You Are Seen

Look up sweet child. I’m here. I see you. You’re not the only one. I have set aside many who are standing in the shadows. You can’t see them, but trust Me, they are there. You’re not the only one. Continue to stand strong, waiver not, draw near to Me, and resist the devil, for his schemes seem enticing but they are fleeting and will leave you devastated.

It’s difficult and exhausting because you’re human with frailties and weaknesses, but in Me you are strong. You are a child of The Most High God. Do not take that lightly. Your home is in heaven. Your reward is great. I am preparing a place for you. I will come back, I promise.

Can Anyone See Me?

Worry, anxiety, fear, hopelessness, despair, thoughts of destruction, shame, poor decisions, choices with severe consequences, darkness, no light, no life, trapped, alone, forgotten, torn apart, bound by shackles never to be unlocked, and the list goes on. These are just a few of the dark thoughts people with mental illness experience many times throughout their day as they try to navigate this lonely, uphill battle.

What about their spouse, family member, or friend who is left behind, but wanting to stay beside, trying to organize their own thoughts so they can grasp the magnanimity of this dreary road? What about us? What do we do? How do, how can we help them? Is there hope? Is there freedom? What’s the next step? Where do we go for help? Who do we turn to for support? All questions that flood our minds and stump our hearts. We want to rescue them. We want to fix it, make it better. We want to stop this influx of pain and grief that they experience frequently, but how?

“Jesus, stop this suffering, intervene right now!,” we cry out over, and over, and over again, but the answers, the interventions never seem to come. We continue to drag one foot in front of the other, mindlessly scanning the internet for the next best thing to solve it ALL. Yet, we are disappointed once again. We walk away and say goodbye, exhausted at the end of another very long day without relief, void of respite, yet full of internal struggle.

I wish I had the answers to solve this overwhelming problem that can suck us dry and leave us for dead, but I don’t, at least not from this world. Our hope, our answers come from The One who made heaven and earth, and our very bodies, our very minds. He knows how disconnected they are. He feels the deep anguish. He hears the faint whispers. He sees the pain stained cheeks. He knows. We are not alone. He knows. We are not alone.

But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:4-8)

I know God can help. I know God will deliver us, maybe not this side of heaven, but He will deliver us. You are not alone friend. If you are the person experiencing such torturous thoughts or the loved one trying best to love them. You are not alone.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, Says The Lord

What most troubles your heart? What keeps your mind racing and your worry take harbor in your soul?

Is not God The One we praise? Is not God The One in whom our trust rests?

Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God. My ways are higher than your ways, declares The Lord.

My thoughts are higher than your thoughts, for I have created the heavens and the earth.

I am above all.

I have no master.

I do as I please, for I am The Great I AM, therefore, I command you precious one, Fear Not!

Stand firm on My TRUTH.

Remain steadfast.

Keep your gaze upon Me for I am your hope.

I alone am your salvation.

I alone am your eternity.

Represent Me well in the darkest of hours for your days are numbered.

Take heed to My Word and rest in Me, for I can handle it.

I can take care of your greatest fear, your strongest sin, and your deepest failure.

Remember who I am.

Remember from where I brought you and to where I am taking you.

I AM HERE!

We Don't Know What To Do, But Our Eyes Are On You (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Do you ever ask “how much more Lord?,” because I’m barely treading water now. Then the WORST of the worst happens, and you think “what now Lord?”

This morning I awoke in the wee hours and immediately became angry because I was awake so early on a day that I can typically sleep in, until I need to get ready for church. As I cleared the cobwebs and grabbed my coffee, my intentions were to spend time with the Lord. However, I got a FB notification and wasted the next few minutes, that I can never get back, comparing my life to those on FB. I thought, “wow, I wish I had that,” and “isn’t that nice” (sarcastically said), and “good for them,” when in reality I was jealous. The Holy Spirit quickly reminded me that I was heading down the bitter road of ungratefulness.

I repented and thanked Him for being The One who understands and comforts me in my emotional state, but challenges me at the same time to not become consumed with self and circumstances, which may cause me to miss the opportunities to see His mighty hand at work. He also brought to mind just a few of the ways He has provided over these past difficult months. Chad and I have never had to worry about where our next meal would come from or how we would pay rent, or how to afford gas for our cars to get to work, like so many of the families I work with. Sure there have been “wants” that we’ve had to pass over, but The Lord has faithfully provided for every need.

As I thanked The Lord for being so good to us, He brought to mind Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, The Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (emphasis added).

He calls us to run with endurance, not just jog half heartedly, which sets us up to fall prey to tempting distractions, but rather, RUN WITH ENDURANCE. Webster’s definition of endurance is 1) the ability to withstand hardship or adversity, the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity, a marathon runner’s endurance, and 2) the act of an instance of enduring or suffering endurance of many hardships.

2020 has definitely felt like an uphill marathon runner’s race for sure, but we are called to not lose heart, which is definitely easier said than done. Even as I’m typing this I can feel the overwhelming sense of despair overpower my thoughts as I think about my to-do list for next week. I wish I could just stay here in my little cocoon, go back to bed, pull the covers over my head, and never have to face the outside. However, I know that God has more for me than this. At this time I choose to run with endurance the race that is set before me. I choose to remember that He is for me and not against me. I choose to turn my eyes to Him. I choose to remember who I am in Christ Jesus. I choose to remember Him.

To You Alone Lord, Be The Glory!

Just as I was getting ready to step out the door and celebrate a “Day Of Me,” which means having some downtime to relax and do whatever, I was reminded that I had not spent time with The Lord. Actually, this morning has been a bit off since I really didn’t have the desire to do so upon wake-up like usual. I tried to flush this fleeting thought from my mind and pretend I didn’t hear it. I even attempted to justify my reasoning for not doing so by telling myself that I’ve worked MANY hours this week. Therefore, I deserve some downtime to do what I want, you know, celebrate a “Day Of Me.”

As this back and forth conversation continued, another thought flooded my mind - what if The Lord already has something planned for me for THIS very day? What if He has already arranged divine interactions to take place where He is going to speak or act through me to show someone His great love? Even as I’m typing this, tears are flooding my eyes because this what life is all about. We are holy vessels to be used by Him for His purposes, and His very purpose is to show others His forgiveness, love, and mercy through us.

Thank You Lord for knowing just what I need at any given moment. This morning, it was the reminder that I am not my own, and that You have greater purposes to accomplish than me methodically searching for that perfect Christmas gift without giving a thought to the people next to me in the aisle. Use me this new day that You have blessed me with to touch those around me. May they know that they have been personally touched by the hand of God. May they be changed forever because they have experienced Your great love and forgiveness, in Jesus name.

I Choose You, Lord

As I stepped outside to feed my kitties, I noticed a fly lying still in the water dish. I thought of course that it was dead and started to remove it. As I touched it, signs of life started to show. I removed it from the water and set it on the table. Within minutes, after it’s wings had dried and it had regained new strength, it flew away. I thought, what if I hadn’t been there to save this little creature, It would have given up. In fact, it had already given up and had accepted it’s death even though it was only a centimeter from the edge of the water dish.

I continued to process this moment and The Spirit further guided my thoughts. He brought to mind that there are so many others (humans this time and not flies) that are in the same lot. They are so close to freedom yet they see no way out and have given up because of their intense pain and lifelong struggles. They are simply waiting to die. They believe there is no hope of rescue, and that no one can or will save them. I’ve been there as have others. They are not alone. You, my friend are not alone!

I’m not an expert by any means when it comes to deliverance, so I choose to rely rather on The Lord’s expertise in this realm. I share what He has done with the expectation that it will be a word of hope to those who think “what’s the point of continuing the fight?”

The Lord has delivered me in 2 critical ways: through salvation, and through the intervention of His power to not allow me to end my life. He has also removed my crippling fear of death and has released me from the believing the lie that food is my best and only friend. I have seen His hand work in ways I never imagined. He has blessed me with answered prayers, ones I had suppressed, and quite honestly forgotten I had prayed until He brought the miracle to pass.

Most recently, He reminded me once again of my tendency to turn to sugar to take away my pain and frustrations rather than to Him. Even though He delivered me many years ago from believing the lie that food was the only thing that could comfort me, I’ve still struggled with the consumption of sugar in great abundance. Eating just one or two or three, let’s be honest BAGS of cookies, is never enough. Having just one bowl (or gallon) or two or three of ice cream never satisfies me, yet I continue to turn to these things time and time again. Sweets have been my "go to” for more years than I care to admit, and have brought much temporary relief on the difficult days when I want to mask my insecurities and hide my shortcomings.

As I was driving to work the other day and praying for my husband, I thought, I don’t want my prayers to be hindered because of my sin (turning to sugar, which is so much easier, rather than to God in my times of need). I want God to hear and answer my prayers. There are many “justifiable” moments, in my opinion, when I think: I’m having a bad morning, so I deserve to eat this or that. It’s been 4 days now since I haven’t bought my “go to” collection of sweets. Every day has been a struggle to not give in to my flesh, but I will take each day, each moment as it comes. I’m thankful that through admitting my vulnerability I don’t have to do this on my own. I have His Word, The Holy Spirit, a kind husband, and dear friends, to empower me to submit to Him rather than rely on my strength to persevere. Thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness!!!

Lord, Thank You

This morning I awoke in a bad space. I was fixated on everything that was wrong. I was tired and in pain, to say the least, grumpy. I confessed my heart’s attitude to The Lord and immediately He brought to mind Let everything that has breath praise The Lord, (Psalm 150:6). I thought, “I have breath, so why not praise The Lord.” This psalm shares where to praise, how to praise, and who shall praise The Lord.

I started to list the things I was thankful (running water, on-site laundry, money for gas, cars that work, etc.). Then The Spirit focused my attention to what God has done for me and this world, and, who He is. God not only knows our needs on a personal level, even before we ask, and provides in the best way He sees fit, He then expands His goodness and resources to provide for our brethren as well as those who don’t yet know Him.

He has made THE way for mankind to be redeemed. He has made THE way for mankind to receive true love and grace. He had made THE way for mankind to experience forgiveness. He has made THE way for mankind to spend eternity with Him. WOW! What more could we possibly ask for.

This world is not our home. We are merely passing through. Right now, YES, it is extremely difficult to navigate, and the road will get worse in the days ahead. To watch in horror as those around us lose everything is more than our hearts and minds can bare. The pain at time cuts so deep we don’t know how much more we can possibly take. A lot of the times there are no words to convey the internal torture that we experience, but God IS good. He WILL come through. He WILL keep His promises. He WILL one day return for His children. We can count on this because He is THE God who keeps His promises and never goes back on His Word.

Friends - hang in there. You are not alone. God is alive and working. He is raising up workers around you, some of whom you will never meet, this side of heaven, to pray over you, to intercede on your behalf. He remembers you and loves you even though you don’t see a way out now or have any answers. He is with you and for you. Be strong and courageous… (Joshua 1:9).

Where Are You God?

A young child looked up wondering, where is God? He could see God’s handiwork in the creation of the birds, sky, and mountains, yet, where was God? He could feel God through the warmth of the sun as it caressed his cheek, but where was God? He could hear God say “I love you” through his grandmama as she kissed and cradled him, but where was God?

He went to his favorite playground and sat on his favorite swing and began to weep. His best friend had recently moved and he alone was left to navigate this harsh world.

He couldn’t see anyone through his tears. He didn’t hear anyone come beside him, but he felt a hand on his back, and his soul was comforted. The presence of God was with him.

He didn’t have all of the answers and his immediate future was still bleak, yet he knew at that moment, he was no longer alone. God was with him as he sat in his pain, as he grieved his loss, as he poured out his heart to The Great I Am.

From Death To Life

As Chad and I were heading to visit dear friends, I noticed trees growing from huge rock formations, not just a few trees, but thousands of them. I thought “how is this possible?, aren’t trees suppose to grow in dirt and spread out their roots?, how odd, yet, how beautiful to see trees sprouting from stone.” I’m not an expert in geology by any means, but I’m pretty sure there’s a logical, scientific reason for this, I’m just not sure what it is.

In a spiritual sense, there is another thought that comes to mind. Life can also arise from a cold, dead, hard-as-stone, heart. The Father can reach lifeless souls and touch them in ways so powerful, so permanent, that the only explanation points to them having been in His presence.

As some of you may know, my husband Chad has been furloughed for a number of months now from a job he loves. Through his struggles of doubts and despair, isolation and fatigue, he has come to conclusion that Jesus IS the only answer that makes sense.

He recently challenged me and others in our bible study to pray for one person that we hate. Yes, I used the word “HATE.” From my experience, we all have that person in our life who rubs us the wrong way, who, when we see them coming, duck and run in the opposite direction, hoping they won’t notice. We avoid their calls and texts, and wish we wouldn’t see them at church. This “hate” or great dislike, if you feel more comfortable saying, can go beyond the encounters of our normal day to day interactions co-workers, friends, and family.

If I may, I’d like to extend even further out on this limb of uncomfortability and suggest that we may have hateful feelings towards specific people in government and media, those with different political views, and those causing destruction in the streets, and even wish they would disappear for all eternity. In an essence, we “hate” them. They bother and offend us, they persecute us through their immorality and lack of integrity, and disrupt our comfortable, predictable lives. Yet, Jesus said “forgive as I have forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). He showed us by example the way in which to live.

The lyrics from the song Highly Exalted by Robin Mark describe it best when referring to the way The Lord handled Himself as He chose to be slaughtered for our sins and the sins of every person in this world -

“You were despised, You were rejected Lord. Those who passed by even averted their gaze from the sight, such was the suffering You bore for us. Led like a lamb, a lamb to the slaughter, You spoke not a word, chose to be silent, though You did no wrong, nor was deceitfulness found in You. Yet by Your wounds our salvation has come. Yet by Your suffering our freedom is won. For God has highly exalted Your name. He has enthroned on You high. Jesus the Name above all names…

Through His great sacrifice, we get to experience freedom from fear and hatred, and live the life He has called us to. Are we allowing His life to flow through us or have we permitted our minds, our hearts, to become burdened and blinded with revenge, envy, bitterness, and, yes, even hatred? For those of us who have a personal relationship with the Maker through Jesus Christ, there is good news. We don’t have to live with this burden, we can truly walk in freedom.

When Chad asked the question who do we hate?, I’ve got to be honest, no one came to mind. Instead I thought, I’m a christian, I’m not supposed to hate, I don’t hate. Then he shared about a person he knows personally who abused his own child for a many years and has escaped punishment for his crimes. Aha, the lightbulb went on for me at that moment, and I confessed that I had bitter, even hateful feelings towards this individual. The Holy Spirit also reminded me that He had delivered me from hate many years earlier, so, I was to continue to walk in that freedom as I prayed for this individual, but more about that later.

Chad further challenged us with how we should pray for the people we hate. Rather than the usual impersonal, prideful, and selfish “Lord change them, make them see the light, make them change their ways, make them believe like us, make them pay for their offenses,” prayers, he challenged us instead to ask God to prepare our hearts before we pray, to change our hearts as we pray, and give us His heart so that we can pray for their souls to be saved. Isn’t this the end result? Don’t we want lost souls to be saved, to experience, maybe even for the first time, the precious love and eternal acceptance that only comes through Jesus Christ? Don’t we want people to know Jesus personally? Isn’t this what we live for?

What is causing us to skirm in our seats right now? What is causing us to hesitate? Is there unforgiveness or disbelief hidden deep within? What is it that is keeping us from moving forward in prayer, when this is what God expects from us? Do we think they don’t deserve it? Do we think they’ve done too many evil things, that there is no hope left for them?

It’s OK to process with The Lord, He can handle it. It’s the not-letting-Him-do-the-work-needed-in-our-hearts that prevents others from seeing Him live through us. As we take a step back and allow The Holy Spirit to examine our hearts, just imagine for a moment, if every believer in every part of this world prayed for the person(s) they hate. Are you getting a glimpse of the possibilities of what could happen? Are you getting excited like me? The possibilities are endless!

I’d like to share a story as we sit with this reality in our hearts. There was a life changing moment for me in which God rocked my world. It was early on in my walk with The Lord at a Prison Fellowship training. I was truly struggling with accepting the truth that anyone, and I mean ANYONE, could be forgiven by God. This was an internal struggle, I didn’t dare share with other believers because, surely, I was the only one battling this and trying to come to grips with it. Then I heard the testimony from a man whose sister was brutally murdered. He revealed his struggles to forgive the man who did such unspeakable things and the process The Lord carried him through so that he could forgive. At that moment The Lord touched my heart in a magnificent way. He gave me His eyes for people so that I could see them as people first who sin, people in need of The Savior, just like me. There is no heart so evil, so vile, that cannot be stripped bare, cleansed, washed with the blood of The Lamb, then sealed for eternity with The Lord. So, let’s pray. Let’s ask The Lord to change us and give us His heart, His eyes, for the lost and despondent people in this world. It’s not our job to decide who gets a ticket to heaven, rather, it’s our call, our privilege, to pray on their behalf and leave the results up to God. Anyone with me?

Isaiah 53:7-9

Songs For LIFE

My hubby has enjoyed these wonderful songs of worship by Robin Mark and wanted to share with you. Here are a just few - Glory to Your Name, All Is Well, The Wonder of Your Cross, Revival, Be Unto Your Name, Not By Might, When It’s All Said And Done, Highly Exalted, and How Great Are You Lord. Enjoy!

I Wonder...

It always delights my heart when I see the same people on the road in the mornings. I think “what a blessing that The Lord has allowed us to cross paths once again.” Sometimes He tells me how to pray for them, their day, other times I thank Him for giving me this opportunity to see Him at work.

As I was driving to work this morning, I wondered how many people around me (in the car next to me, behind me, in front of me, and going in the opposite direction), know The Lord personally. How many are heading to work barely hanging on, trying to put on a strong face, but crumbling inside? How many are searching for peace and purpose but the results are coming up empty? How many more will I pass by without giving a thought to them, their day, their struggles, doubts, and fears? Lord, help me be more aware of my surroundings and tender to Your gentle nudges, so that You can touch those who need hope.

As I headed home after work, I thought “satan, the god (lowercase g) of this world, is thriving right now. He is absolutely loving all of this chaos, destruction, violence, and lack of mercy. It’s what he feeds on, lives for, and desperately desires to see more of lived out in the hearts of people. His sole purpose is to destroy the testimony of believers because he knows he can’t destroy our souls, since they’re already claimed by One greater than him. It excites satan to see people heading to their eternal death without Jesus. Nothing thrills him more. Yet, The God of the ages (uppercase G), The Great I Am, has a different purpose.

He chooses to use us to shed light in the darkness, bring healing to the hurting, and give power to the helpless. Why? Simple answer - because He is God and we are not. I’m so grateful, (can’t think of a better word at the moment), that He pursued me in my rebellion, cleansed my atrocities, healed my many afflictions, and raised me up with a new purpose.

Church - He has given us LIFE, LOVE, and HOPE. We are a blessing to others as we shine for Him. Regardless of how bright the light, even if it’s just a flicker at the moment, keep shining. He IS moving. He IS working. His plan WILL BE accomplished.

Through Him And Him Alone

Earlier this week, Chad and I were headed home after running an errand, and came to a traffic light. Glancing out my window, I noticed a dilapidated storage area reserved for motor homes and fifth wheelers. Some were new, sporting bright shiny colors parked in their designated spot, while others were dirty with tarps concealing their discrepancies pushed in the back, out of site. There were small humble ones, and others that took up two spaces due to their enormous size. My first thought was “they’re all different, yet in the same place, interesting.” The Holy Spirit then brought to mind this question, “isn’t this just like the body of Christ?” As He and I agreed in silence, I asked Him to further explain. He shared, as believers in Jesus Christ, we look and act different, and come from a variety of backgrounds, yet have the same Spirit, and bring something unique to the table. Some believers have walked with The Lord many years in good times and torrential downpours, yet, have not wavered due to the faithfulness of their Savior, while others are just starting their new journey with Him. Still others are hidden in the shadows, too ashamed to bare their scars, consumed with the lie that surely The Great I Am could never nor want to use them due to their shady past. Others are excited, ready and eager to hear His voice and obey as He commands, while others tremble at the thought of stepping into unknown territory.

It’s OK! It’s absolutely OK to relate to any of these analogies, because the same Spirit dwells within each one of us. The Holy Spirit is what unites us! This is what makes us the body of Christ! This is how God designed it. He has chosen us amid our weaknesses and failures, our blunders and prideful ways, because He has a greater purpose that goes beyond us, yet, He desires to include us - what a beautiful picture of His magnificent love for us and those who do not yet know Him personally. Let us remember it is Him and Him alone who connects, strengthens, and challenges us to grow deeper so that He can draw others to Himself through us. Thank you Heavenly Father for Your unfailing love and redemption.

Hello, I'm Back

This week my hubby Chad, reminded me of the vision God gave me nearly 15 years ago - to encourage, strengthen, and challenge believers to grow in their walk with The Lord through In His Name. I admit it has been a long while since I’ve added any new posts. As I processed the reason as to why, the thoughts of “I’m not doing any good anyway, I don’t have the time, nothing is ever gonna come out of it, so what’s the use.” I realized that these thoughts are all lies from the enemy. The TRUTH is that when God gives us a precious gift, He doesn’t want us to keep it to ourselves, that would be selfish, He wants us to share with and bless others. I realized that I have been selfish and lazy over these past few months, because He has shared a number of things with me, yet I chose to not forward to you, and for this, I apologize. After confessing to The Lord and asking Him to help me figure out how to balance work, family, friends, and life in general, and I know it’s an on-going process, He has given me a renewed sense of purpose and passion in sharing His thoughts with you. So, here we go -

The Lord gave me this idea, oh probably a month ago, actually it was on July 28th of this year, at least :)

Here is the challenge - Can we as believers, more importantly, will we, come up with 10,000 reasons to praise His holy name? The answer of course is YES! The answer is YES, even when we are in the pit of despair. The answer is YES, even when it hurts (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) to get out of bed. The answer is YES, even when disappointment consumes us. The answer is YES, if we do this together! So, let’s do this! Who’s on board??? I will start the list - please add to it. Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

10,000 Reasons To Praise Your Holy Name -

1. You give life

2. You are love

3. You bring light to the darkness

4. You save souls, with a mighty arm You save

5. You are good

6. You are The good, good Father

7. You are kind

8. You are gentle

9. You are powerful

10. You do right by us

11. Your ways are better

Chad had a fantastic suggestion for this list! How about we make it a bit more personal by listing specific reasons we can praise His holy name. I will give an example - The Lord has shown His faithfulness to me by reminding me that His ways are absolutely higher AND better than mine. I have a great imagination and have a plan for the next 5 years, yet The Lord has recently reminded me that I don’t know what tomorrow may bring. While it’s OK to make plans, I am to hold them loosely so that I can follow where He leads me and be ready to change directions as He sees fit. Anything that I can imagine, can be outdone by Him because His resources are endless. I look forward to seeing what we all come up with. Enjoy sharing.

How Do You Do It Lord?

Chad and I were able to get away for a few days to soak up some much needed rest and relaxation in beautiful central Oregon. As we were out and about on one of our scenic tours, (we love to take drives), I began to notice the scenery around me, rather than just let it pass by, while I sat encapsulated in my safe surroundings (our car). Although beautiful, yes, with the majestic mountains and powerful rock formations, it was devastating at the same time. I noticed animals inhabiting improper living conditions. I saw two young girls living in what I would consider deplorable surroundings, yet they were playing, running, and jumping, appearing to enjoy themselves, and just a mile or two down the road there were homes as big as mansions with people tending to their gorgeous gardens, seeming to have no care in the world.

The next morning as I sit with The Lord, my heart was burdened with this sadness and I cried out to The Lord. Here was my plea -

Lord, there is so much suffering - people dying, animals abandoned, poverty, depression - the list goes on and on and on.

How do You take it Lord? I’m struggling with the travesties I see in my neck of the woods, yet, You, see it all. I’m sickened to the point of wanting to hide under my covers and not come out until You appear to take me home because I think what can I possibly do. You, Lord, The Holy One, omniscient, not only see the tortures that are being committed, but feel the anguish, despair, and devastation. You hear the secret cries of hearts, and know the loss that will come in the next minute, hour, month, and year.

How do You do it Lord? How can You deal with this? My heart is breaking. I can’t even imagine what You are feeling. Help me Lord one more time to hope in You alone. One day You will return and there will be no more suffering, death, pain, turmoil, or grief. Help me Lord to make the most of my days, to not let them slip away, because my time on this earth is short. Thank You for comforting me in my time of need. Thank You for letting me be a part of Your plan to touch the precious hearts of the people You have created. Thank You Lord for giving me the courage and stamina to get up and keep doing the things You have called me to do. Thank You that my frailties do not compromise Your generous plan to reach this world. Thank You for reminding me to look up, to fix my eyes on You, so that the amazing love You have shown me will encompass the ones I meet daily. My hope is in You.

HOPE by Sofia Aragon

Taking grey

And turning it blue

Taking pain

Turning into something new

See the white dove

From the sky above

Letting myself be happy

Letting myself be loved

Through the storm

And through the pain

Nothing is permanent

It won’t stay the same.

Songs For LIFE

I Need You Now

By Matt Redman

New Things Coming Your Way!!!

Hello Friends,

I’m adding some new pieces to this blog - The first is called Songs For LIFE by Chad Ferguson, my hubby. The Lord has given Chad a wonderful ear to hear music in a special way, and has used him to bless countless others through his masterpieces. I’m thankful he gets to share the songs that have touched his heart and pulled him through the difficult times. The second piece is called Moments of Contemplation by Sofia Aragon, my niece. She truly is an inspiration to all who pass her way. Through her kindness, intentional hugs, and listening ear, Sofia has a gift of seeing the beauty within each person she meets to make them feel welcomed, and included, like family. Enjoy!

His LOVE For Us

We’re starting a new series in our Life Group called When The World Turned Upside Down. Tonight we’re focusing on the passage from Luke 24 vs. 13-35. I’m struck by the amount of time The Lord invested in His people before and after His resurrection. In this passage alone The Lord Jesus reaches out to people who are without hope, confused, shocked, and disappointed by the final outcome (His death), four times, knowing full well what He will find in their desperate hearts even before they speak a word. Here they are walking along, can you picture it? They are without hope, their story did not turn out as they had planned, their Savior did not win in the end, they are still in the same situation as before, only this time ALL hope is gone, and there is no way out. BUT, and here is where the story gets interesting, they didn’t realize that Jesus always has the last word, ALWAYS!!! Scripture says “Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.” He comes along side them. He is walking with them. He initiates fellowship. He approaches them (v. 15). Then He asks them open ended questions (vs. 17 and 19) which gives them permission to share their anguished hearts. And He doesn’t stop there, nope, He listens as they pour out their hearts. He tells them where their focus is (on their circumstances, unbelief), and where it should be, on Him (v. 25), and He explains yet once again who He is from the scriptures and why He did what He did.

The only reason I can come up with as to why Jesus would take this much time and show this much interest in people who were expecting something different from Him is because of the GREAT love He personally had for each one of them, and has for each of us. Nothing but LOVE! That’s it! He loves us so much! He not only died a horrific death but rose again and is alive today to give us hope. Yes, there is hope, ALWAYS, because He lives. It doesn’t mean things will turn out as we had planned. It doesn’t mean that we won’t get hurt along the way, and it doesn’t mean that we won’t lose everything we hold dear on this earth and in this lifetime, but, it does mean that there is always hope as we look to The One who is HOPE.

As I was driving home this afternoon and processing my husband being furloughed indefinitely, the song “Valentine” by Hillsong came on. This song has powerful words of promise. When you have the opportunity I encourage you to listen to it. Let the words comfort you and remind you WHO is our hope. He’s here for you and me. His promises are true because He is The Truth.

Snippets of Love

The satisfying thirst of my anguished heart can only come from The One above all.

This morning as I was sitting with The Lord He brought to mind these words - Thou oh Lord art high above all the earth, Thou art exalted far above all gods - such a beautiful song. I love it when He brings these songs to mind because a lot of times they come from a verse.

For You are The Lord Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods

Psalm 97:9

I See You Even In The Chaos

I see you clearly. You are right there. I hear you. I feel your burdens. You have not been forgotten in all of this. I’ll hold you when you are too weak to lift up your arms. I’ll sit with you when you are too famished to stand. We’re in this together for the long haul. There is always hope, A L W A Y S, because I AM Hope. I conquered a horrific death on a rugged, man made cross, and rose again, so that you and I would have an eternal relationship, in this world and in the one to come. Remember who you are and Who you belong to. I am your forever Father. I am preparing a place for you. I WILL come back for you. I am The Promise Keeper. You have My Word, precious child.