Comfort Colos

Greetings,

I'm so glad that God made so many colors - my favorite is all shades of PURPLE or I thought that it was until yesterday. I discovered I have another favorite. Along with it being a favorite I also identified why both purple and this new color were my favorites. They are my comfort colors. Yep, I need them on my body in order to get myself through the day when I know I am going to be faced with something uncomfortable or unsettling. My first defense is to put close to my body - something which I can surround myself and know that it is going to be okay. Now how is that for discovering something about myself. Here all this time I thought I just liked the color purple. Oh the new color is aqua (turquoise), not teal but lighter shade and brighter. When I wear this certain outfit I am complimented by everyone who I meet - they remark about how beautiful I am, or how the color I am wearing compliments me. But still for the hard core days when I am facing something really big or am tired and still have to function- purple is it.

Do you think a person can pray in purple or aqua??

My God is so marvelous that He created the color purple and aqua (a variation of shades) just for me. (I just know that He did!)

What a discovery!! How the mind works. Now that I have this knowledge I must choose to turn to God when I feel the need to array myself in purple or aqua.

And I can only imagine for right now just how much more brilliant will be the colors purple and aqua in Heaven.

Just knowing that I have a GOD who created all things - spoke them into existence - brings me comfort.

Heavenly Father, thank you for colors, for reds and greens, blues and oranges, pinks and yellows, browns and grays. Oh LORD most Sovereign Praise thee for Your Beauty so richly displayed by the brilliant colors in all things. With you LORD all things are possible our God of comfort. Lord just as you saw the affliction of Your people in Egypt and gave heed to their cry and was aware of their sufferings it is true with us today - You are a God who never changes - the same yesterday, today and tomorrow - come and deliver us from our affliction. Abba Father, I pray that each dear sister-in-Christ would find her comfort in You. Lord God may Your Holy Spirit surround them. May the embers of passion for Your Word, for Your Truth, for Your Presence be ignited with a burning bush fire that they will draw near and hear you say, "for the place on which you are standing is holy ground". May she meet you here and You will declare that You are GOD, the great I AM. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,


Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ.

Happy Birthday to my Mom

Greetings,

If it sounds to good to be true then it is not true - I know I hear that statement after telling someone about a fantastic thing I heard. Well in today's Bible reading - Jacob (Israel) had just heard something that was to good to be true. His 11 sons had come back from Egypt and told him that Joseph was alive and that plans had already been made that everyone and everything was moving to Egypt. Okay does anyone else have questions here?!?

Yep, I did. And apparently so did Jacob, maybe not consciously, but in his heart because Chapter 46 states that Jacob made sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. And God told him in a vision that he was not be afraid... I will go to Egypt with you.

So what was really on Jacob's (Israel's) mind was once again leaving. Interesting that the previous times on leaving - he seemed to be running away from something (fleeing after tricking his father and brother) and sneaking away from Laban (taking his wives, children and speckled livestock with him).

And unlike the previous times he did not have to do any planning on this trip - all was provided for and God was with him.

Today is my mom's birthday - she is celebrating it in California with her sons and I plan on calling her after posting this. I miss my mom, in fact - I do miss all my family and my children and grandchildren. Sometimes living in Hawaii sounds to good to be true but God has brought my husband and me here and our God is a Loving God who is Sovereign. Even though I can't always feel it or see it I stand firm in the reality that God has brought us here. And on days when I get homesick for a special hug from mom or dad or my kids or grandkids I stand firm in trusting God who has brought me (us) here and is Sovereign and Good has a plan for me (us).

Dear Heavenly Father, how great is Your Goodness and Mercy, extending to the highest and lowest and deepest and widest. Praise You oh most Sovereign Lord. I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ that this day, this very minute that she reads this post, that she would stand firm in trusting You - whatever the circumstance, whatever the situation, whatever the crisis, whatever the pain, whatever the worry, whatever the distraction - for You are Able. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,


Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ.

On the Hill with the 5000

Greetings,

It's Wednesday already and yes I am here enjoying our time together. Instead of my cup of tea I am enjoying a cup of Kona coffee. The beans are grown, prepared, processed and packaged by prayer. The man and woman team who prepare this fine coffee pray over the land everyday. The coffee is blessed. WOW! Jesus took the fish and loaf of bread and prayed. A meal like no other satisfying to the depth of the soul. After praying he began to separate and place in baskets and there was enough. We pray, God blesses, He separates and places in baskets (our hands, hearts, minds) and then we give it away. And there is enough. Of all the things that could have been done on that hill where 5000+ had gathered Jesus fed them with real food, fish and bread.

Now take me - what would I have done with a crowd of 5000. Well - I like to watch people. I would have beeb very content just watching how the people act and interact with each other. Give me a mall with a bench and I would grab an ice cream cone and sit on the bench watching until my mind was so filled up with different expressions, sounds, and conversations that I would be physically exhausted for days afterwards. So I would be perfectly content with just watching - sitting on the hill with the 5000.
How about you?

Heavenly Father,

How wonderful, how glorious are Your Ways, beyond our ways. Thank You O most Sovereign Lord that You are our LORD. Lord I pray that You would take each one of us, your dear children, out of our comfort zone and may it begin today. Lord may this be the day that our hearts and minds be renewed to a new way of thinking and doing. May it be a day where what we receive from You will be poured forth and it will be enough. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,

Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ

T I M E

Greetings,

I had expressed to my oldest son on New Year's Day that I wanted to change from using my Yahoo email to send out my Wednesday morning sisters-in-Christ prayer and start usng my Gmail account. He stated no problem and that when I was ready he would help me export and import (this is computer geek speak to me) I told him okay. Well a couple of days later, bless his heart, he made sure that it would happen. I have it set up on Gmail but realized that I have a different user name in Gmail and am using the Yahoo to let you know that from now on you will be receiving this from lssmitman@gmail.com instead of lssgiraffe@yahoo.com. Also I hope that you will visit my blog and post comments, prayers and praises. Thank you.

Dear sisters-in-Christ,

The Lord once again had You on His Mind - at 4:30 am this morning He woke me up - I knew it was Him because I was wide awake and I began to think of what I was going to say and pray about today. I want to make a change this year in my TIME with the Lord. Lately it has been this way:

Totally

Inappropriate

Matters

Explode

yes, I fold my hands and bow my head and begin to pray and the thoughts that come into my head are along these lines: 1) what projects I have left undone at work and I had better get ready to go early to get them accomplished, 2) I have to stop at the store and pick up (oh I had better write it down while I'm remembering), and 3) I must get back to praying - why am I distracted.

My desire is to change and have it be:

Totally

Intimate

Matters

Expressed

yes, I fold my hands and bow my head and begin to pray ( if it must be I will pray outloud or I will renew how I used to do it by writing out my prayers) It is hard to think of inappropriate matters when you are speaking outloud or if you are putting down your thoughts on paper.

Heavenly Father, Abba, oh Most Sovereign Lord,
I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ this day that "In nothing be anxious ( Be careful for nothing) ; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard (keep) your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7) Praise GOD for His Tender Mercies. In Jesus Name, Amen.


Until next week,


Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ for all eternity,

2008

Greetings to All,

Happy New Year - 2008 - A Leap Year!

One extra day to be truly blessed with God's Tender Mercies. How can this be?? That a wretch like me is loved by the Creator of the Universe! Amazing, awesome, absolutely. How about that dear friends and sisters-in-Christ? The year 2007 has become a past experience and I pray that that year was a life changing year. Now to the present, 2008, I pray that this year will be even more life changing for all of you. Our God still Reigns - our LORD still Promises - our Father still Loves, our Heavenly Father still whispers our name, and our Great I AM still Stills us.

What are some of the things from the past year that unsettle you and me? What are some of the thoughts that continue to linger from yesterday into today? Leave them behind.

Heavenly Father, thank You that all we need do is call on the name of Jesus. Thank You that You are continually listening to Jesus who constantly is telling You. LORD, I pray for each dear sister-in-Christ this day that in her heart she would be still and Know that You are God. May she set aside a time when she can meet with You each day. May she desire to KNOW her GOD so intimately and passionately that at the beginning of each day she greets You with a Smile and a Kiss and at the end of the day she tells You how grateful she is for Your Goodness. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Until next week,


Your dear friend and sister-in-Christ.