"Snow Pack"

We had a beautiful snow Sunday and Monday of this week! Kids were out playing in it! Throwing snowballs, building snowmen, and sledding!! Such fun!!!
God's word is like rain, like snow. It will water what it lands on. We cooperate in the distribution of this moisture by pouring it out in prayer over people, over situations. As Christians we need to release scripture prayers and it can pile up like a snowpack!
"Throw a snowball of Prayer on Someone Today!"

Scriptures:
Isaiah 55:11-""So will My word be which goes forth from m y mouth; It will not return to me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
Psalm 6:9-"The Lord has heard my supplication, The Lord receives my prayer."
Proverbs 15:29-"The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayers of the righteous."
Philippians 4:6-"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
James 5: 16 -"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

year of

This is going to be a year of focus for me.

focus my Father

focus on His goodness, His mercy, His forgiveness, His love, His joy, His peace, His boldness, His blessings.

focus on one another

focus on other’s needs, building up others, encouraging others, serving one another

focus on the race before me

focus “pressing on” towards the goal, forgetting what lays behind.

focus my goals, goals that honor and glorify my Father

focus on serving Him with my goals

What does this year hold for you?

"Earthquake & Tremors"

Around Dec. 9 I shared a devotional on this blog spot about, "I am thankful for towels!" In the devotional I shared about how sometimes God comes in and changes our plans, because He has the best master plan, from Jeremiah 29:11. I am now walking that pathway! My husband had quadruple bypass on Dec. 22, an earthquake to his body, and tremors to the whole family! He was in the hospital for 6 days! Our son & daughter& daughter-in-law & son-in-law & my mom & grandkids & ME were shaken ( tremors), but, we have stood together and are helping to rebuild with home health, physical therapy, many medications for my husband, and most of all the love & devotion that has been shown for my husband, the kids daddy, & Pop has been amazing! I have seen so much supplied during this time (there was no muscle damage to heart, ( even when I was told of the enormous blockage my husband had),, an extra artery my husband had (that did not show up on film taken before surgery), this helped circulate blood & oxygen more! (God's Provision!) A wonderful heart team for the surgery! Nurses that we knew that took care of Gary (God's comfort!) This was definitely not in my plans for my husband, But, we serve an amazing, faithful God, who is an on time God! He was definitely on time with my husband! He had 100% blockage in the right side of his heart and 99.999% blockage in the left side! I praise Him and thank Him for giving him back to us! We have a 6 to 12 week recovery period, or longer, for my husband! But, I know that God will walk us thru each step of the way! Trust & Obey for there is no other way! I thank God that we are fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14. Thank you Lord for the extra artery for my husband at the right time in his life! You are an on time God! Our world has been shaken, by circumstances, but we serve an ever faithful God who never leaves us and is our solid rock! Praise Your Name!

Christmas

Shepherds on hills on green,

A chorus of angles seen.

Praises of worship they did sing,

Of the newborn infant king.

Out they ran in the night,
To see the most wondrous sight.

Down on knee they worshiped Him,
Joy in their hearts never to dim.

Listen, and you can hear ,
He still calls all men near.

Answer His call and you will be,
A precious member of His family.

~Marni Raney 2006

Ladies Bible Study-"Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering"

Seven ladies from our church committed to a 8 week Bible study from Oct. 11-Nov. 28. Prayer requests were shared at each meetings, good food was shared, laughs, and a bond of friendship was tightened between us!
This study was based on the Sermon on the Mount. We studied the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer. We learned that because of Jesus we can live our lives as a beautiful offering, that only the Love of God can make you whole and Jesus fills the cup of our soul, and that God delights to show us mercy. Mercy, even in its smallest application, lets you breathe! We learned that God can use the ordinary woman with her everyday life! God's standards call us to a life of obedience, and we belong to heaven, and to not hide anything from God, (He knows anyway!), and to do all things for His glory, We learned about giving, praying, & fasting in secret. When you do these things God adds power to your everyday life. It is so important to keep a secret life with God. In the secret place, God comes to restore your soul. In order to live the life Jesus dreamed for you, lay yourself on His altar. Build your life on the rock of God's love for you!

All of the above fundamental truths are solid truths taught from the Word of God. Remain, Stay, & Abide with Jesus!

These words,from a song, "This is My Offering," was part of the study:

I will not give what costs me nothing
When I bring my sacrifice
Cause You have asked for only one thing
That I gladly give my life
So now I lay down on Your altar
Knowing what I lose I'll find
Please receive me thought I falter
For all I have is Yours, it's no longer mine
With my mouth I will praise
With my heart I will obey
This is my offering
I will go where You lead
I will trust what I can't see
This is my offering, This is my offering
May my worship be a fragrance
Rising up in sweet refrain
As I come into your presence
May I be a life worthy of Your name
With my mouth I will praise
With my heart I will obey
This is my offering
I will go where You lead
I will trust what I can't see
This is my offering, This is my offering
Be well pleased
With my mouth I will praise
With my heart I will obey
This is my offering
I will go where You lead
I will trust what I can't see
This is my offering, This is my offering
Be well pleased.

This was a wonderful Bible study by Angela Thomas and the song was by Kelly Minter. Highly recommend this study!

"Father, I pray that my life would be a beautiful offering to you!"

"I AM THANKFUL FOR TOWELS!"

This morning i was getting ready for work and the water in the commode started bubbling and all of a sudden water started filling up in the commode and bathtub!! The commode overflowed and water was going everywhere! I was grabbing towels as fast as I could, I used nearly every towel in the cabinet, my bath rugs were soaked, and I used a large blanket, also, to wipe up the mess!!

So many times in our lives things come in and change "our" plans for the day!!! But, God has the best plan, the master plan! (Jeremiah 29:11-"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

I am thankful for a faithful friend & plumber who came right over, he said it was the city's problem (sewer), I am thankful for towels, blanket, and rugs to soak up the water! Messes in our lives happen!! But , I am so thankful the the Lord is my Banner! (Exodus 17:15-"The Lord is my Banner." I thank God for His Grace, (2 Cor. 12:9-"My grace is sufficient for you) and His mercy and love, (Eph. 2:4-"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.) I thank Him for making me into a new creature when I accepted Him as my Savior. (2 Cor. 5:17)-"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new thing to come."

We ought always to give thanks to God! I pray that just as the water bubbled in the commode, that the Living Waters would bubble over in me to tell others more about Jesus, the One, who can clean up all your messes!!!

"Psalm 63"

"The closer you walk with God, the less room for anything to come between." Psalm 63 is a beautiful Psalm telling how the Thirsting Soul is Satisfied in God! It tells of David's intense love for God. David was in the Judean wilderness. He sought God's presence, Remembered God's Power, and Anticipated God's Judgment. The psalmist clings to God. David's unfailing commitment to His Lord. His soul clings to the Lord! He lifts His hands, in readiness to receive every good gift from God, His trust is in God alone!
"Psalm 63:1-11"
O God, You are my God; I shall seek you earnestly; My soul thirst for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth, They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped."
Father, I pray I would seek You in all things, and remember things You have done, are doing, and will do!