The Power of Words

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” Prov. 18:21

Our words are powerful! We set the course of our lives with our words. Our words have the power to bring death or life to ourselves, to an individual or to a situation. The quality of your life will be a direct result of the quality of the seed we sow into your life. (Gal.6:7)

God’s Word is a great seed. To release the power of God’s Word as seeds we need to practice ‘selective seed sowing’. We must consider carefully the nature of the seed we plant into our life. Although the seed may seem harmless, the harvest it produces can make a massive impact in our life. The Parable of the Sower in Mark 4 teaches us that the Word of God has the capacity to increase by 30, 60 or 100 fold in your life, producing a great harvest.

God's Word brings life. When the Word of God comes into our hearts and minds it is described as ‘incorruptible seed’. (1 Pet. 1:23) To release the life within God’s Word, we need to abide in His Word. The sowing of today’s seed is the answer to tomorrow’s need in your life.

God’s Word is eternal and incorruptible. Therefore it can be relied upon, trusted, hoped in and believed. FAITH is the key ingredient to make your seeds produce a great harvest in your life.

God's Word is a weapon. To use the weapon of God’s Word, we need to make his word our words. The question is not whether or not your words have power - They surely do! The real question is: What type of power your words are releasing? Words have the power to bring healing and life as well as destruction and death and we will be justified or condemned by our words. (Mat. 12:34-37) Make sure you measure your words before you speak them!

Words are containers that carry spiritual power. They can activate the power of God (through speaking the Word of God by faith); or they can activate the power of the enemy (through speaking words of fear, hate, doubt and negativity). Are your words aligned with Heaven or with Hell? When your words line up with God’s Word it creates a powerful testimony and you have the power to overcome the enemy. (Rev.12:11) The word ‘overcome’ here is the Greek word ‘nikao’ and it means ‘to conquer, overcome, prevail, and establish the victory’. When we speak the Word of God out loud and in faith (confessing it and agreeing with it) we establish victory in our lives and walk in the victorious life Jesus has come to give us!

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Ps. 19:14

Pursuing the fullness of His life for me,

Ana

Ana is a wife, mother, pastor and daughter of the King. She is passionate about introducing others to Jesus.

With Arms Wide Open...

I am often captivated at images of women standing with their arms raised high, stretched out wide in praise. I find it to be such an image of strength found in acknowledging the One who gave it all so that we might live. Further, it’s an image of release. A visual encouragement, a reminder to live that full life: with arms wide open, hope and gratitude in our hearts and an expression of contentment across our face that only comes from truth – freedom.

When’s the last time you stood up and stretched – embracing God with your arms up and out, head held high and lips speaking/singing praise? I hope it was recently – but if it wasn’t, can I encourage you to embrace this nudge to do just that. Our outward expressions reflect our inward grace. Life doesn’t have to be ideal to celebrate it. Even for those who are the most timid – your Father sees you and your heart – go on – be radical, stand up – sing – dance – rejoice in all He has granted you and what is yet to come. You matter. He wants to multiply your gifts. Will you share them? Be faithful wherever God has put you. Join me in the prayer of Jabez, and let’s see what God will do:

"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request."

1 Chronicles 4:9-11

I’m believing for the request close to your heart today.

Press in and press on,

Giselle

Emmaus

A group of us have just completed a study, going through Luke’s Gospel. The last chapter includes the story of two followers of Jesus who are on their way to Emmaus, discussing the past days events as they go. Jesus joins them on their walk but they don’t recognize him – at least not until later.

Don’t you wonder why Jesus wasn’t recognized? In this story it says that they were “kept from recognizing him,” Other instances following the resurrection when Jesus is not immediately recognized say things like the people “ didn’t realize” it was Jesus. I read these things and just wonder…how could they not know?

Have you ever been away from home, maybe in a different city, and you see someone from your town but it takes a moment to register? You are seeing that person out of context in a sense. You aren’t expecting to see someone from home while you are away so you don’t immediately realize who it is. I wonder if that is part of what is going on here. Though these folks had walked with Jesus for sometime they had not really understood all of his words to them…and they had no expectation, after watching him die on the cross, of seeing him again.

In this particular story though, I see another factor. When Jesus approaches the two and asks what they are discussing, “they stood still, their faces downcast.” (Lk. 24:17)

There was deep sorrow here.

They had recognized Jesus as a prophet and had even hoped that he might be something more…”we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel…” (vs. 19-21)

At some point in each of our lives, we will have a situation, a circumstance that won’t turn out the way that we expected. We may have been trusting God for a specific outcome but discover that sometimes our plan is not what God has in mind…and then in our sorrow and disappointment, we miss seeing him in the circumstance.

The valleys that we go through…the losses that we have had…the disappointments that we have endured can leave us wondering just where Jesus is…in our deep sorrow with our faces downcast, we can fail to see that he is right beside us…wanting to walk out our journey by our side…comforting us by his word…helping us to see that there is indeed a plan.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Ps. 34:18)

“…and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20b)

Ruth

The Price Tag of Value

How does one put a price on something? Or perhaps a better question is who or what determines the value or an item (car, painting, gem stone, etc)?

Perhaps my deeper question is what gives someone the right to decide if something is valuable? I own items which only hold value to me - family pictures, notes from my kids, a special gift from someone. How can someone else make the decision if that tea cup really is worth a certain dollar figure?

And what ever happened to the value of human life? I've heard reports during the sinking of the Titanic that women and children were instructed to get into the life boats ahead of the men. As a woman I'm not complaining, but I just wonder... who makes that decision? Were individuals sayings the lives of the women and children are more valuable than the men? I hope not.

I know people have all kinds of reasons for their opinions, and in this part of the world we have freedom of thought and expression. However, I am baffled as to what happened to cause us to go to the place that life is no longer valuable? Or perhaps more accurately someone else decides what, or who, has value. Now we could walk down the road of euthanasia, abortion and even human trafficking, but my greater question lies in the place of why does someone not see life as valuable? I don't see someone's value because of what I get, but because they have life and therefore they have value.

We have travelled down a dangerous road when we think we have the right to step into the role of God and make a decision regarding someone else's value.

Hebrew 9:28 says, "So also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."

You see Jesus took our place on the cross, took our sins upon himself, became the sacrifice for us so we could have access to our Holy God. Our lives are valuable not because of what we do or don't do, but because God created us and THAT'S where we need to find our value.

"You are precious and honoured in my sight . . . I love you." Is 43:4

Jo-Ann

HEART TO HEART

This past April, my daughter graduated from Providence University College with a Degree in Sociology. The day after graduation she moved to Calgary to work.

How could she do this to me!?!

I was hoping to enjoy having her home for awhile and spend some much needed mother-daughter time together.

After the initial shock wore off I decided to make the best of it – we would keep in touch via facebook, texting and phone calls. It wouldn’t be so bad after all.

A month after she left I started to convert her room into my scrapbooking haven (or heaven). As I started to pack her possessions into boxes, the memories of her childhood came flooding back into my heart and mind. Everything I touched of hers had meaning and significance of days gone by. The memories were too much and I started to weep. I called my daughter and we wept together. Needless to say, I didn’t get her room packed that day. In the midst of all the packing, memories and tears, the Holy Spirit started speaking to my sorrowful heart. He reminded me that my love for my daughter was a reflection of God’s love for me.

So, I started to work on this thought in my troubled mind. Can God, the Father, know a mother’s heart? I remembered a story from the Bible, which was taught to me as a child, about a hen and her chicks and how God protects us like a mother hen.

In Matthew 23:37b Jesus says, “...How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wing.....”(NLT)

God longs to protect His children, and I am His child.

In Isaiah 66:13 God says, “I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child” (NLT)

In this verse, God Himself is a comforting “mother”.

These verses reassured me that God does understand a mother’s heart towards her children. This in turn helps me better understand God’s love for me. I long to know God’s love fully and He has given me a wonderful example which my mother heart can understand. Until I meet Him face to face and fully understand God’s heart, I will continue to enjoy growing in our Heart to Heart journey together.

Kristina

Kristina's husband is a pastor, they have 3 adult children and she is very involved in their church.

Watch out!

We fondly remember our trip to Universal Studios, and roll with laughter as we recall the guide driving our tour vehicle. Oh, how many times we heard the warning to keep our hands, feet, heads, and accessories inside the vehicle at all times! Over and over the warning would go. Why? Obviously to protect us from harm and the park from liability. God provides us with these kinds of reminders over and over in His Word. He cautions us to be aware of danger. For example:

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith." Peter 5:8-9

We must be committed to being watchful, praying to stand firm when tested. Peter learned his lesson the hard way. In the garden the night Jesus was betrayed, He told Peter, James and John to stand watch and pray so that they would not fall into temptation. They slept instead, and all deserted Him.

I want to be ready. How about you? How will you arm yourself today to prepare for the next attack?

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22

Press in and press on,

Giselle

Shopping Carts

Grocery shopping with small children was not an event that I gave much consideration before I actually had to perform this task. After much trial and error, it did seem that preparation was the key. I needed a plan but even more than that, the little boy making the trip with me needed to know that I had a plan. It wasn’t that I went over the grocery list item by item with my preschooler. It was more a setting of boundaries. An explanation of expectations…and yes, a promise of reward.

And then, the grocery store added a new feature that threatened the success of my carefully planned expeditions. Child sized grocery carts! Oh, they were the cutest thing…but they held such potential for grocery shopping disaster! (Not to mention the potential of injury to my ankles!) I no longer had the control of either placing my child in the seat of my cart or “encouraging” him to ride on the front of the cart.

The aisles were not wide enough to walk side by side. Allowing the boy to go ahead of me was not a safe option…clean up in aisle three!! That left only one possibility. If the little one was going to be allowed to use the little cart, he would need to follow me.

If this increased level of freedom was going to work, there would be guidelines. Listening would be involved! Listening and following. That was the plan…the plan wasn’t always followed. I know – surprising, right?!

Fruit loops, Oreos, juice boxes…what if they weren’t on mom’s list this time?!! Sometimes there was a genuine effort to help. Sometimes there was simply a desire to run… to find his own way…

When there was a straying from the plan, consequences followed. Consequences and the reminder – you need to listen…you need to follow…

Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27, 28)

We too have the option of listening and following or of turning down our own path when our plan seems better. Either choice has its consequences.

Do you ever struggle with believing that the One who leads you has a plan? Maybe that isn’t something that you would say out loud because of course we know God has a plan…and yet the challenge is to listen…to follow …to acknowledge…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5, 6)

Ruth

Fall WOMEN's Retreat

Our  fall district WOMEN's Retreat will be Oct. 12-14, 2012 at CanadInns Portage la Prairie. We are very excited our guest speaker will be Sue Keddy. You won't want to miss hearing Sue share about her Jesus and  the journey she has been on with Him! Please check our website for more information, retreat brochures and online registration. See you then!

http://paoc.net/retreats

Jo-Ann

Living in an Eternal Timeline

In recent months I have been thinking about how it might shift my thinking if I considered my life, and the life of others, in respect to God's eternal timeline. God is not bound by time like we are on earth. The clock drives us, the calendar works to keep us on a similar schedule, and the "rules" (laws of our land) are in place to keep us civilized (somewhat!). However 2 Peter 3:8
 says, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

As my mind considers these thoughts I find myself pondering a couple of things. First, in God's timeline there is no such thing as a premature baby - one born before they should have been, nor does someone die "before their time". We enter this world in God's perfect time, and we don't leave a minute before or a minute after His perfect time.

So what if we considered shifting our perspective on how we see ourselves in respect to God's eternal timeline? What if we remembered we are eternal beings and our time on earth, however long or short it might be, is only a portion of our time when measured against eternity?

I'm not saying we shouldn't mourn or grieve the loss of those we love and care about. Nor am I saying we should distance ourselves from others and harden our hearts so we don't "feel" the deep loss around having someone die. What I am saying is perhaps we need to shift our thinking into an eternal perspective around the death of someone and realize this didn't catch God off guard, nor is it the final moment in their life (because we are eternal beings), and just because it doesn't make sense to us doesn't mean God isn't in control.

God is God and I am not! God is an eternal being and the question we need to answer for ourselves, as well as those around us, is this, "Where do I want to spend my eternity?" Perhaps this is a question which needs to brew in our hearts to adjust our comfortable and perhaps even complacent hearts into a place of urgency or longing to share our desires for those around us to spend their eternity in heaven with us.

Ps. 39:4-7 says, "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you."

Jo-Ann

Fear

I consider myself to be a relatively brave person but there are several things that scare my pants off. For example, my fear of making a complete fool of myself in front of an attractive guy means that the more I like someone, the less I say around them. Also, I’m so terrified of being forced to play volleyball or baseball (or some other sport I have no idea about) that if a game is being organized I try to blend into the scenery and disappear. However, the top spot on the “Aimee Heyer List of Scary Stuff” belongs to spiders.

When I was 4 I didn’t go to the bathroom all day because there was a Daddy-Long-Legs behind the toilet bowl. By the time my mother found me hopping around the yard with my legs crossed the idea that all spiders were out to ruin my life was firmly re-enforced in my mind.

Where I live in Angola, Africa there are poisonous snakes and scorpions, hyenas and leopards, and fun diseases like Malaria and Typhoid. There are also a LOT of spiders.

The first night that I was there I was escorted to the big empty house that was going to be my home, pointed to my bed which was one of the only pieces of furniture, and then left to my own devices. No one had lived in that house in many years and to my HORROR there was a big spider sitting on my pillow. It was a good three inches across and by the time I had killed it, stripped the bed, looked between the covers and underneath and finally crawled between the sheets every nerve was on edge. Then in the pitch darkness of the post-midnight hours I was awakened by the most unearthly racket in the attic. There were scratchy, panicky little footfalls and bigger heavier ones chasing up and down over my bed, JUST on the other side of a very thin ceiling board. Then, right over my head, Heavy-feet caught Scampery-feet and started to kill him Scampery-feet screamed and shrieked and then there was sudden silence. I have never been so frightened in my life! I was shaking and from head to toe. There was no way I was going to get out of that bed and put my bare feet down on the spidery floor to walk to the light switch that would have bathed the room in watery, battery powered light. I just pulled the covers over my head and wished with all my heart that I was safe in my Canadian bedroom.

The next morning when I picked up a towel to dry my hands I was stung by a scorpion. Granted, it was only a baby scorpion but it hurt like the dickens and unnerved me further. What was this place I had come to, I wondered, where things killed other things in the attic and spiders dozed on my bed and I couldn’t even pick up a towel without being accosted by a poisonous critter??

Over the next few days I became so paranoid that I would jump if a leaf brushed my cheek or a shadow moved on the floor, and sleep became more and more difficult. Finally one day I had had enough. I marched to my suitcase and pulled out the box of wax crayons that I had brought along to do crafts with the village kids. Then I dug through my papers until I found one with a blank back. Flipping it over I wrote Ps. 4:8 as well as I could remember it, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Then I taped it to the wall opposite my bed where it would be the last thing I saw each night and the first thing I woke to in the morning. “I will lie down and sleep in peace,” I would quote over and over as I lay in the darkness, “For you, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Fear left, tranquility reigned and I slept sweetly in the arms of my Savior.

I hate fear! I think fear is one of the top reasons that we don’t live in the fullness of all that God has for each of us. There is fear of failure, fear of physical harm, fear of rejection, fear of unhappiness or financial need….and yes, fear of spiders. One of the biggest and most sneaky lies Satan feeds us is this: “If you say yes to God/go into missions/ give to this ministry/ take this risk, you will regret it! You won’t have enough, you’ll be unhappy, you’ll get hurt! Be smart and look out for number one.”

I however have come to believe that there is only ONE great risk in the life of a Christian…one horrible danger that is truly worth fearing,… and that is the danger of being so wrapped up in taking care of ourselves that we miss some of what God has planned for us! …That we fall short in our usefulness to God because we play it safe for so long that we never accomplish anything… That our relationship with Friend and Master becomes stale and boring because we never let Him lead us into situations where we really need to rely on Him.

I visited a tiny little country church in Saskatchewan last Sunday and they sang a hymn I had never heard before. I had to fight back the tears as we sang “Anywhere I Go with Jesus I am Safe.”

I am a blonde, 27 year old Canadian girl living deep in the African bush and the question I am most frequently asked is this: “Aren’t you afraid???” I can honestly answer, “No. I know God doesn’t promise that nothing bad will ever happen to us, but I TRUST my Master. I would rather sleep with a spider in the African bush knowing that I am in the centre of God’s will than be spider free and out of it.”

Like the hymn says, “Anywhere I Go with Jesus I am Safe.”

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Mt. 28:18-20

Aimee

Aimee is heading back to Angola as a full-time missionary. She has a heart and passion for the people of Angola to meet her saviour, Jesus.

Me too

We are all struggling. We struggle to manage...to cope...to deal...with guilt and shame and sin.

We hide. We hide away...isolate...despair.

We don’t want to be a burden. So, we pretend...we get busy...we put on our mask.

All alone...suffering...breaking.

Yet, we were not created to walk this walk alone. There is such hope and joy in a couple of simple words from a friend: "me too". There’s the start of healing in those words. Be a blessing and allow yourself to be blessed by those words and a relationship that gets you through the struggles and challenges of life.

"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Keep building your relationships. Seek out that treasured individual or two you can truly trust and whose counsel is Biblical and heart nurturing. Reach out to a friend or two and be the change you want to see in your own life in others’.

Press in and press on,

Giselle

Just Stop

My most recent job was working as a paramedic. To say that it was an interesting job would be an understatement! Like any job though, it had its share of frustrations.

Cell phones are a wonderful invention – and are to our benefit most of the time. I have no doubt that people making a 9-1-1 call from the scene of someone experiencing an emergency of some kind has resulted in the necessary help getting there soon enough to make a difference…however, not everyone who makes that call stays or even stops at the scene. That was one of the frustrations of my job…the drive by caller!

This happened often enough that it really started to irritate me. It seemed to happen most often when slippery roads and poor visibility were factors. Someone driving down the highway would spot a car in the ditch. A call would be put in to dispatch EMS, fire personnel and RCMP. Because the caller hadn’t stopped there would be no way of knowing how many people might be involved, if in fact anyone was injured. More often than not, either someone was patiently waiting for a tow truck or the car had been in the ditch for some time and no one was even around.

I do understand the fear that someone might actually be injured and then what do you do…sort of…

One dispatch that I heard though made me think that this was often not the case - the caller actually stated that he “didn’t have time to stop.”

Remind you of anything? Ever heard of “The Good Samaritan?” You can read this story in Luke10:25 – 37.

The priest and the Levite are a kind of prototype of the ‘drive by caller’ – except they didn’t call…or drive! They certainly didn’t stop…things to do, people to see, I guess.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own day. The things we need to do. Responsibilities. Maybe it’s even that others are depending on us to be at a certain place at a certain time and helping someone out whose day isn’t going so well just doesn’t fit easily into the schedule. And yet…what does Jesus say? He says we should show mercy. (vs. 36, 37)

Showing mercy, extending kindness, being a neighbour will cost you something. It will at the very least cost your time. It may entirely hijack your day’s agenda. It might even be messy and seem to be beyond your level of comfort…but showing mercy is necessary. Expected. Because we have been shown mercy.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

Does that motivate you? You have received mercy…so extend mercy…

Could that thought, that truth, help us to slow down our day for others…maybe even stop by the side of the road?

Ruth

Reconnections

1 Thess. 5:11 says, "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

I was recently scrolling through my list of friends on facebook and I was reminded of the many I haven't heard from in a long time. I don't know if you have ever done that with your list of friends, but if you haven't let me encourage you to take some to do that. It may feel like a waste of time and depending on how many friends you have it may take a little while, but I think it's a good exercise to remind us of our friends.

Perhaps it would be a good time to send a message to them individually, or perhaps you could pick up the phone and give them a call - to touch base and reconnect. Or perhaps you could set up a coffee date or shopping date with a group of your friends. I'm more and more convinced if we don't make an intentional effort to stay in touch, life will just happen and we'll find ourselves looking at weeks, months and even years between visits. (Let me remind you to be sure you have appropriate contact with those of the opposite gender.)

If you're not on facebook, perhaps you could take a few minutes to skim through your address book and send a note or pick up the phone and reconnect with those you haven't heard from in ages.

This may seem odd, but it's biblical to stay in touch, to chat on the phone and/or to message each other on facebook. We need to continue to encourage each other and build each other up. I don't need to tell you there are seasons in life which can be challenging and difficult, but there are also seasons of great joy and laughter. We need to be able to share these times with each other as well.

Pray over these re-connections and ask the Lord to guide your conversation. Let's read our bibles with the intention of finding ways to put the scriptures into practice in the everyday moments of our lives.

Jo-Ann

Message Central

I love a good note – written or received. Going to the mailbox is hardly what it used to be. There used to be far more letters and fewer bills. Now, there’s rarely a letter there. I love that I can count on my Grandma to always include a note with her birthday/anniversary cards and even the occasional random letter only. They are a treasure of her thoughts. Truly, it’s an art form that is fading away. I can think back to when our daughter was a preteen and devouring the Anne of Green Gables series of books. It reflected in her writing. She would write her closest friends the most eloquent letters, delighting in penmanship and paper and scenting envelopes. We would make mailboxes for each member of our family recycling two litre milk cartons, individually decorating them, making some paper available and exchanging notes. Sometimes our box would contain a doodled picture, other times a note of encouragement or disappointment if a child didn’t get their way. Sometimes, it would contain a reminder. It was a form of “message central”. Today, there sits a mailbox in our parlour for our six year old – encouraging us to write (and delight) him. However, we neglected to make one for the rest of us. So, guess where our notes are found?

These precious notes can be found at the place where he figures we are most apt to find it. It’s so cute when he eagerly asks me if I’ve found his latest work of love. Mine show up on my bedside table, on top of the book I’m reading, or I’ll find it in the morning by my Bible. Sometimes it’s on my desk front and centre. Where would someone leave a note for you if they really wanted you to find it?

I’m so thankful I know exactly where to look for encouragement from my Heavenly Father - in the Word. It’s now more accessible than ever, in print, CD, electronically and stitched already in my heart. This week, pen a note/drawing or two to your spouse, family member or friend. Have fun with it! Maybe even “pen” it in lipstick on the bathroom mirror. Make them smile!

Then, dig back into the Word of God and let Him sweeten your day with the Word He has for you – His letter of love. Be reminded of just how much you matter to Him. Here are a few I love to read over and over again:

I chose you when I planned creation. 
Ephesians 1:11-12

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 
1 John 3:1

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. 
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. 
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. 
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. 
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. 
Jeremiah 32:40

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. 
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

Remember: YOU ARE LOVED!

Press in and press on,

Giselle

To Do or Not To Do

I think that I may have a kind of love/hate relationship with my to do list. I love the structure that it gives my day. I hate how it can rule my day. And one thing worse than having an uncompleted to do list is misplacing that list!

Regularly, I list far more tasks than can be completed in one day. A glance at the unfinished list before I crawl into bed can totally steal my rest as my mind wrestles with the list and how I will fit today’s undone jobs into tomorrow’s already full day.

God whispers “Don’t worry.”

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matt.6:27)

Well, I have proven that verse over and over! If all the worrying that I have done added hours to my day, I would have had all the extra time that I needed to complete every to do list that I have written!

Here’s another verse from the same chapter: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (vs.34)

I don’t mean to be disrespectful – but seriously?! You know the people who always say,”Just take one day at a time.”? (Okay – I’ve said that!) So –is that what this is saying? Each day has enough trouble of its own – so really just concentrate on worrying about today. Tomorrow you can worry about tomorrow. Put that on your to do list!

In among these verses about worry are reminders. God knows. God knows what you need. God knows your concerns. God knows – so don’t worry. Not today. Not tomorrow.

When you see a ‘therefore’ in scripture, it is a good practice to read what came before it – kind of a ‘what’s the therefore there for?’ In this case, the “therefore do not worry…” follows this verse: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Your Father knows – so seek him.

Seek him instead of worrying.

Seek him. Learn of him. Know him.

Then go ahead – try to worry. It won’t work! You can stroke that worry time off your to do list! In its place write “seek first”. Better results. Guaranteed!

Ruth

Ps. 117:1,2

"Praise the LORD, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love;
the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the LORD!"

Whatever It Takes Lord

Last Monday I wrote about praying for our young people. I continue to feel stirred and burdened with this. Today I find myself feeling unsettled. I'm more unsettled with what I'm praying for (or not praying for) than I am with the fun, crazy and sometimes goofy behaviour of those a generation younger than me.

Actually, I find myself even more challenged to not just pray a little bit, but to pray A LOT. To intercede for others (especially those younger than myself) for them to have a full-on, life-changing, radical experience with Father God.

You see, I'm convinced that unless each of us has a personal encounter with our Heavenly Father, then we'll constantly find ourselves trying to corral kids into church, hoping they'll want to be there . . . spending their Sunday with God. What if their encounter with God influenced every thought they had? What if our youth and young adults experienced Jesus in such a way that nothing else mattered other than living 100% for God - whatever the cost? What if we were earnestly praying and interceding for this to happen?

I find myself asking the question, Am I willing to pray . . . "Do whatever it takes Lord, but get a hold of their lives."? You see, if we're going to pray this prayer then we need to let God do whatever it will take. We need to remember God loves our kids way more than we can even imagine!

Lately I've found myself hearing speakers, and even more so, hearing God's voice speaking to me about praying for our youth and young adults. Not the kind of prayers to bless them and to keep them comfortable, to pass their tests so they can get a good education so they can get a good job so they can make money so they can live comfortably. No, I've begun praying that God would get a hold of their lives and radically meet our kids (church kids specifically) in a powerful, unique and especially personal way. So their lives would be radically sold out for God and that we, the parents and adults, would be scrambling to keep up with them as they lay their lives on the line for the sake of Christ.

I don't know if anyone else has been challenged to begin to earnestly pray for and to intercede on behalf of our youth and young adults, but I long for God to change them and for the Holy Spirit to empower them, so God's name can be glorified throughout the earth. You see there are a number of countries around our world which don't allow the freedom to hear about Jesus. Someone(s) need to be willing to share Jesus with them. Are you willing to pray for those you know to be the one(s) to tell others about Jesus?

As an adult, and perhaps even a parent, are you willing to begin to spend time before God, interceding for them? Will you pray through the issues of your heart so you can pray for the issues in their hearts?

1 Thess. 5:17 says, "Never stop praying."

Jo-Ann