2015 The Year of Change

As I look back on 2015 I look at all the things that are now different. We had some good, some bad and some just different things happen this year. Our Granddaughter Chloe was born in Feb she is such a joy. My Dad suddenly died in March leaving a big hole in our hearts and lives. Our Granddaughter Mattie severely broke her arm having to have surgery to put in a plate and 11 or 12 screws. My husband left his job of 15 years and started a new job. So 2015 will be the year of change good and bad. One thing I am sure of is that God is and was in control and I have even with all that went on a peace and joy that is only possible through our Lord.
Looking forward to 2016 I am holding on to the promises of God and going forth knowing that God goes with me. I am praying that in 2016  I will be the vessel that God's light shines through to help and bless others. I want to grow in my faith and relationship with God and then I can face what comes our way this new year.
Happy New Year

12 Gifts From God Gift # 12 Eternal Life

Gift Number 12: Eternal Life

The 12th and final gift from God is eternal life. God promises us eternal life if we accept His son Jesus as our Saviour. This gift is so important; it gives us security in what happens after we die. We are not condemned to hell to live in continual torture but we are given the gift of eternal life. We will live with God and there will be no more sickness, no more tears, no more sorrow, instead we can look forward to having eternal happiness. God gives us this gift of eternity because He loves us and wants us to be with Him for eternity so that is why Jesus was sent to earth to die for us so that we can go to heaven for all eternity. John 3:14-16) 14”And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (KJV) Thank you Lord for this love and gift that ensures our eternal life.

As we have looked at before, we have sinned and our penalty is death, but Jesus paid this penalty for us with His death and when we accept Him as our Saviour then we can have eternal life. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (KJV) It is so simple all we have to do is believe in Christ and ask for forgiveness and eternal life for us is guaranteed. 1 John 5:11-12 11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”(KJV) It is just that simple if we have Christ we have eternal life and will live forever in heaven with Him. What better gift can there be than the assurance of eternal live.

In John 14:1-3 it tells us that Christ has gone to heaven to make our room ready for when we join him. John 14:1-31 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”(KJV) God not only made a way for us to have eternal life through His son but Christ is preparing a place for us and is waiting for us to join Him so that we can be with him Hallelujah what a wonderful thing to look forward to. When I think of these verses I picture a parent and younger siblings who get the room ready for a returning child from college. They clean and arrange things just so and they are so excited on waiting for that child to get home. This is how God and Jesus are they are excited about us coming home to be with them in heaven and they are getting everything ready for us to come home. We can be assured of our place in heaven by asking Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Saviour and asking God to forgive us. The minute we do this then we have our place in heaven ready and waiting for us to spend eternity there. Thank you Jesus.

These are the 12 gifts of God that we have looked at. So at Christmas this year I hope if you haven’t received these gifts that you will. I pray that if you have been born again that you will think about all these gifts and more that God has given us. Be thankful and tell God thank you for His gifts and especially the gift of His Son and the gift through His son of eternal life. Next time you hear the song “12 Days of Christmas” think about the 12 gifts of God. Merry Christmas and God Bless You.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 11 Comfort/Comforter

This year more than ever is this gift felt. I am so thankful for God's gift of comfort and the comforter especially this year since it is our first Christmas without Dad. So this 11th gift is so important


Gift Number 11: Comfort/Comforter
by Deb Forbes

copyright 2008

What comes to your mind when you think of comfort and comforter? One of the first things I think of is when my kids and grand kids were little and one of them would bump their heads or trip and fall then I or my husband would go and make sure they were alright. We would hug them and tell them they were alright so we were comforting them and being their comforter. Or how about when someone is sad or grieving and you are there for them to talk to or be the shoulder for them to cry on then you are a comfort to them or their comforter. This is true about God too. God gives us the gift of comfort and is our comforter. When we seem to struggle and fall, when we are hurt, when we are lost, and when we are grieving God gives us comfort and is our comforter. It says in
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 8 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” KJVThank you Lord. He comforts us as it says in these verses through anything that comes our way. He is there and wraps His loving arms around us.
God also gives us the gift of comfort when we are facing death. Even Christians can be afraid when it is their time to die but they have a strength and comfort that people who don’t believe in Christ don’t have. It says in Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” KJVPraise the Lord even in death he sends comfort and is with us. For Christians God waits with open arms to welcome us home to heaven. What a comfort that God and Jesus is our welcoming committee when we go home to heaven. God also comforts those we love who are left behind it says in Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”KJV This is a definite not a maybe thing He states those who mourn will be comforted all we need to do is turn to God and call on His name and He will comfort us and give us strength.
Last we have the comfort or promise of comfort that we never have to be without God’s comfort when Jesus tells his disciples before he ascends into heaven that he goes but God is sending another comforter to them John 14:16,18 16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”KJV He promises not to leave us comfortless but that another comforter will come to be with us and the other comforter he is talking about is the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful promise that we will never be without a comforter or the comfort of God. This gift from God is so important and free. I know with all my illnesses that without God and his comfort I don’t know how we could make it. My husband and I say all the time that we don’t know how people without God in their lives make it through life. This gift and all the others from God are given to us out of God’s love for us and I thank him everyday for them. I pray that I can share his gifts with others and be a person God can use to show them His gift of comfort too. I thank Him for His loving arms that He  holds us in and His comfort throughout our lives. Thank you Lord.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 10 Mercy

Gift Number 10: Mercy
By Deb Forbes

Copyright 2008

When I think of mercy I think of a criminal asking a judge for mercy not to give him the maximum penalty for a crime he has committed. We, like that criminal, have sinned against God and even though we don’t deserve it he has shown us mercy by giving his son to pay our penalty for our sins which is death. Rom. 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.KJV If we got what we deserved then we would get death and hell, but God loved us and had mercy on us and that is why Christ suffered and was crucified for us. Oh what a gift this is from God to give mercy to the ones who have sinned against him. God didn’t have to do this he could of just given us what we deserved, but thanks be to God for having given us love and mercy so that we didn’t have to suffer the punishment for our sins, Christ did this for us and when we accept Christ as our Saviour then we receive the gift of mercy from God and our penalty is paid and we are free. As it says in 1 Chronicles 16:24 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”KJV we should continually give thanks to God for his gift of mercy to us.
When I think of mercy from God I also think of compassion. Because of the compassion of God we have his mercy. God shows compassion when he provides for us and keeps us in his loving arms and each time he forgives us he is showing mercy through his compassion for us. Daily we sin because we are human and not perfect. Christ is the only perfect man to ever have lived so daily we have to ask God to forgive us. God daily shows compassion and mercy because when we ask him to forgive us he does. Praise God. He also shows us mercy when he gives us strength to face trials and tribulations. God could surely turn his back on us, but instead his mercy is shown and he wraps his arms around us and gives us the strength and love and a way to make it through. Phil. 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”KJVSo God’s gift of mercy is given to us daily, it is a gift that we receive first when he sent Christ to die for us because he loved us and took compassion and mercy on us and second the gift of mercy is given everyday by forgiving us our sins daily and giving us strength. I don’t know how I could go through every day without this mercy and strength. So remember to thank God for his gift of mercy that is ours through Christ daily. Praise God for all he gives us and especially for his gift of mercy through Christ Jesus. Thank you Lord.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 9 Grace

GIFT NUMBER 9: GRACE

by Deb Forbes

copyright 2008

Gift number 9 is grace that I want to look at. What is grace? To me grace is the undeserved, favor from God or gift from God of the goodness he has shown man even to saving him from his sins when he didn’t deserve it. In Romans 3:23-24 it says we have all sinned but God freely by grace redeems through his son Jesus so that we are able to be saved from our sins. Grace or favor is given to us by God even though we did nothing to deserve it. Rom. 3:23-24 23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” KJVGod gives this gift of grace to all who will accept Christ. We don’t receive God’s favor or grace by how good we are or how much work we do for others. You can’t receive it for just going to church or giving to the poor. Works are good and we should take care of those around us, but with out the grace of God through our receiving Christ in our lives the works are worth nothing.
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.” KJVWe can’t do enough or be just good enough to get in to heaven, but the grace of God through acceptance of Christ will get us into heaven. Christ’s death on the cross took the blame and penalty for our sins and in doing so this was God’s grace being shown and given to us even though we were sinners and008 as it says in Titus 3:7 we then by grace are made heirs to the throne of God which makes heaven our home when we die. Thank you Lord
Titus 3:7 “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” KJVThe gift of grace as it says in Eph. 4:7 is given to everyone by the gift of Christ so this means no matter who we are or how bad we have been we are given the gift of grace by Christ’s death for us, all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and ask God into our hearts and it is all ours. Eph 4:7 “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”KJV Next time you think or hear someone say surely he will get into heaven he is such a good person then remember the gift of grace is not given to you for just being good but it is given by accepting the gift of Christ as your Saviour. Neither can you think you or anyone else can not receive the gift of grace because you have done too many bad things or are a really bad person because when you accept Christ and ask for forgiveness then the gift of grace is freely given. That is the wonderful thing about the gift of grace from God he wants to give it to you so all you have to do is accept it just like the other gifts. You don’t have to get good enough first but you are washed clean by the blood of Christ when you ask for forgiveness by God’s grace. Hallelujah Thank you Lord. So remember that everyone has a soul and all of the gifts from God are for everyone of us so lets, while we are giving Christmas gifts out this year, remember to share the love of God and his gift of grace as well as all the other gifts of God.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 8 Joy

GIFT NUMBER 8: JOY
by Deb Forbes copyright 2008

Joy is the 8th Gift from God I want to explore. Joy to me is great delight and happiness, but the joy of the Lord goes beyond just feelings. It is delight, happiness, strength, contentment, pure love: it is the feeling and knowledge of being whole and complete. It is being content and happy when you have trials and tribulations and not only joy, but as it says joy unspeakable. 1 Peter 1:7-97 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.:”KJV It is knowing that your faith in Christ is precious and that at the end you will be with him in heaven, it’s a feeling of satisfaction. Have you ever been so happy that you can’t find the right words to say to express that happiness that’s what joy unspeakable is like and it’s all the time for all the children of God. Now that doesn’t mean that you will never be sad or grieved or angry, but it means deep inside yourself you still have the joy of the Lord. When you are grieved or sad or angry you can draw on the joy of the Lord and find strength to keep going like it says in
Neh. 8:10b “for the joy of the LORD is your strength”KJV When I got sick at first they couldn’t tell me what was wrong which is very frustrating and a little scary really,  but even though those feelings were there I also knew deep in my heart that God cared and was taking care of me and I still was joyful and I drew on that joy I find in God to have the strength to overcome those other feelings and to not give up. Even now as I keep adding other diseases to the list I have I continue to be able to be joyful and feel complete and satisfied because I know the joy from God which is always there and it really does give me strength. I always remember that even though it seems things are mounting up against me that like David says in
Psalm 30:5b “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” KJVwhat a wonderful promise that all we have to do is hold on because joy comes in the morning. People ask me all the time how can you be so upbeat and happy all the time with all that is wrong with you and my answer is I know that I am in God’s loving arms and I have joy in my heart from God because I know its all part of the job God has for me to do. It doesn’t matter if I am sick because I know that eventually I will get the ultimate healing when I go to be with God in heaven. So my faith and the Joy of the Lord sustain me for now in my walk with God and in my job I have to do. This gift of joy is for everyone, all you have to do is to accept Christ and the joy is given to you. Christ is our Joy and at this time of year when everyone is singing about Joy in the World remember the true Joy comes from God. Next time you are faced with troubles then remember the Joy of the Lord is there to sustain you and give you strength. I hope and pray that everyone will draw on this gift of Joy and find strength, delight, happiness, contentment, and completeness that this gift will provide. Thank you God for all you do and for this gift of joy you give to sustain us through this life.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 7 Peace

GIFT NUMBER 7: PEACE
By Deb Forbes copyright 2008

Gift number 7 from God I want to look at is Peace. Peace to me is a calm assurance. When I was a kid I went sleigh riding down a hill that had just a very small path down the middle of nothing but trees. Well I started down, hit a rut, and went headlong into one of the trees. I was hurt and scared and they took me to the hospital but I didn’t calm down and feel better till my Dad got there and once he got there I knew he would make everything alright and I calmed down and was at peace because he was there. The Peace that God gives is a calm assurance that he loves us and has everything in control. This peace is brought to us by his Son Jesus who gave his life for us so that we can have the assurance of God’s love and our home in heaven. In Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”KJV this is the promise and gift from God that because we believe and accept Jesus as our Lord then we are guaranteed peace from God for our lives.

When in 2000, after being sick for awhile, I finally was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis I didn’t fall apart or get angry or upset. I prayed about it and then I had the peace from God that I was where he wanted me to be.  I felt thankful because he trusted me to use me in this way. Myasthenia Gravis is a neuromuscular disease where your body sees the receptors, that is how the nerves talk to the muscles, and blocks or destroys them because they are seen as being a foreign body and they need to be destroyed. It causes muscle weakness in the voluntary muscles like eyes, eyelids, face, swallowing, talking, chewing, breathing, limbs, neck and back muscles. You can get into a crisis and choke or not be able to breath so it can be very dangerous and life threatening in a crisis. I tell you this because I want you to understand I wasn’t afraid even though this is a serious disease and just one of many I have but because of my faith in God and having Jesus as my Saviour that I have the gift of peace even in my time of trouble. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”KJV This verse tells us that peace is given to us and we don’t have to be afraid. That is why I can have peace even in sickness and not be afraid of what could happen.

Peace or calm assurance that we are loved by God and are in God’s master plan even as it says in John 16:33 “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.”KJV though we have troubles and tribulation in the world we can be calm and at peace because Jesus has overcome the world and as a believer in him we can overcome too,therefore we have the gift of Peace. It is also a peace because we know our final outcome will be in heaven with God forevermore. So remember that even in this world when things are up or down we have the gift of peace from God to hold on too. Phil 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”KJV Pass this gift of peace on to others by sharing your faith and telling them how to receive the gift of peace from God. Thank you Lord for your peace and calm assurance that you have given to each of your children.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 6 HOPE

Gift Number 6: Hope
by Deb Forbes copyright 2008

The 6th Gift from God I want to look at is Hope. In Webster’s dictionary it says hope means “to expect with confidence”. Well the gift of hope from God is to know with confidence that 1. God is always with you; 2.God loves you, and 3. that there is something more when we die than just death. This hope then is knowing and having confidence in God and his promises. I had a very good friend that found out she had lung cancer and when they told her they said it was the worst kind and that there wasn’t any hope for her to beat the cancer. She was strong in her faith in God and she just laughed and told them I have trusted, obeyed and relied on God this far and I am not going to stop now. She was telling them that she had hope even if she had cancer because her hope was not in things here on earth but hope in God and the knowledge that even if she died she was assured a place in heaven. Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is”.KJV The hope I am talking about isn’t in material things. We all have had hope that maybe we would get that job we wanted or maybe a good grade on a test but these things are just material and can’t give us anything that is forever, but the hope I am talking about is hope that leads us to living in heaven with God. When we accept Christ as our Saviour then we are assured of a place in heaven when we die. so then we have hope in things to come. Because of the gift of hope from God we have victory over death as it says in I Cor. 15:54-57 54“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.KJV Praise God.
The gift of hope from God gives our lives meaning and the assurance that no matter what we are going through we have someone going through it with us in the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean that nothing will ever go wrong but it means that we have the confidence or hope that God has a perfect plan and that we can get through anything because he loves us and is always with us. Phil. 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”.KJV No longer do we need to feel hopeless because our hope is in the Lord. Trials and Tribulations may come our way but our strength comes in the knowledge and assurance or hope that God has it all in control and while we live we are in Gods loving arms living for him and if we die then we gain living with him in heaven. Phil. 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”KJV So our hope is in the Lord and we can live a full, happy, abundant life because of this hope. When you feel hopeless or know someone who is feeling hopeless remember that when you have Christ in your heart then you have hope as God has promised you. Thanks be to God

12 Gifts From God Gift # 5 Salvation

GIFT NUMBER 5: SALVATION
By Deb Forbes copyright 2008

Salvation is the 5th gift from God I want to look at. All the gifts we have looked at so far have been connected and Salvation fits right in with the rest of them. First God gives us life and love and forgiveness and sends his Son Jesus. He sent his son so that he could make a way for us to be with Him or to give us salvation from our sins. This is seen in 1 Thes. 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”KJV. Salvation is necessary because we have done things that keep us from God. It is like when we were kids our parents loved us and provided for us and set rules that were good for us to keep us safe, but as kids we always had to try things anyway and our parents had to step in and help us or save us from ourselves. It is the same with God, he gives us everything we need and loves us, but we still stray and sin as it says in Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” God loved us enough to save us though by sending his son. John 3: 16-1716 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.KJV”Praise the Lord for his gift of Salvation so that we are saved from our sins. All we have to do is accept this gift from God just like the other gifts. In Romans 10:9-10 it tells us how we can receive the gift of Salvation from God it says Rom. 10:9-10 9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”KJV It is just that simple we have to believe and confess our belief in Christ and ask to be forgiven and we shall have salvation. That’s all it takes for us to receive the gift of Salvation that God has for us. It's just as easy as receiving a Christmas gift from someone you just have to reach out and take it.
This gift of salvation from God is for everyone and at this Christmas time my prayer is that many will receive this gift from God. Once we have received the first 5 gifts I have been looking at from God, life, Jesus, love, forgiveness and salvation then the rest of the gifts I will be looking at come along with these 5 gifts. These gifts are a packaged deal that you don’t want to miss out on. Thank you Lord. God is so good and as David says in Ps 145:3 “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable”.KJV And this God is just waiting to hear from you to accept you into his family and to lovingly give you all the gifts he has for you.

12 Gifts From God Gift # 4 Forgiveness

GIFT NUMBER 4: FORGIVENESS
By Deb Forbes
copyright 2008

Forgiveness is something we all seek at one time or another. Have you ever said or done something that has upset or hurt someone else and then have to ask them to forgive you? When my kids were little one would hit the other or call them a name or yell at them and I would finally have enough of the bickering and fighting and name calling so I would tell them to stop and say I’m sorry. Of course the I’m sorry yelled at each other wasn’t what I was looking for so then I would tell them to hold hands, smile, and say I am sorry like they meant it. This got a quick response because they didn’t want to do that so they would hurry and say it the way I wanted so they would be able to stop holding hands. They may not have meant it then any more than the first time they said it but at least they were talking nice and acting nice for the moment and I think they probably didn’t think anymore about it till the next time they were fighting. The lesson I was trying to teach them was that we shouldn’t do things to hurt each other, but if we do we should say I am sorry and seek their forgiveness. The same is true with God. We do things we shouldn’t and things that grieve God and if we ask him he will forgive us. So the 4th Gift from God I think is Forgiveness. In 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” and in 1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”. KJV God doesn’t want us to sin but knows we will sin because we are human, so the key is if we ask to be forgiven he will forgive us. He provided this forgiveness through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ for us. All children do things that are wrong even though we, as parents, would like for them not to. We don’t stop loving them because of it but we forgive them because we love them. That is the same with God, it grieves him for us to sin and do wrong but, just like a parent, He still loves us and wants us to have forgiveness all we need to do is like I made my kids do say we are sorry and mean it and ask him to forgive us and he will, done deal, He will forgive us and continue to love us. So the 4th gift is Forgiveness given to us from God for our wrong doing because he loves us. Thanks be to God for being a loving forgiving God. This is a wonderful gift that we get daily if we ask for it. Remember to pass this gift on to others also so that they know they are forgiven too.

12 Gifts of God Gift # 3

GIFT NUMBER 3: LOVE
By Deb Forbes copyright 2008

The third gift from God I want to talk about is the gift of Love. God loves and wants what is best for us. An example of God’s love is in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.KJV God loved us so much that He wanted to make a way for us to have abundant life here and life with him in heaven and to do that He sent his Son to save us. He sent Jesus even though we didn’t deserve this love as shown in Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.KJV We hadn’t done anything to make God love us, but just the opposite. God loved us so much though that He loved us in spite of ourselves. What do I mean just this, we turn away from God and do things that are wrong and hurtful to God. We don’t live with God as the center of our lives, but even when we are sinful God still loves us and has given us a way to be forgiven and to live with him. He didn’t have to do this, but it was his love for us that brought about his gift of Jesus dying for our sins. What a great love that is. It’s an unconditional love one we didn’t deserve but was freely given to us anyway. God loves us period, we don't have to be good enough, or do anything to get this love it is freely given and is and will be there always. He loves us because we are his and nothing changes that. What a comfort, to know we have God's love no matter what!
God’s gift of love to us is an enduring, and unwavering love that we can have confidence in being there always. Rom 8:35-39 35“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”KJV Praise the Lord He tells us right here when we become one of his children by accepting Jesus as our Savior that his love is there for always, what a wonderful gift. So next time you are feeling all alone and maybe unloved remember God loves us always and we never have to be alone or feel unloved. Thank you Jesus. This gift alone is life changing when you think about it. If all those who think they need love and look in wrong places for love and acceptance could know God and understand about his love look at how much the world could be changed. This gift of God’s love is so important for all. We should all try to share this knowledge of God’s love with everyone we meet.     

12 Gifts of God Gift # 2

GIFT NUMBER 2: JESUS
By Deb Forbes copyright 2008

The second gift from God is his son Jesus. Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”. KJV He sent Jesus here to earth as a baby, made him human to live here on earth and he was born specifically to die for us. He was made human to know the pains and hurts suffered by humans and then he went to the cross to die for us. This is such an important gift from God to all of us. Jesus was sent here to save us and to be our Savior. John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”.KJV

Jesus lived among the people and knew what it was to be hurt, loved, hungry, thirsty, to lose someone and to be tempted by the devil. Jesus and God know exactly how we feel when we have these things happen to us too and that can be such a comfort. It should make us feel better when we are going through a loss or sickness or a time of trouble and tribulation or the next time we are tempted by the devil, to know that God has felt these things by sending Jesus to earth. So not only did God send his Son to be our Savior but He insured by this act that we can have confidence that God knows our feelings because He has felt them also. This is another way that Jesus was a gift from God to us.
In sending his Son Jesus it makes all the other gifts we are going to look at possible too. Jesus is the key to all in our lives here on earth and Eternal life. So Jesus is the most important gift from God first because He is our Savior and second because He came to as it says in John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” KJV to give us abundant life. This makes the gift of Jesus the most important part of our lives and all we have to do is except the gift of Jesus from God to have abundant life and all the other gifts too. We should continue to thank God daily for this gift of his Son and most importantly to accept this gift. So with the gift of Jesus we also get within this gift 1. A Savior 2. Abundant life and 3. Understanding. So thank you Lord for your wonderful gift of Jesus.

Written by Deb Forbes
2008 Copyright

12 Gifts From God My thoughts

Thought I would start a few days early but wanted to share once again my 12 Gifts From God devotion or thoughts.

I wrote this devotion back in 2008 and thought I would re post it now. God has given each of us so many things but I have chosen these 12 for this devotion.




12 GIFTS FROM GOD
written by Deb Forbes
Copyright 2008

At this time of year we all think about what we can get to give to others or what we would like to get for Christmas. The Christmas music is playing and decorations are everywhere. The other day I was thinking about the Christmas song the “12 Days of Christmas” and how on each day they get some different item or gift and that made me think that God has given us gifts and why not go through at least twelve of them each day till Christmas so these are the 12 gifts of God that I have decided to look at. The thing about these gifts is that they are life changing and they are for ever and not something you will only have for a short time or till the next Christmas.

1. Life
2. Jesus
3. Love
4. Forgiveness
5. Salvation
6. Hope
7. Peace
8. Joy
9. Grace
10. Mercy
11. Comfort and the Comforter
12. Eternal Life
GIFT NUMBER 1: LIFE

The first Gift of God is the ultimate gift and that is the gift of Life. Now you might think why would I choose this as a gift but it definitely is because if God hadn’t spoke us and everything else into existence we wouldn’t be here now. In Gen. 1 it tells us how God created the heavens and the earth, sun and moon, water, animals, vegetation, and man and woman. Gen 1: 27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. So the first gift has to be the gift of life to all things including us humans. Then he also gave us our lives. You might ask what do I mean by this that God gave us our lives. The answer would be that I believe that God made each one of us unique and for a special purpose. It says that God knows each hair on our heads Matt. 10:30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” and if He knows us intimately enough to count the hairs on our head then He took great care and time in making each and everyone of us. Therefore if He would take that much time when He was making each of us wouldn’t He then, don’t you think, have a specific purpose and plan for us and make us just right to fit into that plan? So literally God gave each of us our lives and not only our lives but a life with a purpose Praise God. Next time you think your life is going no where then remember that you have a gift given to you by God and that gift is Life and not only life but a life with a purpose straight from God himself. So Life is the first gift of God and we should remember to thank him for this wonderful gift each and everyday and strive to live fulfilling the purpose God has for us.

6 Years of Walking Praise God

Then

NOW

Sept 28, 2015 marks 6 years of being out of my wheelchair and walking. I praise God everyday for what he has done for me. I am very thankful and never what to take it for granite.

I was blessed that God trusted me enough to use me in the way He did when I was in the wheelchair and blessed me more when He told me to walk and has given me back my ability to walk and do what I can for Him.

My prayer is that God will continue to use me and that I can be the vessel His light can shine through.

Thank you God for blessing me and allowing me to walk.

I have included a portion of the post I wrote after I started walking.





Sept 28, 2009 Mike and I went to Shawnee Mission Park to go on one of our walk and rolls. Mike was at the back of the van getting my wheel chair out and once again the Holy Spirit prompted me and said one word which was walk and I walked down to the back of the van and said to Mike I'm going to walk and took off. I walked only about 100 yards that day but for someone in a wheelchair for all those years that was a big step. I walked by myself down the path and back up the hill to the street that the van was parked on. When I reached the top of the hill I raised my hands, like Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky, and shouted yes, yes, yes thank you Lord. I then walked back to the van. This is a picture of that first walk. 
I had never in all those years of being sick and in the wheelchair asked God to heal me or let me walk again so I was surprised when I was prompted to walk. If I had not listened to that prompting though and then followed that one word WALK I would of missed out on a healing and blessing. It would have been easy for me to ignore that prompting or think that it couldn't be done because I can't walk I am in a wheelchair, but I followed the prompt and God blessed me for my obedience. My muscles in my legs were there at that moment I took my first step which is all God after 12 years of my neuromuscular disease and my wheelchair. The next walk a couple of days later was for 1/4 of a mile, then the next a mile and soon I was able to go hiking off the paved trail for over a mile. 
Each day brings new firsts and I continue to Walk with God both spiritually and physically.


The last thought here is this, I am not perfect and have not always followed the Holy Spirits prompting. It is all part of growing in my walk with Christ. The one thing I do know in order to recognize the prompts you have to have a personal relationship with God so that you know and recognize his voice or prompting when it comes.

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:

Memorial Day 2015 We Remember

WWI Museum trench warfare

Today is Memorial Day 2015 and I am writing here and able to because of the sacrifices our men and women in the service have made. We on this day and everyday want to remember and thank the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces to keep us safe and free.  We will also go this day to the cemeteries to remember our loved ones who have died and put flowers on the graves. We will have family cookouts and picnics and play at the pool or lake but while doing all this we must and should honor those who served because if they had not been willing to put their life on the line for us we might not have the freedom to enjoy this day like we do. Our family has had someone who has  served in all the wars starting with the Rev. War.  It is an honor for me to pay tribute and thank them for their sacrifice.
Here are a few of the men from our family that has served. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE AND ARE SERVING IN THE MILITARY!

Cherish the moments and spend time with loved ones

I wanted to post a quick blog to say I will try to get back to weekly blogs next week. 5 and a half weeks ago my Dad died unexpectantly and suddenly.  We had just been an hour before with him and Mom and an hour later he was gone. Shock is probably the word that best describes where we were besides devastated and sad. The one thing we know is that he is in heaven and we will see him again.

We have hope, peace, and comfort from the Lord and assurance that this is not the end.



One lesson we can learn from his sudden death is to cherish every moment, spend time with the ones you love and make sure you are ready to meet the Lord.

More next week