FRESH START TODAY --(Blog 41)

FRESH START TODAY… Ask God for His Blessings


Matt 7:7-8, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. NIV

When I started writing this blog it was the day after my first chemotherapy treatment. I had some tingling in both arms and experienced some nausea, but through prayer I managed to get some sleep that first night. Last night I experienced some physical anxiety by being fidgety. Marty took me to Wal-Mart to walk around and then we took a short drive about 10:00 PM. I feel that the drive relaxed me enough so that I could go to sleep last night. I guess my body is working itself through the healing process and it is a little uncomfortable. I am not complaining, but praising the Lord for His presence through these daily experiences.

Marty called me over to see a video by Wynona Judd that his sister had sent him this morning. Wynona began her testimony regarding her personal trials and being broken. Naomi, her mother, told her that her armor of faith had cracked, but that is so the light could shine through. She went on to say that if her testimony was offensive that was alright, because it was her concert, and/or her show. She began to sing “I Can Only Imagine”. The cameras scanned the audience and some people were standing to their feet with raised hands.

Marty and I sat there with tears running down our faces as we realized that a broken life could be a blessed life. We are and have been broken several times in our walk with the Lord, but the light is shining through the cracks as we continue to walk in faith. Cancer is a crack right now, but with each day we trust and believe in God’s blessings. This illness has effected both of us in different ways, but in good ways. I went back to the bedroom to spend time with God in prayer. The outcome was a blessing of what happened next. I have noticed my attitude is slowing change for the better. Why? The Holy Spirit convicts one of sin and takes the action to help us make necessary changes that will glorify the Lord. I have already told you that I have asked God to bless me, so that my life will glorify Him leaving the door open for His blessings of choice. My past negative attitude has robed me of His blessings that He has always wanted to give me as a believer. Oh, my, my heart sank at the thought that I have hurt myself and did not realize it! Cancer happens, lose of jobs happen, financial problems happen, lose of a family member happen, but what is our attitude? Are we defeated or still rejoicing in a Savior that has us given eternal hope, joy and an abundant life? One of the greatest joys that I did not realize was truly being a member of God’s Kingdom people that spreads out into many parts of the world. The word is “Koinonia”. Your prayers and continued prayers are a blessing to my family and me. You have blessed me through the power of the love of Jesus Christ, which has come through your lives in the form of encouragement, cards and gifts. I thought that I had to handle this alone. I was sure wrong! Please, do not try to handle things on your own either, because we need each other in this dark world. The sin that cracks our armor of faith needs to be confessed allowing the light of Jesus to shine into the world! Broken and forgiven lives are blessed lives, so do not judge, but be human and honest with each other.

We must seek to know God’s will, His character and ask for His power to understand His plan and ways. Seek to desire a genuine heart of love for the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God will teach us to love as He loves us. The focal scripture has promises woven into the
tapestry of truth, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus teaches us as we ask, seek and to know we become aware of the fullness of His blessings.

FRESH START TODAY -Blog 38)

FRESH START TODAY…Love the Lord your God!

Matt 22:37-40, Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." NIV

Jesus quoted the Old Testament regarding the need for us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. To love the Lord like this is supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we simply pray telling the Lord that we love Him He will open the doors of communications that you would never expect humanly.

Yesterday and today I took some private time to rest in the Lord, pray, and call a few people to give them some updated information regarding my health. When you begin your prayers with praise and sharing your love for the Lord rather than coming into His presence like a bull in a china cabinet demanding to be heard regarding your concerns, He has the opportunity to simply give you His peace that the world does not experience. The first few moments are to focus on Jesus, reflecting on His ministry found in the Bible and His death on the cross. What does His precious life and activity mean to me today? Does He understand cancer? Does He understand separation from a loved one? Do we understand the truth of His anxiety before His death in the Garden of Gethsemane? Why wouldn’t His closest friends stay awake to pray with Him? I know that when I begin my prayers by focusing on Jesus it takes away the anxiety of what I am still going to face through another outpatient surgery and chemotherapy. Why me, has never crossed my mind nor the concern of possible physical death. Jesus knew he was meant to die, but the separation from the Father was His greatest anguish. He was humbled, surrendered and willing to die, to take on the sins of the world and be separated from God the Father, so that believers could have fellowship with the Almighty God that would never be broken again.

My heart right now is to share something that happened that was very personal and left me crying tears of joy, feeling the love of the Lord. I have mentioned that I first walked into the medical clinic at Heber/Overgaard on June 3rd? This was the anniversary date of when my Christian biological dad went to be with the Lord, but another memory surfaced that I had totally forgotten about until my prayer time. The last words my dad ever spoke to me before he died were, “Are you going to be alright?” This was dad’s deepest concern for me. The Lord Jesus reminded me that He was answering my dad’s last prayer for me by drawing close to me during this journey of healing from cancer. I know that the prayers of others have played a major role in the healing process, but I would have never thought that some of those prayers were from the saints of God that have passed away. God has honored my dad’s prayer for me in my healing process and the Holy Spirit brought from my memory what was last said to me by my dad. This reminds me of the Lord’s promises made to Abraham and David, due to their faithfulness in their relationship with God, and His presence to be with their future generations.


The Holy Spirit wants you to be still and know that He is God. Praise Him, Love Him with all of your heart, soul and mind. Wait upon the Lord for He will give you His strength to soar like a eagle during your personal journey through life. This life can be rough at times, but you have not been crucified and totally rejected by humanity. I continue to pray, “Bless me, Lord, so that my life will glory you!” This kind of prayer is opened ended and gives the Holy Spirit an opportunity to work through my and your life.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 37)

FRESH START TODAY…God’s Plans are worth seeking!

Jeremiah 29:11-13, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. NIV

On Sunday, July 10, 2011, we attended a wonderful church that proclaimed the grace and mercy of our God. I listened very carefully to the sermon the young pastor was preaching, but the at the end of the service God whispered to my heart the verse that is the topic today. The history behind the verse is that God’s chosen people were in exile in Babylon and would be there for 70 years. The Lord declared and gave instructions to His people to live and prosper in a country that was not their own. I am sure the people were not comfortable living away from their homeland. To change where you were comfortable to a place where you needed to make personal adjustments is not easy for people. I have heard people say when a new manager is hired, “I will leave if the manager changes what we are use to doing!” Let me tell you that being diagnosed with breast cancer has changed me! I do not believe that I will continue to neither live with the same attitude nor live the same way that I have lived in the past. I am a child of the King and my life was a bought with a great price. I am deeply loved by the same God that told the people of Israel that He had plans for them, to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them hope and a future. He clearly said to call on Him and come to Him and to pray to Him, and that He would listen. We are to seek Him with all of our heart and this is the secret to this generous and loving promise.

I have been receiving emails of great encouragement from people we love dearly. One email touched my heart last night telling me of the impact Marty and I have had on her life as she struggled in her past. We were God’s chosen vessel to be an encouragement to her, but her words were so deeply endearing to us. She stated that I was strong in my faith, but my faith is a credit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit through His loving discipline. I truly do not believe that having breast cancer is punishment! When we wake up every morning we make choices for that day. God gives an opportunity to start fresh with an attitude that will bless Him and lift us and other people up when we seek Him with all of our heart. My pray recently has been, “Bless me Lord, so that my life will glorify you!” This pray is open ended, which means God is FREE to answer this prayer according to His loving plan. I am truly humbled by the power of the prayers of God’s Saints who know me and the one’s who do not know me. I feel I am being cradled in the arms of a Holy God through these wonderful prayers. Your one solitary life will make a difference in our dark world when you seek the heart of the God that loves you as much as He loves me. Look deeper to the message of the cross and what Jesus accomplished for humanity.

The words of the song ‘Thank you’ comes to my heart, with tears flowing, as I have received your phone calls and emails. I am so humbled to know so many people have been encouraged through the ministry that Marty and I have shared with you through the years. This has given us a continued desire to want to encourage you more. In fact, this has reminded me about the heart of Jesus Christ as He ministered. He reached out to the individual even though there were curious crowds that followed Him all the time. Jesus Christ sees the heart of all people. I am fully accepted by Him and He is the audience of one that is watching my moves, thoughts, actions and attitudes. (Psalm 139) He is watching you.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 36)

FRESH START TODAY … Decide today to seek God’s will!

Genesis 50:19-21 Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. NIV

On April 25, 2010 I wrote in my Bible along side this scripture, “God does have a bigger plan than we could ever imagine in our lifetime!” I had stopped writing in my blog for a while due to not feeling well and I did not understand the reason for me wanting to close the topics on FRESH START TODAY. A dear sister in the Lord said, “No, you cannot stop because I need more!” That was said to me on Facebook just before the diagnosis that I had breast cancer. When Marty and I were driving home after the first doctor’s visit God gave me the above scripture. The story of Joseph is about a hotheaded young man that saved many lives after being broken through trials. Have I ever been a prideful person? Yes, friends and family. I have been prideful and this attitude does not please the Lord. But my question is why would God pour out His magnificent GRACE on me?

June 3, 2011 - I walked into the Community Clinic in Heber/Overguard, AZ to see a Nurse Practitioner to have a breast lumped checked. He immediately scheduled a mammogram and an ultrasound in Show Low, AZ. These tests lead to a biopsy and the dreaded diagnosis I feared, “breast cancer”. The surgeon was chosen, and a modified radical mastectomy was performed on June 28th along with the start of breast reconstruction performed by a plastic surgeon immediately following. All these procedures have been done with no health insurance coverage. The bills are starting to come in the amount of about $30,000.00 so far with Marty and I having a monthly income of $1,700.00. The State Medicaid program has denied coverage, because we earn too much to qualify. The maximum allowable income is $613.00 a month. The chemotherapy has not yet started because I still need to heal from the surgery. My appointment with the Oncologist is scheduled for July 19, 2011. Yet I am at peace! I have received the prayers of hundreds of people and I feel them every moment of every day! I have received calls from people from almost every church where Marty and I have served over the many years. I have had God’s Kingdom people lay hands on and pray for me that do not even know me. One of Marty’s colleagues where he attended at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary drove from Payson, AZ to pray with me before I went into surgery. I have had opportunities to share Jesus Christ and His Grace to many people. I am more filled with God’s love than I have ever experienced. The world cannot understand the kind of peace the Lord told His believers they would have if they put their trust in Him.

Thank you all for the encouraging emails that Marty and I have received… I am sure there will be rough days ahead, but the unity of God’s people is my answer to this spiritual crossroads.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 35)

FRESH START TODAY… The fullness of Christ!

Colossians 2:8-11, See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. NIV

This is week 15 of the FRESH START Series and next week will end the study. I have enjoyed reflecting on these Scriptures in hopes to change my human thinking. The Bible is full of encouragement! We all go through school learning math, history, social studies, science, biology, music, chemistry, English, and math. We learn to read in elementary school and are required to read books. We learn colors and the alphabet, but are we taught how to get along with our neighbors?

I remember a lesson learned when I was in 4th grade that changed my life forever regarding accepting others that may be different. The Principal came into the classroom to speak with all the students about a young man that would be coming into the class within a few days. He was different on the outside, but was not different on the inside. He had a severe physical handicap, but she encouraged us to get to know him. (Some of you reading this blog may have been in that classroom with me that day.) She asked us to treat him like any other classmate. I listened with great interest, because I had just had major surgery the summer before and had been different at one time. I got to know Gary and he became a good friend. He gave me a desire to get to know other children that were different and they have blessed my life. Do we teach children today to accept others that are different in the public school system?

We who are believers take on the fullness of Jesus Christ and He accepts all people. Why are we prejudice? Why are we judgmental? Why are we cruel? Why do we not accept people who are weaker? Why do we reject a person when they make mistakes? I have to ask myself these questions, because I am a human just like you. We tend to stereotype people of a different race. Human tradition is not always bad, but it is better to take on the attitude and mind of Jesus Christ! He is the head over every power and authority.

Henry Blackaby stated that the moment we accept the truth about Jesus Christ and are filled with the Holy Spirit we have the fullness and power of the God living in our hearts. We begin to learn as we take our journey through our individual lives by reading God’s Word. New believers sometimes watch those who have been believers longer than we have been. That can be good and it can sometimes be deceiving due to our sin nature that shows its ugly head. We are to be a reflected light of the one that is perfect and allow the power of the living God to have His way through our life. The closer we grow to know the Lord the more we learn to surrender to the gentleness that is revealed for us to follow. I already have spoken about letting the gentleness of God’s Spirit guide our hearts and minds. How do we do this? We can genuinely pray for our hearts to be changed! God sometimes does the changing through the avenue of trials that we experience that will open our eyes. An example is when a doctor becomes a patient, or the lawyer is accused of a crime, or a teacher needs to be taught, or a physical therapist needs personal treatment due to an injury. I believe that you get the picture. My husband has said to me recently that if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. Let us all take on a positive attitude and become part of the solution with the power of God’s truth and wisdom.

May the Lord bless you as your read this week’s Scripture and my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will give you His Wisdom.

Concern for the 21st Century Church (Separate Blog)

Concerns for the 21st century church

I am a believer in Jesus Christ and the Grace that He has given me due to the action of my faith! I am nobody in and of myself, but I am somebody in Christ. I am not writing to impress anyone. My husband and I have attended many Southern Baptist Churches in the South, the Southern Midwest, and the Western portion of the US. We are finding that tradition has become a way of life in several churches. The elderly are attending but young families are disappearing. I am saddened by the way people are controlling the church and not allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to be in control. In the South the churches are “family” owned. In the West it is the “elderly” who own the church. Their traditions are preventing the power of God’s Spirit to flow. Pastors who have dedicated their lives to serving a Holy God are being fired by these “owners”, and others are resigning and not returning to ministry because of the worldly ways of the church. Jesus said that there would be a time that the church would kill the under-shepherds, thinking it was God’s will.

John 16:2-4 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. NIV

My husband is one of those powerful Spirit filled Southern Baptist Pastors who is no longer willing to pastor a church. We now serve the Lord in the mission field outside the church now as Campground hosts. People are hurting and seeking answers. In the casual atmosphere of the campground we have been able to minister more effectively than in the church. Jesus is still the answer and the Wisdom of God is found in reading the Bible. Jesus warns against having the heart of a Pharisee! We all must be careful! (Holding to a form of Godliness but denying the power)

Henry Blackaby, a noted pastor and author of many 21st century works, I believe, Holy Spirit inspired writings said – “…the reason people do not come to God/the church, is because they do not see God at work in the world today!” Jesus said “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.” But unfortunately in a majority of our churches today, God is not being lifted up. He is being soaked up by stagnant sponges soaking up preaching and teaching, but not pouring it out to an unbelieving world. There is a prevailing attitude of “what can I get out of this for me?” In essence they are withholding the Gospel from younger families because of their judgmentalism. They have an attitude of “It’s my way or the Highway”.

2 Tim 3:1-6 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. NIV

In one of the churches where we served the “owners” became very upset because as pastor, my husband gave permission for a church member to have a baby shower in the church building for her daughter. Her daughter was a non-believer and she was having a baby without being married to the father. The “owners” unspoken and belligerent stand was that her sin would corrupt the Sanctity of God’s house. The truth is we are all sinners and Christians are still sinners “saved by grace.” None of the church members came to the baby shower except the family of the mother, my husband and I, however, the youngest son of the mother of the unbelieving daughter made a profession of faith that day. The precious soul of one lost person was won to the Lord, and the “owners” missed witnessing the activity of God’s Spirit due to their absence. God sees the Heart of the true believers and lifts up those who are willing to depend on the strength of Jesus Christ who gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us in our thinking.

Speaking from a background as a Southern Baptist, we as Southern Baptists need a truly humble Spiritual Awakening! We need to pray the “ownership” mentality from the church and demonstrate the activity of God in the church.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 34)

FRESH START TODAY… Where is your heart?

Col 3:1-4, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. NIV

I am asking this question of myself, “where is my heart?” more than I am asking you. This weekend has been very busy with the start of the real camping season due to the heat in the Phoenix starting to climb. People loose their common sense when they camp sometimes, so I get impatient with attitudes. My heart sometimes struggles with having my heart on things above. Do you? Marty says that believers are out of balance at times because they are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly value. That does not sound very positive, but we do live in the world. People are not heavenly minded at times. There is a popular saying “What would Jesus Do?” but you have to read the Scriptures about all the encounters He had with the public to really get an answer to the question. He was passionate most of the time, but He did get frustrated at times, too. When people kept asking for signs and miracles He questioned their faith in the matter. We bless the Lord by trusting and having faith in what He has already done for us. Our Salvation, as believers is the greatest gift we will ever receive, but we do not seem to be satisfied due to the challenges we face every day. I am thankful and know that to wake up every day to a new beginning is a wonderful gift.

When I write these blogs they seem to put me back into the balance of what the Lord wants me to experience as a believer. I know that I struggle with my humanity daily, but to place the circumstances in the light of the bigger picture helps me to have a heart to serve and love the Lord in the challenges of each day. This is part of the reason I encourage you to write in your journal via computer or a notebook, so that you can see the activity around your own life. He is alive and desires you to know He loves you each and every day.

We received a wonderful email from a friend who has not written to us in a long times and she blessed our hearts in what she said. You never know where those special blessings will come and it usually is the prompting of the Holy Spirit at just the right time. I praise the Lord for a FRESH Start every day!

We belong to the Savior and we have been hidden in the heart that is pure and Holy! We have been raised with Jesus Christ and are joint heirs with Him! Oh, my, my answer just came to me as the Lord brought to my mind these next Scriptures. I just told you that I was frustrated at the public’s attitudes? Well, here is my answer!

1 Peter 2:9-12, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. NIV

The Lord is great!!!!! He sees the heart of those that believe and He will give an answer for us when we set our minds on things above.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 33)

FRESH START TODAY… Set your hearts on things above…

Col 3:1-4, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. NIV

This study of FRESH START TODAY has been attempting to teach you and me to let go and let God. The Holy Spirit has been directing us to change our mind to surrendering to the mind of Jesus Christ. The Scripture this week continues this thought by telling believers to set our hearts on things above. The Lord God gave Moses the commandments not to place His people in bondage, but to deliver them from the bondages they had placed themselves in through years of rebellion. The people still had difficulty in keeping the commandments that would protect them individually and their neighbors, so through the avenue of time Jesus Christ was born to teach people the spiritual truth of those commandments. If we were to look at the commandments of God as a list of “don’ts” only, we have missed the true messages. God loved His people and wanted the best of what He could give them and they just did not understand. The understanding comes only through a personal relationship with God. Moses had that personal relationship and he moved forward in obedience with a life full of blessings knowing the God that created the world. His strength and wisdom came from the presence of God in His life. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives believers today a direct path to having a personal relationship with the Trinity that is present in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We communicate through prayer and Jesus Christ who is seated at the right hand of God intercedes for us to God the Father. Jesus was the only righteous human being that ever lived and God the Father sees us as righteous due to our faith in His Son. Jesus Christ has become the permanent curtain of righteousness and who became sin for us on the Cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ is our shield and we will appear with Him in glory!

My words are not new to many believers who have heard this message. We have difficulty is applying the truth of what Jesus Christ has given us through His obedience. His passionate heart saw you and me through time. He loved us and continues to love us. We cannot earn His love by any works we may accomplish during our lifetime. We are obedient because we have learned to trust and love Him. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to love as God first loved us. Our lives, as believers, are hidden with Christ in God. What a blessing to have accepted this truth and moved on to set our hearts on things above. Though we live today we have been raised with Jesus Christ.

The earthly things that we once set our minds on should no longer interest us as believers, so why do we allow them to control our thinking anymore? The mindset of the world keeps us in bondage. Things like people telling us “we cannot do this” or “you will never amount to anything”, or “just look out for number one”, or “if it feels good then you can do it”. The world teaches us to be selfish, but that is a common mindset that we have as sinners. We need mind changing solutions and the roadmap of Wisdom that comes from reading the Bible daily. I encourage starting fresh today to set your hearts on things above. You will be blessed.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 32)

FRESH START TODAY … Think about what has been given to you!

I have decided to read the Bible through again, because I am sure that I have missed some wisdom I have not yet understood. The Wisdom of God is like trying to drink from a fire hose on full blast where it could blow your head off. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit of God shuts the fire hose down to a trickle so we can drink from His Wisdom! To fresh start each day is my new motto. This study reminds me that we can have a new beginning every day. My son-in-law gave me a Chronological Bible that is written in the NIV translation, but you read the Scriptures as they happened in time. The reading I just finished was the book of “Job”. Job was a righteous man of great faith, but God allowed him to be “sifted” by the devil. He lost everything to include his wealth and his children. Job had some well-meaning counselor “friends” that continued to tell him to repent of all his sins. Some of their counsel seemed righteous, but they did not see the bigger picture of what was really happening to Job. Job expressed himself frequently that he had done nothing wrong, so why all the tragedy in his life? Then God finally spoke… This is where these Scriptures get interesting to me. We begin to witness the Creator’s perspective and this begins with verses starting in Job 38:1. He begins with questions like “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you understand.” (NIV Job 38:4) Then Job was given more than he had before due to his righteousness before the one true God that loved him. Job never cursed God for his tragedies.

I have read these powerful Scriptures before, but this time it gives me reason to rejoice! He created the seas, the clouds that give rain to the earth where no man has lived, the morning stars, He sees what is in the deepest of the oceans, He knows the center of the earth, He brings forth lighting bolts from the sky, He scattered the snow and hail as He commanded, He directs the path of thunderstorms, He brings forth the constellations in their seasons and His words go on an on! What reached out and grabbed me was in verse 38:36, “Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind?”

I count it an honor to have even a small amount of wisdom that God has given me. I can easily begin my prayers with joy as I am reminded to thank Him for all He created for my enjoyment. We take for granted the wonder of the perfect balance our God put in place by just His spoken words. We do not realize that He could speak it out of existence if He so chooses. His love for humanity made Him choose not to destroy the earth again, but the God the Father sent the Savior Jesus Christ to save us from ourselves and created a narrow path for us to follow to once again have fellowship with a Holy God. I rejoice in the Lord!

Can you close your eyes right now with me in prayer to thank God for the sun that heats the earth, the night that springs forth the diamond like stars in the sky? Can you thank Him for new life that He creates every day, the eagles that soar in the sky, the bunny rabbits that twitch their noses for our amusement and the kittens that cuddle in our laps? The loved ones that say “I love you” everyday are a gift from God! You may not hear the words every day, but you are loved.

Phil 4:4-7, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NIV

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 31)

FRESH START TODAY… Happiness can be yours!

Phil 4:4-7, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NIV

It is not the responsibility for other people to make you happy! It is a choice that you make for yourself. Rejoice in the Lord always? You do not have to rejoice in the negative circumstances that happen, but rejoice in the Lord! How do we rejoice in the Lord? This study on “Fresh Start Today” has gently been guiding you and me to this point of rejoicing. In last week’s Scripture we learned to repent by asking God to create in you and in me a pure heart. He will answer sincere prayer requests such as this one because it is not self-centered, but God centered. Our Holy God is totally pure in heart and He is pleased with believers that have made a choice to ask for His help to accomplish this wonderful request. The trials you may be facing will strengthen your relationship with God if you continue to rejoice and let your gentleness be evident to all. Oh, my, do I ever need to learn to not be anxious about anything! Do you have that problem? We are to pray for our need(s), but we are to thank Him at the same time for hearing our prayers. This Scripture is powerful!

I have been ill for a while wondering what the outcome would be and have been anxious about it. I have prayed and thanked the Lord for His presence in my life. I have prayed, thanking Him for His answer(s). I remember just recently when I wrote that God is in control and that settles it! I did not really think about what I wrote until I remembered the prayer that Jesus prayed just before He was crucified when He said “Not my will, but thine be done!” He experienced the greatest amount of stress any human being could ever experience, but Jesus trusted God the Father’s plan. Oh, to let go and let God work through your life as He chooses is difficult, but the outcome is supernatural beyond what you could ever do on your own. I am beginning to feel better and I praise the Lord for His healing and your prayers.

In the second week I ask you to begin to Praise the Lord! Take the time to do this every day as you learn the balance of the reality of life in having a relationship with God and the people around you. To Praise the Lord will lift you through any circumstance you are facing even when you do not feel like praising the Lord. The same is true in rejoicing in the Lord!

There are three more weeks of topics to finish this study. I have only been able to write one blog for the last three weeks do to my illness and the work schedule here as a Campground Host in the Rim Lakes Aspen Campground in Northern Arizona. I would like to hear your testimony about what the Holy Spirit has been doing through your life and not just mine. Have you been keeping a journal as you have worked through these Scriptures each week? What has the Holy Spirit been saying to you? Has your mind and heart been changing? The Scripture this week says that God will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ! Do you believe that He does and will? Will you begin FRESH today to believe! Read the Scripture every day this week and surrender to the truth of what is being said to you. Remember that God does see the heart! He is waiting for your response to His Words of Wisdom and making the choice to be happy. “Rejoice in the Lord always!”

FRESH START TODAY (Blog 30)

FRESH START TODAY... Only you can change you, but you can ask for help!

Psalms 51:10-12, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. NIV

The history behind this Scripture is a Psalm of repentance of king David after the prophet Nathan came to him addressing his adultery with Bathsheba. We may not have committed adultery, but there may be something we have done to rebel against the Holy God. I know that there have been many times in my life I had to repent due to my rebellion or lack of faith. I may have gossiped, or lied, or been unkind to someone, so I need to repent. This goes beyond just saying that I am sorry, but asking God to “create in me a pure heart!”

There was a time that I was so angry with someone that my heart had become very cold. I would talk and repeat the situation about the offense to anyone who would listen. I have been angry like this regarding a few circumstances, but it does not change what happened in the past. My memory just relived the hurt over and over again. Other people have spoken to me like this, too. You can get tired of hearing the same complaint over and over again with no change in the other person’s heart. Do bad things happen in our life? Yes! Can we forget the hurt? Yes! Do we remember the circumstances that caused the hurt? Yes, but we can find peace in our hearts when we repent of the anger and forgive the person(s).

I was going to share one of those hurtful situations, but why? You do not need to read about a negative experience that I have had, because there is probably enough negative around your own life. People have hurt you, talked about you, and treated you unkindly because that is part of the sin nature in this world that we face on a daily basis. We live in a world that can be very dark at times. We do not seek out the light that can brighten that darkness. Our physical bodies will stumble through the darkness in the middle of the night to go the restroom, but if we have a night-light we can avoid stubbing our toe. Why do we stumble through life in the darkness? Where are the night-lights through life that could keep us from stumbling? His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. When we become a believer we will still stumble, hopefully not as often, so what is the answer? We cry out to the God that loves us! (The light) We read His Word! (Another source of light) We pray (A powerful source of light) We can begin to praise the Lord! (A regeneration of light and hope) We trust the Lord for His provision! (The light of Faith) We gather together with other believers for fellowship and encouragement. (A brighter cluster of lights where we can begin to see more clearly!) I pray that you can envision the night-lights that are provided for us as believers?

There was a movie that came out that was called the “Passion of Christ” directed by Mel Gibson. I have a copy of that movie and have seen it just a few times, but it gave me the closest description of what Jesus Christ was willing to do for me. My cry to my Savior is and will always be “Create in me a pure heart”! He will do the changing within your own heart and the pain of negative experiences seem to soften as you remember the gentle, caring love of a Savior that was first beaten, nailed to a cross and then died for you. His GRACE and PASSION are never ending for those who seek His light!

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 29)

FRESH START TODAY... What do others think of you? Does it really matter?

Colossians 3:23-25, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. NIV

I have struggled most of my life thinking about what other people may think of me. The truth is that they probably do not think of me at all like I think they do in the first place. Some may have opinions, but they truly do not know my heart. You have heard the saying that you can’t judge a man, or woman, unless you walk a mile in their shoes. I am down physically right now, but my heart tells me to write something that would glorify God! I have been praying this morning asking myself why the Lord has allowed me to be suffering physically right now and His answer is “He is in control” and that settles it! He has brought to my memory, after speaking to a sister in Lord last night, that the devil has a personality and he wants to be God. The whisper of his lies began in the Garden of Eden tempting people to want to be in control and to be the god in their homes, their work and their church. Did you notice that I said in their homes, their work and their church? Who gave you your home, your job and who is the Head of the Church? Satan has whispered his words to those who want to be in control, and isn’t the church suffering like I am physically right now? (I need your prayers...) What is the answer? Who really has the answer? The church needs a Spiritual revival!

The Scripture today is amazing! Whatever we do, work at it with all of our heart, as working for the Lord and not men’s approval. We need to think more of the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily life. The pity party attitude does not glorify the Lord, but hinders the work of the Lord in furthering His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit will place you in leadership as He chooses, if you maintain a humble attitude and loving heart as Jesus Christ’s example has passionately given us to follow. His love for humanity looked beyond their weaknesses and He still does today. He saw what we could become through His eyes of mercy that would lift us up in His time. Do we allow people’s opinions of us to keep us from doing what the Lord is gently guiding us to do that would reveal Christ in us? The spark of the Holy Spirit will light the world where we live when we take the truth of the cross to the world where we individually live. Make a fresh start today to accept the truth of what God desires you to understand regarding this Scripture for this week. I really recommend that you pray the Scripture placing your name where it says “you” and keep a journal. The activity of the Holy Spirit is present in all true believers of Jesus Christ. Work to glorify the Lord and you will receive His inheritance that He desires for you to have as a reward for your genuine service to Him. Do not seek men’s approval. I have tried to do this and it does not work.

I asked myself a question as I was praying today and that is “Who has truly blessed and encouraged my walk with the Lord”? It has been people who were not afraid to share their weaknesses in order to bring the victory that the Lord has given them. Their testimonies were never “look at what I have done”, but look at the wisdom God gave me through His work at just the right time.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 28)

FRESH START TODAY... Do we have Traditions today?

Colossians 2:20-22, Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. NIV

I was raised Baptist and I remember the church frowned on dancing at the time I was growing up. I believe that this was a way of discouraging personal contact that could encourage actions that lead to sin. There are traditions that have arisen in any church over several years that are not from God. I believe at first well intentioned men placed them there to discourage rebellion against God. The natural man seems to rebel against unrealistic rules and this may be the reason church attendance today is declining. Some traditions cause slavery in the church today and if broken creates shame. The people gossip about the shameful actions and slavery continues in the people that are talking due to lack of forgiveness. We must remember true rebellion against a Holy God that loves us causes some form of slavery and then the activity of the Holy Spirit is not witnessed. I was asked one time from a woman in a Bible Study I was teaching, why there were so many dominations? I just said, because men’s interpretations get in the way of God’s truth. We need a true Spiritual Revival today!

The Old Testament Laws that were given through the servant Moses were meant to hold people accountable. They were there to protect people by a Holy God. The relationship with man and God had been severed in the Garden of Eden, but God continues to pursue a personal relationship with His people. The people of Israel were His chosen people at the time the Laws were introduced, but over the years those Laws became a source of rebellion the people could not follow. They made up their own rules to follow and created their own gods. Humans tend to make up their own rules and this get them into trouble. Today is no different than the time of the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit draws people to Himself through the Word of God that gives believers the wisdom that we need to experience a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus confronted the religious people of the time and told them that the Laws were given to open the hearts of people to the truth of God’s love. There was no love witnessed or expressed. The Pharisees were interrupting the Laws as a way to control the people and to dominate the power in the community. Please read the Word for yourself and you will see the active communications between the Pharisees and Sadducees of the time and how Jesus spoke to the people to help them understand the heart of God. The hearts of the religious leaders were cold due to man-made traditions, but a few grew in wisdom to the truth of what Jesus was teaching. We are so very fortunate to have the Words that were spoken by Jesus Christ today. The greatest books that were ever written are contained in the Holy Bible. There are 66 books all together.

I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and to open my heart to the power of the Holy Spirit. Any wisdom that I may have is the result of the Holy Spirit’s prompting. The love that is expressed through the GRACE and power of Jesus Christ cannot be expressed in any words spoken or written. When you experience the true love of God you cannot contain the emotion and blessings that it brings to your heart. I ask the Lord daily in prayer to forgive my rebellion against Him and to open my heart to His words of wisdom. He is faithful! We are free from the traditions of men that cause slavery when we understand the truth of God’s Word.

John 4:23-24, Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." NIV

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 27)

FRESH START TODAY... Do you Desire to be refreshed?

Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. NIV

There are people that can burden you with many requests at times. Some people seem to have unrealistic expectations, because they may be young in the Lord or may not even know the Lord. I have been a pastor’s wife and people seem to expect that the pastor needs to do everything from preaching, to teaching, to visiting the sick, to visiting the well, feeding the hungry, to meeting the financial needs of others, to cleaning the church, to counseling the weak and to not have a personal life. Pastors and their families live in glass houses and are watched every day by people who want to see them fall in their spiritual walk. Let me relate to you an experience that was very hurtful to us because a member of a church family would not forgive. We went on vacation for ten days and while we were away this man’s wife became very ill. The Sunday we returned he was in the worship center and he approached my husband very angry with him for not visiting his wife in the hospital. We were gone! He did not believe that we were gone and stayed angry until we left the church five months later. His unwillingness to forgive was a major reason we chose to leave the church even after several attempts to reconcile. His attitude towards us was damaging to the entire church body. We have forgiven this man and have asked God to bless him. I encourage you to support your pastor, allow him to be human and encourage him to take time for his family. He needs to take vacations that will refresh his ministry in your church. Do not be quick to judge him when he is not perfect, pray for him. You really want to be refreshed? Give your pastor a monetary handshake and tell him to take his family to dinner. People have done that for us and it has been a blessing. Do this for others that may need it, too, if you have the financial resources.

We have some wonderful memories that have refreshed us as we have served the Lord. I will not cast my alms before you, but to let you know that God has been faithful in blessing us privately as we have been sensitive to His requests to be generous. We can never out give the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. His generous heart made Him willing to die for our sins. God the Father has lifted up the name of Jesus and we will worship Him. Jesus has given us wisdom and guidance to what our attitude should be towards one another in the faith. Remember that He chose us!

John 15:16-17, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. NIV

These words that Jesus spoke could not be any clearer about our appointment to go and bear fruit as believers. We cannot rebel against the Lord and expect our prayers to be answered. We must be generous, caring and sensitive to being obedient to the Lord. He commanded us to love each other!

This is the last blog for this week on the Scripture of choice to be generous. If you have not been faithful in doing this you can START FRESH TODAY and reach out to others. I want to encourage you again to write down the Scripture for the week, read it every day and keep a personal journal. This way the Holy Spirit can open your heart to what His Words will say to you. I write these blogs sharing what the Lord is saying to me, but it may be different for you. The Lord Jesus Christ desires a personal relationship with you.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 26)

FRESH START TODAY…  Keep secret your generosity?

This morning I am sitting here writing this blog looking out the window of our recreational vehicle seeing the tall pines of Northern Arizona.  The campground is empty because it is too early in the season for most people to camp and we are here because we are to open another campground in the area in about a week.  This campground will soon be buzzing with people wanting to get away from the heat in the Phoenix valley.  My husband and I are Campground Hosts for the summer season.  Today my thoughts are on the Scriptures chosen for this week found in Proverbs 11:25 (A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. NIV) and I had to ask myself what more could be said?  The Holy Spirit directed me to read Matthew 6:1-4 and then it became clear what else God was saying to me.

Matt 6:1-4, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV

Did you ever wonder when Jesus did one of His many miracles why He would ask that person not to tell anyone?  He never wanted to bring attention to Himself, did He?  The healings were for the glory of God and to ultimately draw the recipient to understand the reality of a Holy God that truly loved them.  I believe that the passion of Christ was being revealed daily as He encountered people whose hearts were ready to receive His message.  Jesus did tell a man who had been healed of leprosy to go to the Priest to show that he was clean, but this involved obedience and the custom of the time to show that he was able to be reunited with the community and his family where he once lived.  He never said, “Tell the Priest I healed you!”  The word soon got around about all the miracles that Jesus had done, so He had followers by the hundreds wanting for miracles.  Jesus did become weary, not from the work but from the press of the people seeking miracles and not relationship. He loved the people, but He would often retire to a private place to pray.  He was human and needed to regain His strength. 

In my book “God Sees the Heart” I share experiences I have had through the years and how I have seen the Holy Spirit working through the hearts of other believers.  Yes I was in the picture, but I never meant for the focus to be on me.  The message of the book is that God sees the heart!  I came out of my prayer closet to share my heart with you, the reader, so that you will draw closer to the Lord in your journey.  Our acts of righteousness should never be expressed in a prideful way in saying, “Look what I have done!”  We need to shout the truth of what Jesus has done through our life! We would never want to loose our reward that Jesus intends for us to receive. 

The announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the Savior and the angel telling her “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Luke 1:42, was for Mary’s benefit privately.  Somewhere along the way, Mary shared her heart with someone, and one day it was recorded in print for the world to see.  She was a humble woman of faith and a loving God recognized her generous soul.

I ponder in my heart the full joy of wonderful and generous people of God that have loved me through the years.  I am thankful for people that have unselfishly given their money, time and encouragement to me when I have been in need.  It was seen as the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers that have never desired to be noticed for their generosity.  My heart reaches out to you to encourage you to be generous with your time, money and love expecting nothing in return except to glorify the Lord.  This was the desire of Jesus as He walked among the people when they were in need of knowing the Savior.  He wanted to encourage them to return to the God who loved them.  We need to desire to grow to have the mind of Jesus Christ and reach out to others in generosity.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 25)

FRESH START TODAY…  What are your plans today?

Prov 11:25, 

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. NIV

I was going to delete this week’s topic, but I struggled with leaving this Scripture out of the FRESH START TODAY.  The Lord had a message through the Wisdom of Solomon, so they are important to remind us all that if we need to be refreshed then we need to be generous to others. 

I know that if I sit in my own home alone for long periods of time my mind will begin to wander towards negative thinking.  This may open the door to becoming self-absorbed and to possibly think that I have no value in life.  I need to be willing to drop the lonely feeling, step out and care about other people.  The thought here is not to go looking for someone to listen to our concerns, but to listen to what others may need in their life.  My sister and my sister-in-law have said that volunteering at a place that serves the needs of other people is a sure cure for loneliness.

Three days ago Marty and I walked over to another friend’s home to say good-bye, because they were leaving town the next morning.  We were there just one hour, but probably laughed more than we had in weeks.  I am still refreshed from the silly things we were talking about and the laughter stills rings in my heart this morning.  The laughter was refreshing to all of us.  Do you want to know the conversation?  The men were talking about how silly it is to tease cats and dogs!  I am sure you have some interesting memories of your own. Our beloved pets can sure tolerate a lot of things from their owners when it is gentle teasing.  My husband likes to tickle the toe hairs of our sleeping Sheltie.  He twitches and kicks and it causes him to wake up quickly! 

What about people that may not be able to get out because of a physical handicap? What would your suggestions be for this person knowing that being generous to others would refresh them?  Do you know of a person that you care about that needs to be generous to you?  God created us to be interdependent in our world, so that no one should experience loneliness.  When I have visited nursing homes I have found people of great value that have given me words of wisdom.  My mother-in-law is 87 years old and just last night she asked me what I was writing about now?  I told her the main theme is to decide on a FRESH START TODAY.  She said that was always her thoughts each day that she has lived.  She is now so thankful for all the new beginnings that God has given her everyday and she is more aware of His presence in her life.  My mother-in-law has been a generous lady (not with money) most of her life, but with her time to encourage other people.  I believe that is why she can reflect on memories that keep her refreshed every day now that she cannot get out of her home on her own.

What about telephone call?  Do you want to be generous today to someone, so that you can be refreshed and prosper?  Just a simple, but powerful thought from the Word of God!

 

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 24)

FRESH START TODAY…  Remember today is a new beginning

I cannot begin to encourage you enough to see that each new day is a new beginning because you cannot change your past.  We can learn to be humble before a Holy and loving God.  I started reading a book called “Redemption… Freed by Jesus from Idols we worship and the Wounds we carry” by Mike Wilkerson.  This book was sent to Marty and I to read by a young man that we knew when he was a teenager.  He was in a Sunday School Class that I taught and was part of a group of very active teenage boys.  He is special to me!  He has made mistakes by his own confession, but has learned the power of forgiving himself with humility.  He now reaches out to others and he has reached out to our son.  He lived two houses down from us in Anchorage, AK and was part of our son’s life at that time.  God has blessed us with a reconnection with this man of faith.  A new day brings us the opportunity to make new choices. 

Something from the book brought a new light to my heart that I did not realize before this date.  The new revelation comes from the Adam and Eve documentation in the Bible.  God had a personal relationship with His created beings where He talked with them daily.  He instructed them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  We have all heard the story, probably from childhood.  The serpent, which was the enemy of God, persuaded them to eat from the forbidden tree by telling them that they could be gods.  WOW!  This is where our self centered, self-reliant, self-promoting, self-destructive, self-hatred, self only attitudes, self ideas of being super important began and why people seem to not need God.  The persuasion to focus on self was offered by the enemy to direct them away from the Garden of Eden that was full of harmony.  We were created to have a relationship with God who had our best interest in mind.  He was willing to teach us this gentle harmony, love, peace and creativity that would bless the earth.  The Lord Jesus Christ’s message that comes from the cross is to get that harmony and relationship back that the devil and disobedience once destroyed.  The enemy has no interest in us accept to cause suffering, because this has successfully created a barrier between people and a Holy God.  The truth is that the devil wanted to be God and there is only one God through the power the God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit! 

We take too lightly the powerful message of the cross of Jesus Christ. The GRACE that has been offered to people who have accepted the truth of His death has renewed the heart to have a relationship with God.  We must humble our hearts to a pure God asking Him to forgive our rebellion, accepting the cleansing that Jesus offers and choosing to take steps to start fresh every day, to read the Word, pray and worship God with our lives.  We will still struggle and suffer with temptations from the enemy, because that is the nature of a fallen world that was once perfect.

1 Peter 5:6-9, Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. NIV

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 23)

FRESH START TODAY ... Under God’s Almighty Hand

I spoke earlier this week about my discouragements, but I have seen the mighty hand of God at work since I shared what we were facing the next seven months.  I mentioned that we would not be attending church, but since then the Senior Pastor has told us that he plans on getting out of the heat of the Phoenix area to spend time in the cool mountains of Arizona where we will be Campground Hosts.  Maybe even more than one time!  Marty received a call from a retired minister friend of ours from Las Vegas, NV saying the same thing.  Maybe in Arizona’s favorite campground called “Aspen Campground” near Woods Canyon Lake, we will have several friends show up to relax and enjoy God’s beautiful outdoors.  One of my brothers and his wife will be hosting along side us, so we will have family with us and this too is a blessing.  I sometimes just do not like change.  Does anybody else have this problem?  Another issue that has been a discouragement is our son’s on going heartache.  Please pray for him to return back to the understanding that God’s still loves Him.  He is in bondage like we all have been from time to time. 

1 Peter 5:6-7, Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. NKJV

I chose this morning the true focal passage for this week to encourage you.  You can read the verses just prior to this Scripture and the ones right after to see the bigger picture.  Peter gave a believer, through the power of the Holy Spirit, encouragement in the Wisdom of God.  He suffered many times for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because he was obedient.  You know, from reading the Scripture, that prior to the death of Jesus, Peter was not always obedient to furthering the Kingdom of God, but furthering his own image.  Jesus knew his heart, his zeal for life and compulsive personality.  Jesus knew also what Peter would become as the Holy Spirit humbled him in the work that would continue through him after Jesus was crucified and resurrected.

I remember my own zealous personality when I first became a believer and I thought that I knew what everybody needed to know to be free in Jesus Christ.  Yes, I had the fullness of the Holy Spirit within me, but I was just drinking the milk of the Word of God.  I had not started on the steak of the Word until being broken through suffering.  One can easily have an attitude of self-righteousness.  We are all sinners and at the foot of the cross we are all on level ground.  No one is righteous accept the one on the cross that was crucified.

Do you believe that you are under the mighty hand of God?  Do you believe that He may exalt you in His time?  Do you trust Jesus Christ enough to throw all your worries and concerns at the foot of the Cross?  Do you truly believe that Jesus cares for you?  Do you believe that His passion for you is so rich with love that He would have died just for you?  You are special to Jesus Christ and I am too, as a believer.  I am equal with you in that I am a sinner.  I needed to recognize that Jesus has a deeper love for me than I can see with my human heart and eyes.  I am humbled that He sees me differently than I see myself.  I am humbled that Jesus sees me differently than others may see me.  Do you feel the same way?  Do you believe?  Through our faith in Jesus Christ and His Grace, He has given us righteousness before a Holy God.  His work on the cross and not our works!  He will lift you up as you trust in power of the cross of Jesus Christ.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 22)

FRESH START TODAY – Humble Yourself?

1 Peter 5:6-9, Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. NIV

The topics have been a humbling experience for me in that I do not feel worthy!  When I begin to write I never know what thoughts are coming out of my head.  Yesterday at church I heard a wonderful sermon by the Senior Pastor where we are attending and then I became very depressed afterwards. We are going to be leaving for the summer to be Campground Hosts in Northern Arizona and I will truly miss the church.  We will not be able to attend church for the next seven months due to the fact that we work every weekend.  Marty told me yesterday that we are no longer church leaders and he encouraged me to accept this transformation in our life.  My heart tells me that as long as we are alive we will be given opportunities to serve the Lord and love His people.  The roaring lion is keeping us inactive, but is He really?  Do I need to humble my heart more under God’s mighty hand?    Maybe you have had some of these same feelings?  I know that they do not honor the Lord Jesus Christ, but are self serving! We need to cast

all our anxiety on Him because He care for us.  We are to be self-controlled and alert!

My greatest gift is being able to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I will be reading my Bible, praying for you, my friends, and talking with people that the Lord may bring to the campground that needs encouragement.  Jesus did tell us to go into the entire world and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We will be on mission with Jesus.  The roaring lion attacked me yesterday and now I know that he did.  We owe Jesus Christ everything!  I will pray for the wonderful believers at the church as we leave and I am asking for God’s blessings and protection.

When I read the Psalms of king David I am reminded that he often was frustrated when he began a Psalm and then at the end he was praising the Lord. His heart was human and needing the gentle guidance of a loving God.  When you cry out to God He knows what our heart needs in times of weakness.  (Psalm 142)

The part of the Scripture that I am encouraged by is that God will lift you up in due time.  We will find joy in the presence of a Holy God and how He lifts you up is His choice.  You know that it is the activity of God when a blessing comes that is unexpected.  You cannot out give what the Holy Spirit wants to do through your life.  When He is in control then you witness the power of Jesus Christ, because He is the ONLY one that changes a heart.  I have been praying for my son’s heart to change and his estranged wife, so now I will sit back to watch the activity of the Holy Spirit.  Right now it does not seem that there is an answer coming, but it has to be God’s timing.  Do you have a loved one that is suffering?  Pray for them first to be reconciled to God and then to change the circumstances just enough that they will know that God’s Holy Spirit is real to them in their life.

My personal prayer is that Marty and I will be able to continue to serve the Lord according to God’s will and plan.  I miss my husband’s preaching, but I have tapes that I can listen to and still be blessed.  He is awesome, but maybe it is because I love him.

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 21) Partial author is Marty Nordloh

FRESH START TODAY…  What is being in Need really mean?

Yesterday my husband and I were casually talking about the Scripture for this week when he said that it might be interesting to talk about the living conditions the writer of these Scriptures experienced in his daily life.  What was it like in the best of living conditions or the worst of living conditions in the time he lived? 

Consider Paul’s comments about living in plenty and living in want.  In the height of his plenty he may have lived in a palace, he may have lived in a house of the time, he probably lived in one of the tents he made, and lastly we know that he did live in prison a few times.

Think about a palace; you have probably seen on TV and/or in the movies the great palaces of the Roman Empire and other opulent royalty as well.  Beautiful polished stonewalls, sometimes draped with magnificent curtains, drapes, or banners.  Huge fireplaces and elegant furniture strategically placed around about.  Brilliantly polished marble floors and large open windows looking down upon the streets below.   Allow your imagination to work for a few moments.

Think about a house; the houses of Paul’s day were made of bricks made of mud and straw.  The floors were dirt that had been smoothed, sprinkled with water, trampled smooth with bare feet, then covered or not, with furs or rugs.  The furniture was simple in nature and each usually served many purposes.  The windows were openings that were covered with curtains that could be opened during the day and drawn closed at night.  The roof was usually made of long poles with long reed grass woven into a ceiling/roof.   There would have been a fireplace built into the wall that provided heat and a place for cooking.  Again let your imagination work for a few moments.  

Think about a tent; Paul was a tent maker by trade and most likely lived in a tent for several years of his life.  Tent living of that day was not like tent living today.  The tents were considerably larger and more spacious than what we think about when we go camping.  They were more like the military tents of this day.  Living inside a tent was very much like living inside a house of the day with the exception that the walls were made of fabric or skins of some sort.  Furniture was rare.  You most likely sat on a skin or a rug on the floor propped up by a pillow of sorts.   Imagination time again. 

Think about a prison; Marty and I lived in Brindisi, Italy for 2 ½ years during the earlier years of our marriage when he was in the United States Air Force.  We visited Venice, Rome, Naples. Pompei, Bari, Brindisi and toured the backcountry in many places of this ancient country.  When we were in Rome we were able to go into many places in the Coliseum that now they have stopped the tourism due to the deterioration.  On one tour that we took we actually went down into one of the dudgeons that they state that Paul had been imprisoned in.  We climbed down a wooden pole ladder through a hole in the ground floor of a building that was about 2 feet in diameter, into a dark, damp, smelly room that was roughly circular in shape.  Around the outer edge of the room was a ledge that was used to set and/or sleep upon.  There were chains anchored into the wall that were used to shackle both feet and hands.  There were no lights, save little indentations with candles.  The guide told us that Paul wrote some of the letters to the churches here in this prison.  It was musty, dark and a person that may be 6 feet tall would have to bend over to walk around in it.

In none of these places was there fresh running water to drink.  There were no water heaters to provide for a hot shower or bath.  There were no gas stoves and skillets to fry the chicken or a steak upon.  The beds they slept in were not Tempur Pedic, Sleep Number, or Serta.  There were no forced air furnaces to keep you warm, or air conditioners to keep you cool.  Think about what you consider living in plenty or living in want today means.

Take a few moments to stop and thank God for what you do have, because what you do have today that you probably consider tough would very probably compare to the plenty that Paul was thinking about when he wrote the words of today’s Scripture.  

Phil 4:11-13,  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. NIV

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 20)

FRESH START TODAY… Does Jesus strengthens you in the good times?

Philippians 4:11-13, Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. NKJV

Do you believe that God can strengthen you in the good times, or do you just call on Him when you are weak?  I am asking myself that same question.  The Word is talking about our physical circumstances that we face through our lifetime.  Jesus Christ is the only one who can give us strength through the struggles and jubilation times in our life!  Why would we want Jesus Christ to give us strength in times of great joy when are experiencing being well fed?  Do we tend to forget the loving Savior when are experiencing great joy?  Do we say, “Oh, look what I have done?”  God gave the gift of life to us and all good things come from Him as believers. 

I remember when we owned a beautiful home in Las Vegas, NV and we had just had it remodeled.  I would sit in what I called my prayer chair and praise the Lord for what we had been given.  My eyes would roam across the room and see a beautiful room of pictures, flowers on the walls and the new furniture we had just purchased.  I finally had the china hutch I had always dreamed of having one day.  I praised Him on a daily basis, but I always stated that He meant more to me than these material blessings.  Marty and I decided to sell our home and furniture to buy a 5^th wheel and travel.  This was a dream that we wanted.  We traveled for about 10 months, and then Marty was called to be the pastor of a small church in Nash, OK.  We knew that God wanted us there even though it might be for a short time.  We received many blessings, but also struggled with not being totally accepted in the community.  In the eyes of some people we were considered outsiders from “Sin City” who had invaded the area, so we left after 3 years of ministry.  I look back now and know that the lives we touched were God’s plan of healing some hearts.  We left part of our hearts with those we grew to love in the Lord.  May the Lord continue to bless these special people!  The two books that have been published came from the time we lived in Nash.  Was my relationship with Jesus more than gold to me?

When we are given much then much is required as stated in this next scripture.  (Luke 12:48, From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. NIV)

We need the strength and wisdom of Jesus Christ during the times of jubilation, so that we do not fall into the snare and temptation of the devil.  Pride is a human downfall and we sometimes forget to praise and honor the Lord when we experience great wealth and honor.  Let us never forget to draw on the strength of Jesus Christ in all situations in our lifetime.  The Lord may never ask you to give up your materials blessings.

The fresh start today message is not to be prideful of the blessings that you receive, but be thankful for the relationship that you have with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who will give you strength in all that you do. The Scriptures say, “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.”

FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 19)

FRESH START TODAY... Are you at peace in any situation?

Philippians 4:11-13, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. NIV

The Scripture this week comes from a letter addressed to the church of Philippi, written by Paul.  It seems that Paul used to get himself in all kinds of situations as he traveled to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Before his encounter with Christ, he came from a rich family; he was a zealous Pharisee attempting to destroy the new church that came out of faith from the crucified and resurrected Christ Jesus.  Then he had a personal encounter with the Savior that changed the direction he was taking in his life.  An encounter with the Savior changes the directions of every believer’s life. The journey will be challenging, but very rewarding.  A word picture that describes this is like trying to get a child to ride a pony. This could scare them at first, but the pony ride becomes fun!  Just get on the ride with Jesus and you will be blessed.

Can you identify with Paul?  Have you taken chances when serving the Lord?  Have you been knocked down?  Have you had what seemed to be unanswered prayers?  Have you been hungry?  Have you lost a job?  Has a friend turned on you?  Have you had times when there has been money in your pocket to burn?  Have you been blessed by people recognizing that you have a gift that has encouraged them?  Life is definitely full of ups and downs isn’t it?  What has been your attitude?  Paul tells us about his attitude. WOW! How do we get to have an attitude like Paul?  He said that he had learned to be content in every situation.  This is hard to do!  He said that there is a secret and then he states the secret!  “I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM (JESUS) WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.”  This strength comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit’s that lives in every true believer.  Are you a believer? You are the only one that can answer that question.

We worry, fight with people, we get hurt feelings, we feel neglected, we feel life has been unfair to us, so we react to these situations. To tell you truth, I really did not want to write about this subject.  This is an area where I am weak.  If you do not struggle with these shortcomings, then I congratulate you for your wonderful attitude and I praise the Lord for giving you His absolute peace!  Maybe you have not reacted to every situation well, but just a few of them? You know that I am just trying to make a point that we all are human in nature and struggle.  The wisdom that He wants to give to us is for our taking if we mentally and spiritually crawl up in His gentle caring lap.  I will join you to repent of my weakness asking for His strength.

I know when I read of the encounter that Jesus faced during His mock trial, knowing he was facing death; I marvel at the gentle turning away that Jesus had for his own life.  He knew the bigger picture, because He was God in the flesh.  He looked down through time at every face that would accept His love and He made an unselfish decision for you and me.  He loves us and I know that I do not deserve this unconditional love.  I have done nothing nor will I do anything that would merit this kind of sacrifice and love.  Choose today to start fresh with the attitude of being content in all situations.  You now know the secret to being content.  Start fresh today to draw on the strength that only the Holy Spirit gives us as we face each new day.