Only A Few November Days Left....

     Only a few days left of November 2012...savor each one like the last bite of pie washed down with good, hot coffee. Watch and take note of the trees preparing for winter, see the shadows of the sun falling longer and darker, the intensity of the the sunrises and sunsets.

     Thanksgiving. Over. Like chairs pushed away from the table after a family meal, napkins crumbled in little heaps, forming small mountains around the table, crumbs gathered forming crunchy piles, plates once heaped with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and green beans now emptied and scraped of their delicious goodness.

     The next season approaches so quickly! Except for a slight hiccup we suddenly go from a thankful heart to the season of "gimme": give me this, give me that...toys for kids, phones, computers, televisions for adults. No matter where we go we are bombarded with stuff that we need and cannot possibly live without, even if we can't afford it!

     Instead of the "gimmes",  I would like to retain my thankful heart, my vigilant hope in Jesus, the One whom THIS season is all about :) 

     The awe of gazing into the manger and seeing the Christ-Child, God-became-man, the Savior of the World. I want to relish the quiet hush of the stable, see Mary exhausted and yet content with the Babe in her arms, Joseph so bewildered over all that he's encountered in asking for Mary's hand in marriage yet satisfied in knowing he's done the right thing, the gentle breathing and rustling of the animals in the small place where they are sheltered for the night,  a night not really different from any other but for the two visitors from the city of Galilee, namely Nazareth.

     Join me in taking a moment each morning in December to come to the place where our Savior was born, kneeling before the manger filled with the Babe, God's one and only Son! O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord, this Christmas season!

Buy a wreath and help a Gospel for Asia Missionary!

     As a family, we have been supporting the Gospel For Asia ministry. If you don't know what they are about you should check it out @  GFA.org.  GFA  believes to help unsaved people know about Jesus requires missionaries who are from the region that they are ministering to...the culture, the customs, etc....it just makes more sense to send someone who knows the people and the language, one who has grown up in Asia and knows what it is like! So GFA has a bible school for those whom the Lord calls to minister. They are trained and sent out to spread the Gospel! Many times, the villages in which they are called to go are quite far and require much walking!

     My daughter Rachel is selling wreaths from Wreaths of Maine. They are beautiful, long-lasting  pine wreaths made of Balsam (the most fragrant). She is donating one-half of her proceeds to Gospel for Asia missionaries who are in need of bicycles to help them spread the Good News! Please join her in saving souls for Jesus Christ by buying a wreath or two :) from her. You can view all of the wreaths @ the website: Wreathsofmaine.com. Her seller ID # is 4923, which you will need if you are ordering. Wreaths may be purchased online directly, or you may call Wreaths of Maine @ 207-832-5385 or you may contact Rachel via her blog www.rachelsews.blogspot.com or myself if you'd like to pay by check or use your cc without going online :)  Thank you so very much and may God bless you!

Prayer for persecuted Christians.....

     As followers of Christ, it is our duty and honor to pray for Christians around the world who are being persecuted:  afflicted and harassed for their faith in Jesus Christ!  Present Truth Ministries gives updates and info on what is going on around the world. We, as Christians, need to be aware of what our Christian brothers and sisters are enduring and remember to lift them up in prayer.
     We are so blessed in this country where we can speak freely about God and His Word, read our Bibles  and gather together to worship God! Not all are so blessed as we....We need to remember to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ that they may be strong in the Lord and in the trials they are experiencing for their public profession of faith.
     Here are some specific people to pray for who are presently imprisoned in Shiraz:

     1. Vahid Roghanghir
     2. Shourosh Saraiee
     3. Eskander Rezae'e
     4. Mehdi Amrooni
     5. Shahin Lahooti
     6. Masoud Rezae'e

Jesus told us in Matthew 5:10-12, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Please join me in praying! And also check out the Present Truth Ministries website. Thank you!

Some thoughts on Psalm 68

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." Psalm 68:19
 
  Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary Of The English Language defines the word benefit as:
   BEN'EFIT, noun. 1. an act of kindness; a favor conferred. So Psalm 68 verse 19 is telling us that the Lord, who is to be blessed,  loadeths us or bestows us in great abundance with acts of kindness and confers us favors. I get a picture of a huge dump truck heavily loaded with  God's blessings/favors driving up to the door of my house. If I've got my attitude right with God I am able to answer the door and accept this "load of blessing"! But if I'm having a pity-party for myself, doubting God's goodness in this messy world in which we live, looking only at the negatives or the things I don't have but think I should, then guess what? I am not up for the delivery that the Lord has for me.I can't see the forest for the trees, I'm gonna miss out, big time, on what God has for me.
    "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits: a beautiful sunrise, a much needed rain shower, a job for my son, more work for my husband, a new-found understanding of Algebra for my Rachel, a willing niece who gives freely of her time to help in this new-found understanding, beautiful handwriting from my Hannah, a 4 day week-end, a great cup of coffee!
     May we remember to praise You, O God. Not just because You bless us but because of WHO You are-- a wonderful, loving Father who sent His Son Jesus to offer up His body on the Cross of Calvary so that each one of us might have EVERLASTING LIFE and the gift of His Holy Spirit to those who receive Him! May our telling others about You be our main goal, to let others know that THIS world is NOT our home. When we say yes to Jesus we will dwell with our Father God, FOREVER, in heaven!

     Open up your Bible today, pray and ask God to speak to you through His Word...amazing things will begin to happen in your life. If you don't believe me,  then just try it for yourself!

Psalm 67 and Election Day 2012

I read Psalm 67 today and wanted to share:

    "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; Selah.
     That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among the nations.
     Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee.
     O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for Thou shalt judge the people righteously,
     and govern the nations upon the earth. Selah.
     Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee.
     THEN, shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
     God shall bless us; and  ALL the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

May God indeed be merciful to this nation today! Get out and exercise your right to vote!