What we did today...

watched a marathon of Once Upon a Time!

Rain

Thank you Lord for this much needed rain!
It started out a drizzle, then a sprinkle, then a nice rain.

I was thinking about how the rain came down today and the Lord.

He always knows what is necessary.  Our ground was so hard and dry, and he watered it just right.  He moistened it first with the drizzle to soften it up, then allowed it to seep in deeper with the sprinkle, then saturated it with the rain.  If he had just opened up the clouds with a down pour - the water would have just run off, into the streets and down the drains without giving the ground its much needed drink.

He is the same with us.  He prepares us for everything.  Sometimes it takes us time to see that He has because the storm may be fierce, but when we stop and pray and think, we realize the He gave us exactly what we needed in the exact amount that was required.

Busy, Busy

We were short staffed today - and I have been feeling stretched thin.  Do you know that feeling - like there isn't enough time in the day? 

The verse in my study this morning was...
^{James 1:19} My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Our evening was nice - heading to bed early - need to wake early to take Becca to the eye doctor for another check up on her contacts.

What a catch!

Looks like someone will be having a fish fry soon!

Good job guys!



I met Collette for a nice breakfast at Panera - passed a few coupons on to her and the sale ads. 



Are you asking?

Recently - I have personally witnessed the Lord providing what was asked for -

because they believed they would receive it when they asked.

If you are like me, you have been conditioned to "be careful" what you ask for - keep your problems to yourself, and either fix it yourself, take care of it yourself - and of course pray for it but in private.  I do believe all of these things - but do think we put a limitation on blessings and answers sometimes by "being too private and cautious."  Don't get me wrong - I am a pretty private person - and believe that is biblical too - we should be content in whatever state we are in, and careful who we cast our cares upon - it definitely should be cast on the Lord first and foremost -- for that is what He tells us to do.  It seems like some people just seem to share every little detail of their life and look for the problems instead of being content.  But there are people that never share their burdens, needs, wants, desires and dreams. 
He tells us to ask!

Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
John 16:24
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In Bible Study - someone shared a request- she wasn't asking for "assistance" - just that what they had would stretch to get them through until the next payday.  That is truly what her heart's request was.  Guess what!?!  She was blessed way beyond her little request.  God used someone to bless them more.  Once she vocalized this litte request, to ask that her sisters in Christ would share this prayer with her, the miraculous works of the Lord were seen by her family.  A few days later - they heard their doorbell ding, not just once but about 25 times.  When they opened the door - the simple prayer she prayed was answered more abundantly than she could have imagined.  There were boxes of food left on the porch - enough to fill the pantry.  Who did it- she does not know - because no one was there when she opened the door- just the blessings to receive.  Who could they thank - only God!  That person just added a little to their rewards in Heaven because they just allowed God all the glory for that gifts they gave!  What a wonderful way for the Lord to show Himself in a physical way to her children, herself and her husband and all she testifies this answer to prayer with.

Don't be afraid to share your hearts desires with your prayer partners. 

Look at what he says - in Matthew 18! 

Matthew 18:19-21

Today's New International Version (TNIV)

¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

I shared my story about the cards tonight and guess what - He is blessing me again.  He may have blessed me sooner - had I not been praying in private!  One of the ladies' mother passed away last year and they have several of her things in storage.  One thing in storage is a huge box of cards.  She said that she and her sisters just couldn't seem to pull them out to use them - and that she wanted to bring them and give them to me to send to whoever I wanted to send to bless.  She said there were many kinds of cards - just as I prayed for.  The Lord just amazes me - more and more each day!

    

If we do not share our needs and wants we miss the opportunity to be blessed by those who may be being led of the Lord to bless someone with exactly what we want or need.  The same is true in reverse - we need to be open to hearing other's requests and be prepared to bless others when the Lord leads.

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

(how very true this verse is - Acts 20:35)

Not to bring a negative - because it really isn't.  I do not want to make you think that God is like a genie in a bottle, because He is not.  I am not saying you will always get a yes, your answer may be wait - not yet, it may be NO - He may have something better than you are asking for -

He knows best, loves us and will bless us with positives and through the negatives! 

Who doesn't love a Super Hero?

"There brake He the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle."—Psalm 76:3.

UR Redeemer's glorious cry of "It is finished," was the death-knell of all the adversaries of His people, the breaking of "the and the battle." Behold the hero of Golgotha using His cross as an anvil, and His woes as a hammer, dashing to shivers bundle after bundle of our sins, those poisoned "arrows of the bow"; trampling on every indictment, and destroying every accusation. What glorious blows the mighty Breaker gives with a hammer far more ponderous than the fabled weapon of Thor! How the diabolical darts fly to fragments, and the infernal bucklers are broken like potters' vessels! Behold, He draws from its sheath of hellish workmanship the dread sword of Satanic power! He snaps it across His knee, as a man breaks the dry wood of a fagot, and casts it into the fire. Beloved, no sin of a believer can now be an arrow mortally to wound him, no condemnation can now be a sword to kill him, for the punishment of our sin was borne by Christ, a full atonement was made for all our iniquities by our blessed Substitute and Surety. Who now accuseth? Who now condemneth? Christ hath died, yea rather, hath risen again. Jesus has emptied the quivers of hell, has quenched every fiery dart, and broken off the head of every arrow of wrath; the ground is strewn with the splinters and relics of the weapons of hell's warfare, which are only visible to us to remind us of our former danger, and of our great deliverance. Sin hath no more dominion over us. Jesus has made an end of it, and put it away for ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end. Talk ye of all the wondrous works of the Lord, ye who make mention of His name, keep not silence, neither by day, nor when the sun goeth to his rest. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

http://www.spurgeon.org/morn_eve/m_e.html#06/11/PM  (Spurgeon -Morning and Evening Devotions)

I know most of you are like us.  We love a great super hero movie - and they have made some excellent ones in recent years - speaking of - Avengers has been released this week!

Think about all those powers we see on the big screen - none of their powers compare to our Lord's Power

Aren't you glad we have a real Super Hero...

named Jesus!



Getting back to it

Ok  - I have been neglectful of my healthy eating and exercising.  Charles and I are jumping back on the fitness wagon.  We would appreciate your prayers!  We drank our water, ate our good and healthy food and even worked out our thirty minutes today. 
I don't know why it is such a battle!

I failed to mention it but  - I completed my million steps last week!  Yay.  I lost my spreadsheet when the computer crashed but I believe I did the first 250,000 in about 25 days.  I should have stayed the same or gone down in time to complete the remaining but actually increased each time - I think my final 250,000 took over 60 days.  It was fun keeping up with the steps and I may do it again in the future - but will definitely set specific time periods to complete!