UPDATE FROM 1/3/2012:
Haley Faith Wilson has been found, thank God!
Please don't think she is still missing.
She has been found and is now safe and sound.
All glory to God, and thank you so much for your prayers for her!
(January's Bible studies are on previous post.)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Hello Followers and Friends!Daily Bible studies
are what I'd like to share with you.
Doing the daily Bible studies I give you will mean that you've completely read through the Bible in a year!
An Awesome achievement that can change your life!!!
It changed mine!
"January's Bible Studies"
January 1st- Genesis 1-3 & Matthew 1
January 2nd- Genesis 4-6 & Matthew 2
January 3rd- Genesis 7-9 & Matthew 3
January 4th- Genesis 10-12 & Matthew 4
January 5th- Genesis 13-15 & Matthew 5: 1-26
January 6th- Genesis 16-17 & Matthew 5: 27-48
January 7th- Genesis 18-19 & Matthew 6: 1-18
January 8th- Genesis 20-22 & Matthew 6: 19-34
January 9th- Genesis 23-24 & Matthew 7
January 10th- Genesis 25-26 & Matthew 8: 1-17
January 11th- Genesis 27-28 & Matthew 8: 18-34
January 12th- Genesis 29-30 & Matthew 9: 1-17
January 13th- Genesis 31-32 & Matthew 9: 18-38
January 14th- Genesis 33-35 & Matthew 10: 1-20
January 15th- Genesis 36-38 & Matthew 10: 21-42
January 16th- Genesis 39-40 & Matthew 11
January 17th- Genesis 41-42 & Matthew 12: 1-23
January 18th- Genesis 43-45 & Matthew 12: 24-50
January 19th- Genesis 46-48 & Matthew 13: 1-30
January 20th- Genesis 49-50 & Matthew 13: 31-58
January 21st- Exodus 1-3 & Matthew 14: 1-21
January 22nd- Exodus 4-6 & Matthew 14: 22-36
January 23rd- Exodus 7-8 & Matthew 15: 1-20
January 24th- Exodus 9-11 & Matthew 15: 21-39
January 25th- Exodus 12-13 & Matthew 16
January 26th- Exodus 14-15 & Matthew 17
January 27th- Exodus 16-18 & Matthew 18: 1-20
January 28th- Exodus 19-20 & Matthew 18: 21-35
January 29th- Exodus 21-22 & Matthew 19
January 30th- Exodus 23-24 & Matthew 20: 1-16
January 31st- Exodus 25-26 & Matthew 20: 17-34
**************************
May God richly bless you as you do the daily studies,
and grow in your knowledge of Him.
-I'm proud of you!
yours in Christ, -Rev. Deb*
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Hi Friends!
Merry Christmas Time!
Merry Christmas Time!
There is one Christmas Carol that is just baffling. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
This week, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'
*************
Merry Christmas Everyone!
*************
LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT:
CHRISTMAS AT ARLINGTON CEMETERY
(I wonder why the press hasn't enlightened the public about this ??)
Arlington National Cemetery
...Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...
Readers may be interested to know that the wreaths at Arlington Cemetery...(some 5,000 of them) are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine . The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992.
A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one of the poorest parts of the state.
You hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this gift of love for our fallen soldiers. It's a beautiful gift! -Rev.Debbie ♥
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I got a call from our bank that my credit card had been stolen, I had over $10,000 worth of fraudulent activity on my card. The worst part was that they wouldn’t replace the funds in my account until the investigation was complete which could be up to a year! I would have to borrow money from our “rainy day” fund until they completed the investigation.
I called our credit union, where we keep our savings, and spoke with my favorite banker, Sheila. I explained the situation; she shared my frustration and began the process for transferring the money. I’ve been banking with our credit union for over 15 years, we just had a conversation about my kids and her husband’s surgery, so imagine my surprise when she asked me, “Can you tell me the name on the account?”
Had I been a stranger this would have been routine practice but, given the fact that we had 10 minutes of friendly conversation seconds before, I was taken aback. I answered her question curtly, emphasizing my confusion. “The address where you receive your account statement?” she continued. I subdued the part of my brain that wanted to reply “The same address where you came to the Christmas party” and gave our address… This line of questioning continued with her asking my maiden name, the last four digits of my social, and then lastly, the reason for my call. “I am requesting access to MY money, Sheila, that’s why I am calling!” I yelled into the receiver.
Sheila, not fazed by my outburst, replied “I know it seems tedious but, when you’re removing your funds before the maturity date there can be consequences. We have to go through this line of questioning so we can be sure that you understand the risks of taking the funds out early. Even though I understand why you need the money, answering these questions let us know how badly you want it. “
Sheila knew from the very beginning why I was calling, she knew why I needed the funds when we began the process, I had made my request known but it wasn’t until the questioning was complete that she understood how desperately I wanted it.
The end of Philippians 4:6 admonishes us to “make our request known to God.” I can’t help but wonder why we are making our request KNOWN to God when it is clear that He is all-knowing. Then I began to wonder what if us making our request known to God isn’t so that He knows what we want, it’s so He understands just how badly we want it?
Much like the banker who knew the woman well, she could not release the funds until the woman fully understood the weight of her request. It is not enough to desire something, if you aren’t willing to go through the formal process to receive. It was the woman’s money but the banker had the authority to release the funds. There is a blessing with your name on it and God is waiting to give you access. Have you made your request? What are you willing to go through to get what God has for you? Are you willing to be tested? Can you take the risk that comes with being blessed?
When we make our requests to God, we are not telling Him anything He doesn’t know. Psalms 37:4 teaches us, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” God knows what we want the moment it is laid in our heart but, when our desire meets passion we must fall to our knees and pray that God sees that we are willing to do whatever it takes to receive His blessings. When we fully understand the highs and the lows of God blessing us, He can allow us access to more.
Many of us desire more from God but we don’t want to take the risk that it comes with. Are you willing to let some people go to get what God has for you? Do you mind losing a job, if it means saving your marriage? You’ve made your request, now it’s time to see how badly you want it. How many tears are you willing to sow, before you reap in joy? Don’t just ask God for a blessing, request strength to go through the risks of being blessed.
At the beginning of 2011, I asked God to strengthen my marriage. I prayed that He would give us stability, that my parent’s would be in good health, that my children would be happy, and that my family’s lives would be fulfilled. I spent January through June thinking that God didn’t hear my prayers. One thing after another began to pile on me… I didn’t understand why, if I had “made my request known”, nothing was coming to fruition. It wasn’t until September that I realized that those months when I felt like God didn’t hear me was Him verifying that I was ready to be blessed. God knew what I wanted, I just did not know that some of the best blessings come with risk.
God, help us to understand that what You have for us can change the very essence of our being but, the road may not be easy. Give us wisdom when we make our request, so that we may understand that just because we ask doesn’t mean that it is immediately given to us. Give us patience as we learn that there are some blessings that are worth the trials and tribulations that come with them. Above all God help me to see that You have blessings waiting for me that I don’t have room to receive; I just need to understand the risk of making a request. ♥
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
“Once upon a time there was a man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug. He wasn’t a Scrooge. He was a kind and decent person, generous to his family, upright in all his dealings with other men. But he didn’t believe all that stuff about Incarnation which churches proclaim at Christmas. And he was too honest to pretend that he did. “I am truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, who was a faithful churchgoer. “But I simply cannot understand this claim that God becomes man. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
On Christmas Eve his wife and children went to church for the midnight service. He declined to accompany them. “I’d feel like a hypocrite,” he explained. “I’d rather stay at home. But I’ll wait up for you.”
Shortly after his family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window and watched the flurries getting heavier and heavier. “If we must have Christmas,” he thought, “it’s nice to have a white one.” He went back to his chair by the fireside and began to read his newspaper. A few minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. It was quickly followed by another, then another.
He thought that someone must be throwing snowballs at his livingroom window. When he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the storm. They had been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through his window. “I can’t let these poor creatures lie there and freeze,” he thought. “But how can I help them?” Then he remembered the barn where the children’s pony was stabled. It would provide a warm shelter.
He put on his coat and galoshes and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the door wide and turned on a light. But the birds didn’t come in. “Food will lure them in,” he thought. So he hurried back to the house for bread crumbs, which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail into the barn. To his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. They scattered in every direction - except into the warm lighted barn.
“They find me a strange and terrifying creature,” he said to himself, “and I can’t seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me. If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety. . . .”
Just at that moment the church bells began to ring. He stood silent for a while, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. Then he sank to his knees in the snow. “Now I do understand,” he whispered. “Now I see why You had to do it.” ♥
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