The Vision and The Dream

I have been hearing and reading a lot lately about the Vision and the Dream. The Word says without a Vision God's people will perish. For many years I served the Lord, so to speak in The Wilderness. Like the Israelite , I did much murmuring and complaining, this was due in a large part because I was always trying to do things "MY" way. After many years of frustration, seeming to be going around in circles, I began to REALLY search the Scriptures for the "Truth". Did not Jesus say that the truth would set/make me free. I had been freed from sin, did I need to be free of myself, the answer was yes ! My Spirit was changed the day I met Jesus in a little Baptist Church. Being raised in another Denominational Church that did not really explain Salvation and the Work Of The Cross, I realized I was Religious, but had NO Relationship with God The Father or His Son Jesus and certainly did not know WHO the Holy Spirit was. Thus began a search that was to take several years of Study, Prayer, learning to Praise and Worship, to allow Jesus to become The Lord of my Life. Romans 12 v2 , John 15 v4&5, and Jer.29 v 11, these verses became a life saver so to speak to begin my journey into "Truth". I learned that each of us are called to some kind of service, to be used by God, to enrich the lives of others. To give each of us a dream and a vision to follow, to let the light of Christ shine in a dark world. I came across a statement of Oswald Chambers, taken from his book, "My Utmost For His Highest". I am going to share a short passage for you. He says, "God gives us a vision, then He takes us down to the valley to better shape us into the shape of His vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience." I believe therein lies our problem, "patience". It takes time for God to develop our character We must change the way we think,(Rom 12v2), then we can begin to change our actions, (John15v4&5), finally we begin to believe there is a hope and a future for us,(Jer 29v11). The Vision and The Dream are not fairy tales, they are very real if we have faith and put our trust in God and His Word. The dream and vision given to me many years ago is being fulfilled today. The calling on my life was put on hold for some of those years due to me seeking to do things my way. Today I often wonder how many more lives could/would I have touched if I had only not spent so much time in the valley that Chambers spoke of. i know God has forgiven me for stumbling along the way, the hard part was learning to forgive myself. So here I am today, MY Spiritual Birthday, 40 years ago today I knelt at the altar in that Baptist church, I asked Jesus to come into my life, to wipe away the sin and regrets of my life. There have been many times since then I have had to ask his forgiveness for a wrong deed, a harsh word, a judgmental attitude, yes He always forgives. i can stand before Him with a clean heart and continue on this path He has set before me. My questions for you are, what is your dream or vision ? Are you walking out the service to your fellowman that he has called you to ? Has there been a time that you asked Jesus to forgive you and make you a clean heart ? Today is the day ! What are you waiting for ? Come up out of the valley and join Jesus on the high plain of your life. It is never too late, you are never too old !! Until next time,"Keep Your Eyes On Jesus" !!

Catch Up !!

Wow, can not believe it has been over 3 months since I have posted here. I feel like the George Bush billboard, "Do you miss me yet ?" I know many of us do miss the wisdom and truthfulness of President Bush, when Jesus was welcome in the White House !! Has been so much going on i do not know where to begin, as always Jesus is Lord, and most all I do revolves around Him ! In March I went to the Elim Convocation in Houston, I believe this was my 8th year. I had the privilege of inviting one of my Survivors to go with me.This was a first for her, to see hundreds of people of all races and denominations come together to praise and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. as I say every year this was the best year ever. April was a busy month with new clients, meetings, speaking engagements, and as always lots of calls for prayer. The Women's Conference at MCC had a row of former Victims, now Survivors giving Praise to The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords ! I serve an Awesome God ! I am another year older since my last posting, those of you who follow me on Facebook know I have completed another task on my "Bucket List". I climbed The Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Tx on my 68th birthday. It was a beautiful cloudy, misty, cool morning, a great day for climbing. You can see miles from the top, scenery that is God's in all his glory. As I moved into May I thought this year has flown by, I had several books started from Jan,still not finished, 2 sewing project s to complete, which I now have finished on have the other over half done , then started on a quilt top this week. Then I look around at all the unfinished things and ask myself, "Why do I start so many things at the same time ?" My answer, "b/c I get tired of working on the same thing all the time. I can switch off every week or so. " I guess that is good reasoning ! This past week I have spent much time in prayer for crisis situations. If you do not know about Brittany Matthews , pregnant with twins, severe liver problems, babies still in danger, Layne Wiley, local soldier in Army, wounded in the skirmish in Afghanistan earlier this week,he has had two surgeries on his legs, now in German Hospital awaiting transport to the states. You can follow the updates on these two on Prayer Warriors site on Facebook. It is an open group I set up earlier this year, if you are a believer in the power of prayer I invite you to join this group. We are dedicated to praying for the situations posted on this site. We have seen many answered prayers, including the two miracles this week. As we move into this Memorial Day weekend I am so grateful to the brave men and women in uniform who are serving our country in hopes of keeping America Free. I know this Earth as we know it will never see complete Peace, Why ? Because Jesus said it would not be so. There will always be war and rumors of war. The Good News is you can have peace in your spirit when all around you is in chaos. Jesus paid the extreme price that each of us might be assured of life eternal we need only confess we are sinners, believe that Jesus is the Son of God that He gave His life on the cross for our sin, arose on the 3rd day and sits at the right hand of the Father making intersession for you and me. It is that simple, ASK, BELIEVE, RECEIVE ! Then get into the Word , (Bible), learn how to live a successful Christian life, become a witness of what He he has done in your life. God gave that we might receive, then share with others ! Then you can shout out as I often do, "LOOK what the Lord has done in Me !!" While you are eating BBQ, visiting with family wherever/whatever you may be doing this Memorial Day weekend, STOP long enough to say a prayer for all our Men and Women who are fighting the natural battle for our Freedom, then thank God for the Supernatural gift of His Son Jesus. Until next time, "Keep Your Eyes On Jesus !!"

What Does God Want From Me?

As most of you know I am a Christian Counselor with a Ministry to Victims of Domestic Violence. I have many questions asked of me, one of the most recent was, "What does God want from me ?" This statement has been whirling around in my mind for a couple of days, I have prayed and I am going to attempt to answer the question. God made us in His Spiritual image, He gave us a body to carry the Spirit and a soul that has feelings and emotions. Thus we are Spirit speaking beings. God made us for fellowship and relationship with Him ! Our time here on earth is meant to be spent as time getting ready to spend an Eternity with Him in Heaven. God's goal for our life is not our comfort, He wants to develop our character. To grow us spiritually to become more like Christ, to develop Christ's attributes not our own selfish fleshly desires. This is a process that begins the day we asked forgiveness of our sins and our spirit is "reborn" and continues the rest of our natural life here on earth. Life here will be difficult, with many trails and storms, this enables us to grow into the mature Christian He desires. Some are satisfied to just get into Heaven, but His plan is for us to become more like Him to empower us through the Holy Spirit to do His will here on Earth. Our time here on Earth is to be spent equipping us to be a Witness for Him. Life here is difficult because of the sin factor, started by one man Adam taken care of be one God man Jesus. John 10v10 Jesus promised us an abundant life, we being natural minded think of this in terms of natural wealth, Jesus was speaking of the abundant life He has for us in the Spirit not only in Heaven, but here on earth. He said," Thy Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven." If we will seek Him first we will have our daily "NEEDS" met, not our wants and the lifestyle American Christians think we must have or God is not with us. He wants to supple us with Abundant Life of Love, Joy, Peace, Grace, Mercy, these are the attributes that make us more like Him, "Christ Like". When we are continually filled with His Spirit on a daily basis the problems of life here and now will not seem so big, because we are in relationship with a BIG God who helps us walk out the situations that come our way. God is NOT our Servant, We are to serve Him ! It is not be all about "Me", it must be all about "Him". We exist for His purpose and pleasure, not our own. Jesus paid a high price for our freedom ! I repeat he wants to develop our character ! Our character consists of our habits, our lifestyle, our thoughts, what we speak, I believe these are the most important. They make us who we are ! All of these things can be changed, we can choose to become more like Jesus, or we can continue in our own selfish agenda, a sign of a mature Christian is when we begin to put others needs ahead of our own desires. Self discipline is doing the right thing when you desire to do the wrong thing ! This is a choice ! We can not produce Christ like character in our own strength, this is the job of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said The Comforter would come and He would lead, guide, and direct us in the Truth and the Truth would make us free. This freedom comes when we learn how to apply the Word to our lives. We must cooperate with The Holy Spirit by listening for His voice, His nudge to follow Him, He said His sheep would know His voice and follow no other. We must begin to develop Godly habits and a lifestyle that is pleasing to God. We must begin to think differently, Rom 12v2, we are in the world, but not of the world, we must be transformed daily by the renewing of our mind to the Word of God ! We should be different, others should see something different in us. Only our Spirit was reborn when we asked Him into our life, we have control over our body and our soul,(mind), they will always be in opposition to His Word and His will for us. We must allow our reborn Spirit to take control of our life, this is a CHOICE ! When we try to control our circumstances, our future and people around us we are trying to be a god. He is the Creator ! We are the Created ! He formed us from the dust of the earth, He breathed His Spirit into us and gave us a soul, we are Spirit speaking beings. We like Him are a 3 part being, like Him but not Him. So to answer the question, What does God want from me ? Your life, living for Him ! Until next time,"Keep Your Eyes On Jesus !"

Praise and Worship The Lord Our God !!

Last week my Bible study was based on the importance of Praise and Worship. We can not rely on our feelings, our flesh will not and does not want to praise God. We often tend to think, "I will praise God when the trouble passed, when the problem is over, when I feel better" ! These are the most important times to be in an attitude of Praise and Worship, to know and believe our God is BIGGER than any and ALL our problems. We must continue to Praise and Worship no matter how we feel, I have found at the time I am the sickest, have the biggest problem, I always feel better after a time of thanking God for His goodness, praising Him for His mercy and worshiping Jesus for the sacrifice He made so that I might have life eternal and a better life here and now. God is still God no matter how we may feel ! Circumstances DO NOT change God's character, Gods grace is sufficient. We must learn we can not let our fleshly nature rob us of Gods Love, Joy, and Peace ! I often hear I do not feel His presence with me. I have found that during these 'Dry' seasons, if I will continue to Praise and Worship Him, this is often a time of testing and growth, becoming more mature in Him. He does not leave me, but maybe takes a step back to allow me to grow into the full potential He has for me at that particular time in my walk with Him, a deeper walk, a stronger relationship. Praise and Worship is so much more than going to church on Sunday, singing a few songs, perhaps raising your hands or clapping to the music, if this is your style of Praising Him. Praise and Worship should be a lifestyle for you, no different than prayer or reading your Bible. It should be an everyday part of your life. The Psalms 150 v6, "Let everything that has breath, Praise the Lord !" I ask are you breathing ?? You may be saying, "I have a hard time Praising and Worshiping, focus on WHO He is and ALL He has done for you. God gave His Son, that our sins might be washed away. Jesus gave up everything that we might have everything !! That alone, if He never did another thing for you or I, that is more than enough reason to Praise and Worship Him. God is real no matter how you or I feel, He is there, Heb 13 v 5 in the Message Bible, God assures us, " I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you." I urge you this very day , IF Praise and Worship are not a part of your daily life, begin today for, This IS the Day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it !! My Pastor preached on Praise and Worship this past Sunday, God always confirms His Word. I want to leave you with a couple of high point of his sermon. # 1 Do not allow your Praise and Worship to be governed by your emotions ! # 2 To delay your Praise, may delay your answer ! # 3 Be consistent in your Praise and Worship, let it become a lifestyle ! # 4 Your Praise releases Power in the Spirit realm ! # 5 The enemy can not stop your problem from moving, unless he hinders your Praise and ! Until next time, "Keep your Eyes on Jesus !"

Prayer

Websters defines prayer as an earnest request, supplication, an humble entreaty to God. My definition of prayer is communication with God, making my wishes known through praying in line with His book of instructions, the Bible. I believe I am a person of prayer, I am not alone in this belief as I get many calls and emails on an almost daily basis from others asking for prayer. I have a few questions for you, I will give you my answers. If you disagree or have positive input please leave a comment. What do I/You pray about ? Everything, God is concerned about every aspect of our life and longs for us to ask and seek His guidance for our lives and those whom we pray for. When do I/You pray ? Paul said pray without ceasing, I believe he meant for us to be in an attitude of prayer at all times. Of course there may be a specific time of the day that you pray, I pray each morning before my feet hit the floor. To stay in tune with the Spirit, so when needed I am ready, willing and able to pray, not only for my own needs, but especially for those who may not be as confident that God hears their prayers. Those who feel the need to have agreement from another when they pray. I believe if we do not have an active daily prayer life, when crisis time comes we will not be able to pray effectively, James said the fervent prayer of one in right standing with God has tremendous power. When we have a crisis we see our need as BIG and NOW, God see the overall picture. He is all powerful ! We must see Him as such and realize NO problem we face is bigger than our God ! When I/You pray IF we allow doubt to creep in, doubt that He will hear, doubt He will answer ? Faith can not work where there is doubt. This is another reason why an active daily prayer life is essential, you will believe He hears and know that in line with His Word He will answer. Prayer should be a daily activity, not waiting till a crisis looms over us. Matt 6v 9-13, we call the The Lords Prayer, but it should be our prayer, praying for daily needs, spiritual guidance, forgiveness for self as well as others, that we will avoid the evil and temptations of this world. I pray now that if you are reading this and realize you do not have an active daily prayer life, you will begin now to change this area of your life, I can not express how important it is for you to become a person of prayer, it will change your life ! You say I do not know how or what to pray. You need only pray in line with his Word, He said He would prove His Word, if you have doubts as to how to pray, pray His will over the situation, you will never be praying wrong, remember delay in the answer is not denial. Galatians 6v9, Paul said DO NOT grow weary, in DUE season you will receive. Until next time, "Keep Your Eyes On Jesus !"

The Seasons of Life -- Then It Is Winter !

I received this in an email, wanted to share it with you. . The Seasons of Life, Then It's Winter.........!

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years' It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all... And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.... But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise.... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well...seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like... But, here it is... my friends are retired and getting gray... they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know, that when it's over...its over.... Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done.... things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime....! So, if you're not in your winter yet... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember....

hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!! 'Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.' LIVE IT WELL!!----ENJOY TODAY!!!!-----DO SOMETHING FUN!!!----BE HAPPY!!!----BE THANKFUL!!!!!

This has a special meaning to me, as I just lost two people from my life that were not in the winter of their life in years, BUT it was winter for them. They will see no more seasons here with us, they left us with good memories, we go on without them. I believe they would tell us, Live, Love, Laugh, Forgive, makes for fewer regrets.

Until next time, "Keep Your Eyes On Jesus !"

Life Goes On -- It Really Does !

It is only 12 days into the New Year and I have had to face two tragic deaths, on Jan. 3rd. I lost a dear friend in the prime of her life, 45. She had a vibrant personality and never met a stranger. On Fri the 7th. a cousin's wife died suddenly at 40, leaving 2 small children. already emotionally upset from my friends death, I went into a period of sadness, sorrow, and minor depression. I could not get past the usual question, "WHY GOD ?" This continued for several days. Thank God I realized by Sunday what was happening and asked my partner in prayer to pray for me. She laid her hand on my mid section and began to bind the spirit of depression over me and pray peace in to my spirit. I could feel the warmth of the Holy Spirit and immediately I felt the sadness, sorrow and depression lift from me. It was gone ! I was free from the oppression that had tried to overtake me.This led me to once again realize how important it is to, " KNOW WHO GOD IS AND WHO I AM IN HIM !" To understand I was on shaky ground spiritually, if the enemy can get us focused on the problem God seems far away. I had to take my own counsel and seek prayer from one who I know is connected to the Father. We are all vulnerable at times, most important is to recognize we need help ! This is wisdom on the part of the one who sees themselves on that shaky ground to call for help from the Father who loves us so unconditionally. Has Grace and Mercy mixed with peace and love to give us all we need in times of trouble and turmoil, often not directly affecting us, but still is devastating to our spirit. So I am taking some of my own counsel this week, seeking prayer and counsel from another who is prayed up and ready to help me through to the light of Jesus. it has been a long time since I have found myself in the dark tunnel, but I thank God he drew me to the Light of the Son ! I dedicate this posting to the memory of Laura Cox St John and Lori Schafer Clark, may you live on in the thoughts and memories of those who knew and loved you. Until next time, "Keep Your Eyes On Jesus ! " He truly has EVERYTHING we need !!