Good Training

Last night I couldn’t go to sleep because I ached so bad and my Fibromyalgia was hurting me also. I could have gotten up and read or watched TV but instead I prayed for my family and friends. I called their names out to God to watch over them and to keep them safe as well as for their health and needs. I spent my time just talking to God and letting God speak to me. I think it was good that I couldn’t sleep because I had quiet time with God and  by the time I was done praying and talking to God I could go to sleep and slept good even though it was only about 3 ½ to 4 hrs.

While I was praying I kept going back to the verse that says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6 KJV I claim this verse for my kids and grandkids. I know it to be true because my parents brought us up in a Godly home where we learned to love God, to pray and they led by example. We went to church and we were active in our church. We sang in the choir, we went to youth group and Sunday school and when we had revivals we were there or anything special we were there. My Dad and Mom both didn’t just go to church but were leaders in the church too. We knew the importance of worship and knowing God and how to pray. I am so thankful that they showed us the way and trained us up right in the Lord. It didn’t mean that I didn’t stray but just like the verse says because I was trained up then I didn’t depart from that way. I am so glad too. I don’t know how people get through life without God.

I know that it makes me proud and does my heart good to see my little 3 year old Grandson 

Ian on first day of Summer preschool

              Ian love to go to church. He gets excited to go. I love that he is learning verses and it was so cute to see him try to preach to his Mom and Dad. When we were over for Memorial Day they got out a DVD of the lesson from their Wed. night class to watch and Ian was so excited that Pastor Rusty was on their TV. He grabbed a seat and watched it and kept telling me Pastor Rusty Nana. When it was done he told his Mom again again. I hope he always is that excited about hearing Gods word. 

When Paul  and Silas were  in prison they prayed and sang Praises to God. Then an earthquake came and the doors of the cell opened but they didn't leave. The jailer started to kill himself because he was sure they had escaped but Paul yelled and told him not to harm himself that they were all still there. He got a light and looked and saw they truly were all still there and he asked Paul how he could be saved and Paul tells him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he and his family will be saved.  The jailer had heard them singing and praising even though they were locked up and then when they had the chance to escape they didn't and they spared the trouble that would cone to the jailer for having prisoners escape on his watch and the life of this jailer by staying when they could have left. He then realized he needed the God that these men followed and asked them to show him the way. Their words but even more their witness of their faith by staying saved this jailer. Not only the jailer but also the jailers family.

Acts 16: 25-31 KJV

²⁵ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
²⁶ And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
²⁷ And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
²⁸ But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
²⁹ Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
³⁰ And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
³¹ And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

This is so important to me and I claim the last verse that not only will I be saved but my house or family too. That is a promise I cling to when I am praying for a relative that doesn't know the Lord. I believe that the reason the family will be saved too is first through the Holy Spirit working on their hearts and second by my change when I gave my heart to God and my witness in my daily life, just like Paul"s witness by staying put, that it will lead them to God also.
This is a great promise to cling to when you are praying for a family member who needs to be saved. It can be an encouragement and comfort.

Next time you can't sleep try praying for family and friends and know that you are  being prayed for by me when I can't sleep, as well as other times too.

 If you have a prayer request just leave it in the comments and I will be glad to pray for you.

 

Getting back in the swing.

 

 

My Mom the other day said that I needed to get back to writing and I think she is right. I hope to start blogging every day or every other day at the least. It has not been because I haven’t wanted to write but it has been almost a year now that we have been without regular Internet. We have a hot spot through T-Mobile that actually works well but since we are limited on how much a month we can use it without going over and running slow I limit my time on it. We have been waiting on Google fiber to get in our neighborhood but haven’t heard when they will be here yet. When we signed up they said by this spring, well spring has sprung and no Google fiber yet. It has been very rainy here so that may have hindered them keeping up their schedule but if we don’t hear anything soon we may have to start shopping for another source for our Internet needs.

I think that I have been missing putting my thoughts down and writing some of the things that God has placed on my heart. I don’t know if anyone every reads what I write, other than my Mom, but I feel like God has placed this on my heart to do so that is what I want to do. I haven’t been writing any poetry lately either and really nothing has been on my heart to write in  poem. I hope that changes but until it does I will share a few of my old ones in my posts.

Last I just want to say that I want to be the vessel that God’s light can shine through so that the world can see His light through me. Like it says in Matthew 5:14-16

"¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." KJV

That is my prayer, to be the light in a dark world by having and letting God's light shine in and through me.

I love lighthouses and part of the reason is they remind me that God is our light and we look to him to guide us in calm and stormy seas of life. They also remind me that just like the lighthouse is dark if the light inside isn't taken care of and lit. That is we have to have like the lighthouse a source of light but also we have to maintain that light by staying close to God and let him lead and guide us.
That is why it is so important for me to spend time with God by studying the Bible and praying.
Psalm 119: 105 says " ¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." KJV
It is simple to be the vessel,like the lighthouse, for God's light, like the light in the lighthouse, to shine through by first asking God into our hearts. Second we have to, like the light in the lighthouse, maintain the light by having a relationship with God, then study His word, pray and let God speak to us. That is what I want for me and you to be God's lighthouse for His light to shine through.

 

PTL for His Light in my heart and life.

 

 

 

Struggles We All Have Them Or I Am Not Super Woman Just God's Woman

I was thinking Monday that the old saying when it rains it pours sometimes seems so real. One thing I know for sure is that you can expect things not to be smooth and easy all the time. It is how we handle these times that is important. Do we get upset and depressed? Do we think God is forgetting about us or that he doesn't care about us? Do we want to just scream and pull our hair out? I think at times we have all felt like this and had these questions but being able to bounce back and get back on the right track is what is important.


As a Christian we sometimes think we shouldn't have any trouble but that isn't true. God even tells us there will be trouble.

John 16:33 NIV
³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”


 2 Cor. 4:8-9 KJV
⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

The good news is that God tells us there will be trouble but does not leave us there He tells us that when we are His children that when the trouble comes He is our answer. John says in this world you will have trouble but our answer is God has overcome the world.
In Cor. Paul tells us we are troubled then lists ways we are, troubled not distressed, perplexed not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken and cast down not destroyed. In other words bad things happen but we have God on our side and we don't have to give in to the trouble just trust in God and turn it over to Him.

Sometimes it seems like it just all happens at once and I laugh and say God I am not Super Woman but then I am reminded that I don't have to be Super Woman just God's woman that has faith and prays. Three months ago my Dad died suddenly then my granddaughter fell at work and broke her arm and elbow which she had to have surgery on to piece back together with a plate and screws. Then cars broke down and Grandson is having to have tests and on and on. I was reminded of the verses above and that I am not alone. My first response is to pray. I turn it over to God and then trust Him. When I can do this then I know what it means in the Bible when it says we will have Peace. 

Phil. 4:7 KJV And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

So in times of struggle, grief and trouble fix your eyes, heart and mind on God and you can be God's Super Woman (or man) of Faith.

Isaiah 26: 3-4 KJV
³ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
⁴ Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

God is our source of strength and peace in time of struggles, trouble and grief.

I suggest that we memorize these verses so that we are reminded of them often.

My Dad

My Dad

 

So much has happened this year. To catch up I just wanted say that since Dec when I had the flu and was down for 3 weeks I was sick 3 more times with a bad cold and bronchitis and really didn't feel like posting. Then in March my Dad died suddenly and very unexpectedly. My Granddaughter fell at work and severely broke her arm and elbow requiring surgery to put the bones back together with a plate and 12 screws.  Then cars broke down and Grandson was sick and I was sick again. It seems like the hits just kept coming and I either wasn't feeling like posting or too busy to. That has changed now and I hope to start posting at least once a week.

One thing I want to stress in all this is like the old saying "don't put off till tomorrow what you should be doing today" and I will add because you might not get the chance to do it! This is in everything but especially when it comes to spending time with your loved ones and telling them how much you love them.

My Dad was a loving Christian man who taught me so much. One of the best things is to love God and that God loves me. He lived his faith and God's love shown through him. I just wanted to honor my Dad with this first post and I will share what I wrote for him:


Daddy, Father, Dad

He was first my Daddy who taught me lots of things. To this day I remember when I was in first grade sitting at the dining room table and him drilling me on the alphabet. He got so frustrated because I could never remember the letter P. In later years we would laugh about it.
To me I knew everything was alright when Daddy was around example was when I hit the tree sleigh riding and at the hospital when Dad got there I knew he would make everything alright. Mom was there to take care of me but I knew when Daddy showed up that he would make sure the doctors and nurses would do what was right too. In my mind Daddy was my protector and he always made everything alright.

When I got older he was Father. He taught me to be hard working, responsible, honest and trustworthy. I didn't always meet his expectations but one thing was for sure  even though he was stern I never doubted his love.

When I grew up he was Dad. He was a loving Dad, Husband, Grandfather, Brother and

friend to many. One of the most important things besides his love that he has left us all as his legacy is his Faith and love For God. He and Mom taught me to love and trust God in everything. Praying and teaching us to pray is the strength that he and mom passed on to me that has been my strength through my life. When I got sick I knew because of how Dad and Mom brought me up and live their lives that it just was natural to know that God had a plan and to pray. 

So  Daddy, Father, Dad. I love you and I am so glad that God chose you to be my Dad. I am not going to say Goodbye but I love you Dad and See you Later!

Here are a few pictures of my Dad: