receiving: of all that could have come my way, what I have received as 'mine' is God - the ultimate of all gifts. But it strikes me there is also a slightly subliminal message, tucked into the nuance of the language: namely, that reference to one's portion is generally in minimalist terms. It is the 'little bit' I have received. So to speak of God as one's portion is to invert this. The 'little bit' I have received is, in fact, everything.
This seems to resonate with St Tikhon's words:
"For him, God alone is the pearl without price, for the sake of which he holds everything else as little."

I know He is my portion, but I'm still working on this, reminding myself each day that I am not consumed and that He is my portion!!  His mercies are new every morning, noon, and night!! Sometimes, just saying it out loud is enough to give me the right perspective.

Today, I am celebrating the last of the September Gifts.    October Gifts are ready and waiting, as I continue counting....
3 Gifts Funny
982. An adorable sailboat that sits in my porch window.
983. Especially the little "native" boy {originally a baseball player statue with an attached straw hat glued over his baseball cap}
984. Some scrapbooking materials I won in a drawing...{for those days you would rather scrapbook, than ANYTHING else}

3 Gifts Finished
985. Another load of laundry
986. My front porch fall decorating.
987. Decorating with my hubby's rocks!
{photos will be coming of these in future posts}

3 Gifts Flourishing
988. My potted mums 
989. A friend's new job, where many doors have opened for her.
990. We are doing great, living on the lake in our little cottage.

A gift unexpected, uneven, unpopular
991. Unexpected - Getting our roof replaced so quickly.
992. Uneven - Our roof, which was a challenge for the roofers to figure out how to fix it, but they did.
993. Unpopular - The doctor that my son is seeing; the kind of doctor who has great medical knowledge, but no bedside manners.
  
A gift shy, shelved, shining
994. Shy - The Amish roofers that are working on our roof, taking a lunch break.

995. Shelved - some of my favorite seashells.


996. Shin{y} - A large leaf, found in my front yard...
  

3 gifts that are new in the morning, noon, and night!
997. The sound of pounding and drilling at 7 a.m., knowing we don't have to do it ourselves.
998. Time spent with my son, talking, on the trip to see the doctor.
999. Time in quietness with the Lord, when all is hushed and family sleeps.

1,000th Gift!!!!!  The greatest Gift of all.....to be continued.(Ohhhh, don't you just hate when this happens?) I bet you can guess, but you will just have to wait to read it in my next post! 




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