Thursday, February 21, 2008

Our Seriously Secure Anchor

I want to thank you each for all of your prayers and patience as I have not been able to get to all this typing lately.  I am still working with only 9 digits however I have gotten somewhat better at it.  For those who did not know what had happened, two weeks ago, I slammed my thumb in our mini vault at work and they had to take me to the ER for x-rays and stitches on my right thumb which I had sliced open pretty good...I was a mess, in shock and close to hyper ventilating but thank the good Lord it was not worse...the doctor said the skin was cut down to the tissue but it did not cut into the tissue, did not hit a nerve and missed the nail bed!   I went home that Thursday afternoon (the 7th) and took the antibiotics and pain killers and laid out on the couch with my hand elevated for two or three days straight and went back to work last Monday (the 11th).   I got the stitches out on this past Monday (18th).  The outer skin has died and so I will need to keep it very clean while new skin grows into its place and the old sloughs off.  It is still a bit sensitive and since I work with money all day I need to keep it covered well but in time it will heal.  Again, I thank you for your prayers, they mean a lot to me and to my family.
 
Hebrews 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain." 
 
This second half of chapter 6 is talking about God's promises.  Since I spent many of my summers growing up around boats I love the comparison to an anchor here!  I can really grasp this concept...when you wish to stop the boat and just stay put where you are, whether it be to jump off the back and swim around or maybe to "park" in the evening din for a 4th of July fireworks show, boaters will keep an anchor to secure their vessel to the bottom of the ocean or lake.  A really good anchor will hold you securely even in somewhat tumultuous waters, a lot like how God holds us securely even as the world thrashes around us.  The devil may come upon us as giant wave after giant wave but if we have our hope secured in God then our souls are anchored firm and secure.  The next time things look bleek, it seems a storm has snuck up on you and you can't make it back to shore where things are calmer then remember to set your hope anchor in God and feel Him hold you firmly and securely.  He may not always deliver us when we want deliverance however He will always cling tight to us.  Our good Lord will not forsake us, He has promised He will always be with us and we can rely on His promises even more surely than boaters can rely on their anchors.  Please join me in prayer:
 
Dearest heavenly Father,
We thank You for Your secure promises which anchor our souls in the hope and knowledge that You are always with us.  Please help us to always remember that You are our anchor and You will hold onto us even when we've let go of You.  Father we continually thank and praise You for our clergy. We ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your Word.  God we also ask that You please grant Your extraordinary protection and supernatural blessings to our service men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favor may go before them and completely surround them daily.  Lord, we are fully aware that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need.  We've come to realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand.  We come to You today and ask that You may grant Your healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy and to all those we individually name to You in our hearts now.   Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our wants but according to Your will.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Perspective

 
Thank you all for your patience with me - I was sick the past several days and spent a better portion of them in bed...I appreciate you and thought often of you praying that you would not miss my messages too much.
 
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
 
Sometimes all we need is a new perspective...if we are doing something "because we have to" then we may resent it and grudge our way through it.  But if we do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus than it's no longer about us and this new perspective can help us smile through work, chores, traffic or any other number of things we do every day.
 
Dear Lord,  Thank You for giving us the ultimate perspective on life and all that we do day in and day out.  Please help us to keep You in mind as we accomplish tasks and help us to remember to do all things in Your name and to Your glory.  Amen.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Choosing To Run A Good Race

Galatians 5:7-9 "You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?  That kind of persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.""
 
As much as we would love for happiness and hope to be the most contagious attitudes, the sad truth is that in many cases negativity and defeat can be much more lethal.  It is a hard task to be the positive one who infects an atmosphere, especially if we put that load on our own shoulders.  However, if we remember that with our Lord all things are possible that burden becomes a little lighter...and then if we devote ourselves to God and keep Him at the forefront of our minds, hearts and soul through the whole day it becomes possible for us to cut in on the negativity and become the ray of Son-shine in the midst of those around us.  If we let ourselves take "it all" on ourselves then it is most likely that we will no longer be running a good race.  But when we choose to let God guide us, to let God persuade our attitudes than I think we may just find ourselves being good yeast than can and will work its way through the dough of those surrounding us.  Making choices like this are essential to growing with God and delighting in His ways.  Making choices like this will help us to serve God and follow His path for our lives.  On the contrary, if we make the wrong choice, we may not only find ourselves being cut in on and disobeying the truth but we may eventually even become part of the problem.  I have learned this lesson the hard way!  But I challenge you to join me and making a new start every day and choosing to let God persuade you to getting back on track, running a good race and being positive "yeast."  Please join me in prayer:
 
Dearest Father,
We come to You and offer our thanks for Your positive persuasion in our lives.  We praise Your holy name for all You do is amazing and Your grace and mercy are beyond our full comprehension.  We ask You today dear Lord to please guide our lives, our footsteps, our choices and our attitudes so that through Your power and love we may inspire hopeful attitudes in those around us and that Your Son may shine through us.  Father we want to continually thank and praise You for our clergy and ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your ways.  Lord we ask that You please grant special protection and blessings to those who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favor may go before and completely surround our troops and our service men and women.  God we are in constant reminder that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need, we realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand, we come to You today and ask that You may grant this healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy and to all those we individually name to You in our hearts now.   Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done according to Your will and in Jesus name.  Amen. 
 
Have a blessed weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki