Be Still...

"Be Still And Know That I Am God, And That I Will Be Exalted Among All The Nations" -Psalm 46:10 (Shannon's rendition)

This morning as I sit quietly before the Lord, I am brought to tears at how it's so often in the quiet moments we hear the loudest. I am so thankful today at answered prayers. My Dad is very sick with polycythemia and his heart has been having mini heart attacks for awhile now along with mini strokes....so on the way here, Ben and I prayed that Dad would have some good days with his heart and feel good and up for having us (2 active people-ha! one being an 8 yr old boy) around. Well God worked on all of us...Ben was much calmer than normal and as my Dad spoke to my brother on the phone last night his words were, "Yeah, my heart hasn't acted up the last few days, I don't know why but I've had some good days!" PRAISE THE LORD! I just smiled to myself because Ben and I knew that the Lord was providing us--what may very well be our last visit with my Dad--a fun and pleasant visit just reminicising and time for he and Ben to really get to know one another. I sit here as they all sleep just humbled by our Lord and softly crying as I see it's these little things that are so often taken for granted that we need to grasp and comprehend that the Lord is good, his love & grace abound and sometimes its in ways we like and need and other times His answers are harder to understand but still they are in our best interest.

Lord today I pray for Dad's heart and that if it be your will, healing to come to his body....he says he knows you and is ready to go....Lord give him peace in all ways...whether it be here on earth or in your arms.-amen

Friendship with God

Being a Christian is not about do's & dont's and many of us have grown up thinking so (for whatever reasons) but praise the Lord---it's about a relationship with Christ---a real relationship---where we are real and honest with ourselves first and Him!!

The following is an exert from a Proverbs 31 devotion by Micca Campbell & it resounded with me today about how we must be active in the relationship instead of expecting God to carry it....
It took a long while before I realized that the Christian life isn’t about following a bunch of rules. It’s not even about trying my best to be good. The Christian life is all about relationship. It’s about knowing and loving the God who already knows and loves us. It’s about being a friend of God. This changes everything.

Friendship requires commitment. The same is true in our companionship with the Lord. We often neglect vital portions of our relationship with Him. Sometimes that neglect is due to a lack of understanding in how to commune with Him. Other times it is sin or apathy in our lives causing us to overlook our need to fellowship with God.

In order to stay passionate about our faith, and live an empowered life free from sin, you and I must participate in our friendship with God by:

1.) Abiding in Christ. (John 15:4, NIV)
2.) Praying daily. (Mark 1:35, NIV)
3.) Meditating on God’s Word. (Joshua 1:8, NIV)
4.) Putting off the old and putting on the new. (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV)
5.) Being continually filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18, NIV)
6.) Exercising God-given gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV)
7.) Actively sharing the gospel with others. (Mark 16:15, NIV)

Which of these areas are you lacking in? Could that be the key to jump-starting your empowered-by-the-Spirit life?

The Christian life is real, satisfying, and available to all who are willing to have an on-going daily relationship with the Lord. Once I came to understand my role and participate in the relationship, I found the empowered life I was looking for. I’m convinced you can too.

Humbled

This morning, I am just humbled to tears at all the words of encouragement. You know when I read them, I think of the song, "Who Am I?" because this is how I feel....I am nothing --except a little crazy to like adventure and action and want to do whatever it is God wants me to do. After all, He made me this way and He did so for a purpose! I just want to daily be what He wants me to be and to always shine for Him!
Yesterday listenting to a sermon on "always being thankful" the guy called in & said how can I when I can't even pay my bills? The host responded, "Then be thankful you are not one of your creditors!" Ha Ha I just love God and know for certain He has a great sense of humor at us humans down here worrying over such things. Oh if we could only imagine.......

God's Handiwork

Wow...to update you in as few words as possible (so I don't loose you)....
God is sooooooooooooo good!!!! If you read my first blog entry, you will see the summary of this journey's beginning -where I realized what God was leading me to and knew what I needed to do--Kneeling Bridge Ministries--but how to do it was a mystery. Well today is November 12 and in a month here is what has progressed:
--I have left my position as Director of Informations Systems with Classic Leather, Inc.
--Thankfully, I am working for them on a contract basis/monthly pay plan (so I have at least a little income for now)
--I am going to incorporate Kneeling Bridge Ministries & apply for it's 501c3 status asap (PRAY!)
--I want KBM's focus to be service oriented with missions goals--I want to somehow lead/organize mission trips to Ukraine (other countries?), start medical missions & distribute medical equipment to hospitals/clinics in desperate need around the world, and will develop and design websites as a ministry to churches/non-profits as well as to businesses for profit :)
--Mostly I want to be open to where God is leading and be ready to take up my cross for Him!

I am so clear on what God wanted me to do and am sure that He is in this and in control. Pray for me because I get scared (like when I spent $60+ yesterday on very few groceries) and when I wonder where all this is leading.
Specific prayer requests:
1) For clarity in preparing the incorporation/tax-exempt papers
2) For discipline to set goals and work on them daily
3) For me to each day spend quality time with the Lord
4) For web sites to design
5) For God to use me in His way-whatever that may be