Two Shakers of Faith

Greetings my dear sisters-in-Christ,

I bring before you today two totally different scenarios- and each one has caused me to question; has shaken my faith in some degree.

1st - my sister-in-law, who is 53 and the baby of the family, was in a motorcycle accident in the early hours last Saturday morning. She is in a coma and the prognosis from the doctors is that she will be this way for some time. On that Saturday morning as I spoke with my niece, who is 26, I wanted so badly to be transported to Denver and to be by her side as she is going through this. She has been a Christian for only 4-5 years. I prayed for her over the phone that morning and all the family are still at the forefront of my thoughts and prayers each day. Still I feel so helpless and wanting to be able to comfort her in person. Hoping that she will hold on tight to Jesus and God during this tragic time. And at the same time I am believing that God, my Lord is Good and is Sovereign and working in these most precious lives.

2nd - I have been wearing hormone patches for 10 years now and with the prescription prices its getting harder and harder financially to afford them. I have been purchasing them at our local drug store and paying around $90.00 every month. I thought that I would try Costco Pharmacy, so two weeks ago I visited the pharmacy and asked for their rates. I was told cash price for the strongest strength was $27.50 and the other strength was $26.00. I was shocked and told the pharmacist asst. that I would switch my prescription to Costco and also told her what I had been paying and walked away kicking myself for not checking on it sooner. Since I had just bought a month's supply they put the prescription on hold. Well, yesterday I called to get the prescription. You guessed - the price has doubled, yes doubled - when I told them of the scenario and why I had switched the asst. said she did not know who would have quoted me that price. I hung up the phone and felt so helpless, where could I go to get a straight answer - what was the actual price - I was very, very upset that I was lied to. Well the list goes on about my thoughts.

So there you have it - my Faith was shaken. Is God in Control in that Family whose mother is in a Coma and lives have been forever changed by the circumstances? Is God in Control in the area of my ability to pay for my prescriptions? Is God faithful? Can He be Trusted with something so tragic? Can He be Trusted with this little matter?

Most Glorious Sovereign God, our Heavenly Father, our Creator, who sustains us and blesses us each morning with new tender mercies. Thank you Lord that You Can be Trusted in the smallest of circumstances and crisis' and that You can be Trusted in the most horrific and tragic of circumstances. Lord I ask for Your Presence, Your Peace, Your Strength to be with my Niece. May she Be Still and Know during this time. Lord you are so wonderful and beautiful, I pray also for the other family members to see Your sovereignty in this situation. And Lord with each dear sister-in-Christ there are things in their lives that cause them to be shaken, Lord how intimately You know us and how tenderly You hover over us. Lord be with each dear sister-in-Christ this day and this week as they live out their most ordinary lives - learning to walk with You and listen to You and to be obedient to Your Word. In Jesus Name. Amen

Until next week

A Hui Ho

To Be Like-Minded

Greetings my dear friends,

There is absolutely no way that I am even remotely able to know just what God has placed on each and every single one of your hearts. And in knowing this as I type out my prayers and little antedotes on Wednesday mornings I must come before the throne of Grace and believe that our Father knows and cares. I was reading in my devotional "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers this morning and it had to do with prayer. After reading it I wrote this in my journal -

Lord God
How Great thou art.
To enter in - E Komo Mai - Come - Enter into My Secret Place
A Place where only You and I reside.
My Knowing Place of Your Glorious Grace.
An intimate place where only two can be; only room for You and me.
A holy place - a sanctified place.
I come unworthy, unclean and leave covered with the robe of righteousness.
Your will to do is my desire and from beginning to end may I never tire.

Heavenly Father,
Praise You for this day. Praise You for Your Infinite Grace. Praise You for Your Love. Lord I do come before Your throne of Grace and pray for each and every dear sister-in-Christ. May they come and enter into the secret place where only You and her can meet and ask, seek and knock. Lord may they lay aside the concerns and cares of their everyday life and come to worship and adore thee. To rest in Your Presence, To receive Your Power, To believe in Your Promises, to trust in Your Provision, to accept Your Peace. In Jesus Name, Amen.

On a side note - Thank you to those who prayed for my implant surgery. It went very well, the swelling is almost gone and the pain is subsiding more and more each day.

Until next week,

Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ

Yesterday - Today - Tomorrow

Greetings,

Dear sisters-in-Christ, the title, it is the hardest for me, but when I find the right title it seems to flow into the message and the prayer.

My Yesterday seems but a moment ago - when I look back to my yesterday's I am reminded that God has been guiding and protecting in the most critical and crucial of times.

My Today, yes that is right now and (me, myself, and I) are waiting for I know not what will happen in the next minute or next hour. Twenty-four hours in this day of which my Faithful and Righteous and Holy God has given me brand new for these 24 hours his Tender Mercies (WOW).

My Tomorrow, only in my imagination, (and believe me I can imagine the wildest and weirdest things) - so I will have to place this in my Father's Sovereign Realm and TRUST, BELIEVE, and WAIT

Heavenly Father, Praise and Glory and Honor to thee we SHOUT, thank you for Your tender mercies. Lord I pray for each and every dear sister-in-Christ that they may be reminded that their yesterdays are gone, You have restored that which has been torn down, You have put flesh on their dry bones. Lord I pray for their today's, may they hold in their hearts and minds and souls Your tender mercies being poured out into their lives this very second, this very moment, this very hour. Lord I pray that each precious daughter of the King would entrust to You their tomorrows which only You know. May You come Holy Spirit and reveal the mysteries which our most Holy and Sovereign Lord has planned and purposed for our lives. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

This week I would also like to hold up in prayer my sisters-in-Christ who are going through the valley of sickness and disease. Lord we come together in agreement asking for Your Healing Balm of Gilead to Flow - Our great Physician, we commit these precious ladies before Your throne of Grace and ask for complete healing of the body. Thank you for Your unmerited Favor upon these ladies. Lord we ask for complete restoration of the body, mind and soul this very second. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Until next week,

Your dearest friend and sister-in-Christ

4 Conversations + 1

Greetings,

Once again God has brought us to this Wednesday morning where I am able to keep in touch with all of you through the keyboard and the airwaves. As to keeping in touch - I'd like to share with you today 4 conversations that I has this past weekend and Monday evening. The first conversation was with my #2 son, the middle child, it was a long conversation and he detailed things that were happening in his life and in his families life. After I hung up the phone I felt like we had just been sitting at the table, him and me, just as it was when he was in high school and he was sharing his thoughts and his dreams. Wonderful, wonderful visit. While I had been on the phone with him, my daughter has tried to call so rang her back and the same with her. We shared what was happening in her life and all the goings on since she has very recently moved and was starting a new season in her life. After that conversation I was reminded of the times I would sit at the foot of her bed after school or before bedtime and we would share the days happenings. Wonderful, wonderful visit. This was on Sunday. On Monday, after work I really wanted to talk to my dear prayer warrior and sister-in-Christ who lives in Washington. After that lengthy call, I was remembering the times were would get together for dinner at our favorite eatery, El Burrito, and share our concerns and problems and discuss and pray about them all. Wonderful, wonderful visit. While I had been on the phone with her, my parents had been trying to call me and since they live in Montana and it is four hours difference my first thought was that something was wrong health wise with mom or dad. Yes, there was a problem, they had just bought two mangos and had no idea what to do with them - so they were calling me at 10:00 at night to find out. After that conversation I was reminded of all the times my mom and dad have been there when I call and they listen so intently. So that my dear sisters were my conversations in the physical realm, but I have one more to tell - God woke me at 2:30 am to show me the most beautiful full moon. It lit up the sky - it was most definitely the lesser light that He had created. I laid down on the Futon and God started talking. I began praising and singing and worshipping Him. After the conversation I was and am in awe of How Awesome is our God. That He knew I needed to hear from Him, that He knew I would love what He was showing me. Our God is so Good.

Dear sisters-in-Christ I pray that you have the most wonderful conversations with family, friends, enemies, and God this day and this week.

Abba Father, How Great Thou Art, most Sovereign Lord. Thank You that you so Graciously Touch each of us. How Awesome are Your thoughts toward us, your children. Lord I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ this day and the days ahead that they would be filled with the Joy of the Lord, come before Your Throne of Grace and begin to ask for the Passion, seek the Divine and knock at the very Heart of Jesus. Oh most Sovereign Lord may Your anointing holy oil be poured out into each one of their lives this day and may they be filled with all the gifts and blessings that You have Promised since the beginning. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,

Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ

The Hot Days of Summer

Dear sisters-in-Christ,

Many of the can identify with the title for some areas are definitely suffering with the heat and humidity. Tempers flair and dispositions become quite bearish don't you think. But even in this I am reminded of what Momma used to say when times became unbearable to me for what ever reasons, whether the weather or a circumstance or a condition, "This to shall pass".

It was in the waiting for it to pass which always got me to thinking... How do I choose to deal with this until it passes.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble
Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
Psalm 46:10 Cease striving and know that I am God

Father Abba, Gracious Mighty Father, who blesses us with tender mercies each morning, who keeps us and delights in us. Thank you Lord that You reveal to us the mysteries untold. Praise thee our most Sovereign Lord for Your Faithfulness. Lord we come before Your throne of Grace with holy hands lifted high in Worship to You. Our Strong Tower, our Strength and our Refuge. Lord I pray for each sister-in-Christ this day and in the days ahead that Your Spirit would reveal to them how precious and how beautiful they are in Your sight. May they desire to read Your Word, to discover the precious gifts that You have bestowed upon them and may they search for You and may You be found. In Jesus Name, Amen

Until Next Week

Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ