Dreaming of...

May you believe, with all your heart, that God is writing a great story with your life. May the lies that came your way today, fall by the wayside and not make their way into your heart. May you instead know and believe the truth about who you are and whose you are. You are loved, accepted, gifted and treasured. You have important things to do in this life. May you refuse to let anything distract you from God's highest and best purposes for you. He'll make a way where there seems to be no way; He'll move mountains at just the right time. You can trust him....  

So trust Him.

God doesn't ask us to understand, comprehend or figure it out... He asks us to pray, seek, trust and obey. Isaiah 55:8

THE Rock

My light, hope and peace

You're the light in this darkness...
You're the hope to the hopeless...
You're the peace to the restless...
YOU ARE!

HE is in ALL things

          Pray this every day!

PAIN

"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
-C.S. Lewis

When I am weak, He makes me strong.

God is at work...

Philippians 2:13
"For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey HIM, 
and then helping you do what He wants"

                   A Miracle Story of HIS Work: 
(Names changed to protect)
His sister, Carol was married to David for more than 40 years.  During all of that time she, and others in the family prayed faithfully for him and shared the message of Christ with him lovingly.  But David and his extended family were proclaimed atheists, active in the Communist party.   Carol's brother, Ben, talked to David about Christ a number of times.  But David was antagonistic towards Christianity.  He was a man who seldom showed emotion, and never asked anyone for anything.  He seemed to feel he knew everything and had everything.

One evening Ben arrived in Carol's town and went to a church service with her.  During the following weeks the family noticed a change in the David.  He had started to go by the church in the evenings to pick up Carol.

One evening David asked the pastor, "Why do I feel like crying whenever I come into the church"  The pastor explained that it "was because of his spiritual need".  They talked at length and that evening David confessed all of his sins.  The pastor prayed for him, and he had an encounter with Christ. The following days a transformation in David's life was obvious to all.  He became pleasant, servicial, and helpful to his family and others.  He said, "I want to do something for God.  I have done nothing for Him."

That weekend David suddenly became very ill and was hospitalized.  He died that Sunday, just three days after his conversion.  At his funeral  Ben saw that there was a new expression on David's  face, smiling in peace.  Ben gave the message at the funeral sharing boldly about everyone's need for "The Good Shepherd" from Psalm 23.  Amazingly, from this group of many "atheistic" family members, 15 persons prayed to accept Christ.

In HIS Searchlight

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
test my thoughts.  
Point out anything you find in my that makes you sad, 
and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
Psalm 139: 21-22

An Undivided Heart

From Pastor Doug - 2/16/14

Three strategies are essential 
for developing and maintaining an undivided heart.
(from Daniel 1:8, 19-20 and 5:11)

1.  Honor God
2.  Use our God given gifts/abilities for HIM
3.  Have life be energized by spiritual disciplines of
     prayer, Bible study and fasting

Doors

"See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name." -- Revelation 3:8

HIS Word protects me...

In HIS Hands...

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. Therefore we do not lose heart."
- 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 16

MY STRENGTH & MY SALVATION

HE HAS ME COVERED

"BLESS THE LORD WHO IS MY IMMOVABLE ROCK.  
HE GIVES ME STRENGTH AND SKILL IN BATTLE.  
HE IS ALWAYS KIND AND LOVING TO ME; 
HE IS MY FORTRESS, 
MY TOWER OF STRENGTH AND SAFETY, 
MY DELIVERER.  
HE STANDS BEFORE ME AS A SHIELD."  
PSALMS 144:1-2

Before & After "Heart" Day

GOD'S LOVE GOES ON AND ON AND ON

HAPPY HEART DAY - 14th of February

"Love is patient, love is kind. 
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
- 1 Corinthians 13:4, 6-7

 From Kelsi and Brian's Hall Wall

Remember...

The light of God surrounds me,
The love of God enfolds me
The power of God protects me
The presence of God watches over me
Wherever I am, God is!
And all is well.

WISDOM

If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking. But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. -James 1:5-6

The Bible Tells Me So...

God loved the world SO MUCH

"For God so loved the world that 
HE gave his only son
that whosoever believes in HIM 
shall have eternal life."
This was the most googled verse in 2013

My LORD Jesus

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; 
and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 
The reward for trusting him 
will be the salvation of your souls.  
I Peter 1:8

Never Alone

With God, you're never really alone.

In The Shadows

COMFORTING THOUGHTS ON A FAMILIAR VERSE
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

"I'm particularly fond of the fourth verse. Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. The psalmist doesn't focus his attention on the dark valley, and he's not distracted by the shadows. He sees through the valley, past the darkness, and looks with confidence toward the other side.

Are you in the middle of a dark valley? It may look dark and gloomy right now, but please remember that God does not intend for you to stay in those shadows. The valley He has led you into is the same valley out of which He will lead you. You will, by His grace, go through it. There is, thanks to our Shepherd, a smile on the other side."

Lead me, Shepherd, through the dark times. I promise to follow You closely and to stay on the path, to remember that Your rod is with me and Your staff is there to comfort and guide. Thank You for that little word, "through" in this beautiful psalm... I trust that You will lead me to the other side of the dark times to safety, rest, peace, and joy. - Joni Eareckson

Go To Jesus

"Come to Me and rest. I am all about you, to bless and restore. Breathe me in with each breath. The way just ahead of you is very steep. Slow down and cling tightly to My hand. I am teaching you a difficult lesson, learned only by hardship. Lift up empty hands of faith to receive My precious Presence. Light, Life, Joy, and Peace flow freely through this gift."

He REALLY loves us

"The LORD your God is in your midst, 
a mighty one who will save; 
HE will rejoice over you with gladness;
HE will quiet you by his love;
HE will exult over you with loud singing."
--Zephaniah 3:17

COME TO ME

TRUST HIM

EVEN AFTER PROFOUND GRIEF

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  
His steadfast love endures forever."
       - Psalm 136:1


Thesaurus:

Steadfast - fixed, undeviating unwavering, undistracted, unflinching, intent, unfaltering, undaunted, tenacious, unyielding

Endure - withstand, go through, bear up under, last, persist, prevail, continue, remain

GOD'S ENDLESS CREATIVITY

Northern Lights Over Norway