Feedings In The Philippines

Jesus says; Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?...Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek), for your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself...(Matthew 6:25-34)

Material wealth gives a dangerous, false sense of security. The birds and lilies do not fret and worry, yet they have God's wealth in ways that man cannot duplicate. All of nature depends on God, and God never fails. Only mortal man depends on money, and money always fails.

God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies. He will feed and cloth us. He has great blessings for us if only we will yield to Him and live for the riches that last forever.
What a testimony it is to the world when we dare to practice "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us."

Yes, it is right to plan for the future and even save for the future (1 Tim. 5:8). But it is a sin to worry about the future and permit tomorrow to rob us of todays blessings.

He knows that we need certain things in order to live. In fact, He has given us "richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17)

Jesus says that worry is sin. We may dignify worry by calling it by some other name; concern, burden, a cross to bear~but the results are the same.

Materialism will enslave the heart, the mind and the will. We become shackled by the material things of life.
Most of these people don't have the material things we have, let alone enough food to eat. They truly trust and depend on God to provide their daily needs.

It is such a blessing to be used by our Heavenly Father to help and encourage those less fortunate than us no matter where we live or where we go.

Those we served at the feedings have victory over worry...they have faith, trusting God to meet their needs, knowing their Heavenly Father cares for His children and, putting His will first in their lives daily so that He will be glorified.

No matter our circumstances, we should always have the assurance that God has not left our side and that dwelling in Him we receive our strength. The goodness of the Lord reaches from everlasting to everlasting and when we find ourselves discouraged or disheartened, all we need to do is return again to the Lord to be refreshed and renewed by His Spirit. The Scripture says the Joy of the Lord is your strength.

Have faith in God the Father, put Him first, He will meet your needs.

From Death To Life

I am on a missions trip in the Philippines. We arrived safely and are about our Father's business each day, going where He leads us. Witnessing His tender mercies over all His works.

When we were here two years ago, we went to visit a lady in the hospital. She had been in the hospital for three years, yes, three years! with a bad case of Lupus. She was literally dying from the disease.

Upon our return this time, she is home from the hospital and doing feeding programs for needy children, families and her doctors and nurses. She also raises funds to help feed those in need and gets medicines donated for those needing medical attention.

She fixed us breakfast when we got to town. It is such a miracle that she is up walking and ministering for the Lord through her cooking, even though she cannot eat anything but organic rice and drink rice milk, she blesses many others through her cooking.

God has healed her and blessed her with a wonderful ministry and she serves Him with MUCH joy and gladness.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19).

A Grateful Heart

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day, I thank You for my being able to see and to hear. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said, or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And give the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can’t find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that don't believe.

But I thank you that I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my brothers and sisters. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love, and joy in their homes and that all their needs are met. I pray that those who reads this know there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.

How To Overcome What Overcomes You

“God’s Antidote to Indecision”

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3)

In this life we will have stress. There are many, many things that cause us stress in this life. The question is, “How are we going to deal with the stress that we have to deal with in our life?”

How do you deal with the stress in your life?

There are a lot of different ways to deal with stress. How about…taking a few deep breaths, or…closing your eyes, picturing yourself near a stream, birds chirping in the crisp mountain air, no one knows “your” secret place, your in total seclusion from the hectic place called “the world.” The soothing sound of the waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity, the water is clear, you can clearly make out the face of the person your holding under water…There now, do you feel better? Probably not. The point id, there are many ways you and I, as human beings, attempt to deal with and sooth the stress that we have so often in our lives. But all our human attempts are going to fail. All of them are going to want us desiring another deep breath, another vacation, another experience of paradise to try to ease the troubles and sooth all the stress that we deal with in our lives.

The real antidote is found in the six verses of Psalm 23, where we have an incredible picture of who God is and how He wants to interact in our lives. If we will allow these words to be eternalized and truly live out what God is sharing with us through these words, He truly gives us the antidote to dealing with stress.

God did not intent us to live at such a neck break pace!

So many people think, “I am somebody because of all the things I have to do, the longer my to do list is the more important I am.” Then we race and race and become so busy to the point of exhaustion, fatigue and illness.

That is NOT where we find value, in self-esteem or in busyness. God wants to lead us beside still waters, He wants to make us lie down in green pastures, to give us rest, to restore our soul. God wants to heal all our damaged emotions. The guilt, grief and grudges we often go through in this life.

Life is a series of choices. Success is basically a matter of making wise decisions. We make our decisions, then our decisions make us, because every decision has a consequence ~ foolish or wise, good or bad.

He guides me…what does that mean? It means He wants to guide us on the right path. In the path He intended for us to live. The right path that He predestined, choose for us to live so we would have a good life and a right relationship with Him. The Lord is our Shepherd and our Guide. He keeps us on track. Because it is so easy for you and I to get off track, He wants to guide us.

Where do you turn when needing to make an important decision?

There are three approaches we use in decision making.

1) The emotional approach ~ I want to “feel,” I want to have an emotion, go through some ceremony in order to “feel” right. There is a way which seems right to man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). At times emotions will take us down the wrong path. We cannot trust our emotions to lead us down the right path in our life.
2) The formula approach ~ a recipe. Give me a formula, a book, I’ll read the book, I’ll follow the self-help steps and I’ll be able to derive at the right conclusion…NOT! If self-help books worked, they wouldn’t have to keep writing them.
3) The mystical or magical approach ~ The, look for a sign, just show me a sign, something to help me know that the decision I’m about to make is the right one…looking to astrology, stars, horoscopes, fortune cookies, whatever, for a “sign.”

Of all the ways we have come up with to find peace in our heart in the midst of all the stress and decisions we have to make, getting guidance from God is the antidote.

If we are going to allow His guidance, we have to…

1) Admit we need a guide. We want to believe we have everything under control…All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). Like that ole song, “I did it my way…”
Folks, our vision is limited. Good and upright is the Lord, therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way (Psalm 25:8-9).
2) Ask in faith for direction. Lots of things distract us into “believing” that we have the right point of view and yet we miss the whole point. Many think that they don’t need to bother God, thinking he wouldn’t be concerned with it and that they can deal with it. We’ll ask for the help (direction) of a man, but we won’t ask God to give us the directions that we need?
We major on the minors. We need God’s perspective. Ask, expecting! Ask in faith expecting the right Person’s guidance. True faith is dependant upon the Person who sent the truth and wants to give that truth to you and me if we ask “in Faith. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Ask Him to give you His point of view because we are overwhelmed by different points of view in this world.
3) Listen for God’s response. The issue isn’t, is God speaking to us, the issue is, are we listening? How many of us really “listen” for God’s response, knowing He is going to speak to us and then give Him the time of day to speak to us?
Is there a way to tune in to God so we can hear His voice? YES…His word. It is
intended to guide us on this path of life, the right path, and if it just sits on a shelf collecting dust, it’s no wonder we are stressed out!
God also speaks through teachers; Pastors, Sunday School teachers, Bible study
Leaders, godly brothers and sisters, and even through us. He speaks through impressions, circumstances, or pain.
It is said that, God whispers to us in the good times and shouts to us in our pain
because we are more willing to listen in our pain, willing to stop and allow Him to speak to us when we are hurting. For God may speak in one way or another, yet man does not perceive it (Job 33:14).
4) Trust God when we don’t understand. Even when things don’t make sense, the not knowing, the misunderstandings, the “why’s.” Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths (Prov. 3:5-6). God sees ways we don’t see, He sees paths we don’t see. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known (Psalm 77:19). God has ways of deliverance, of solving our problems and getting us through those things that overcome us that we cannot see. We think they are roadblocks, an obstacle. Move in faith, trust God even when you don’t see a way. He will make a way where there seems to be no way! The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines even brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).

God’s way is the best…not the easiest. The path of righteousness is not an easy path. We are going to have struggles, but the Shepherd will never leave you. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand (Psalm 37:23-24). Even when we stumble He delights in us…it is those times we are usually willing to listen.

What seems like a wall, is really a door. God knows what is best for us. We don’t see what He sees. He sees the future, the end results, and we can’t. All the “why’s” we ask now will one day be clear in the light of God’s love. In the meantime, lean not on your own understanding and trust God.

We have a society that is breaking down because we are not following the right path. The path of righteousness is the road to recovery. God is the good Shepherd, the great Redeemer who restores. He takes what is broken, old and used and makes it new.

Who’s path are you following in your life? God’s path of righteousness or your path?

Setting Goals for 2010

Wilt thou be made whole? (John 5:6)

Don't forget yourself...Often we as Christian women get so involved in meeting the needs of others that we forget to take time to refresh ourselves.

If you have flown on a commercial airliner lately, you will recognize the speech the flight attendants recite just before taking off. It goes something like this, "In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will automatically be lowered. If you are sitting beside a child, first secure your own mask before applying the child's.
Why do they advise you to do that? They realize that unless you as the adult are getting the oxygen you need, you will be of no help to the child, and you will both perish.

Jesus, filled with absolute love and compassion, went to the mountain to spend time with His Father in prayer, to renew His weary body and soul. When the crowd pressed in on Him, He suggested to the disciples that they all get away from the crowd and go to the mountains alone.

Are you getting enough "oxygen" in your life to be of maximum benefit to those around you? It is not a selfish thing to set goals allowing you to "refill your cup."

Just as an empty teakettle will crack or melt as the heat under it is turned up, so you also will break as the heat of life is turned on "high" when your "cup" ~ your emotional and spiritual life is dry.

So, take time for you throughout the year, get the oxygen you need so you can help others.

Have A Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keeps the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)

There is something about hesitation and reconsiderations that is curiously fatal to successful achievement. Good fortune is in going on ~ not in going back. The parable of Lot's wife (Genesis 19:26), who turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back, is by no means inapplicable to the life today. Let no one who the vision has shone look backward instead of forward, and he become paralyzed and immovable. He is impeded by the shallows and the miseries. He has withdrawn himself from all the heavenly forces that lead him on. This fidelity to the vision is the vital motor. It gives that exhilaration of energy which makes possible the impossible.

Each recurring New Year is an open door. However arbitrary are the divisions of time, there is inspiration and exaltation in standing on the threshold of an untried year, with it's fresh pages awaiting record. It is, again, the era of possibilities. The imaginative faculty of the soul must, indeed, be "fed with objects immense and eternal." Life stretches before one in its diviner unity ~ even in the wholeness of the life that is and that which is to come.

There is no one set of motives and purposes to be applied to this life, and another set to that which awaits us. This is the spiritual world, here and now. It is well to drop the old that one may seize the new.

What vision do you have for your, your family, your business, your life this 2010?

Spur Each Other On

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)

The word spur conjures a vision and brings the old west to mind of cattle drives and cowboys, of other times long left behind.

When used as "on the spur of the moment" it could even become an element of time or perhaps, a short section of rails that run off, away from the main line.

However, to do God's work, silver spurs we need not wear. Share the "Good News" with others as you travel about here and there.

Cowboys old and new wore their spurs to urge their horses to greater heights to do the job that needed done or face lonely sleepless nights.

The word "spur" has a much older meaning than that which was found in the west...The Bible, in Hebrews chapter ten, an early writer definitely says it best, "Let us consider how we may spur each other on toward love and good deeds."
Then ideas and good thoughts dawn, "encourage one another." The words brought to mind, "do not give up meeting together."

The true meaning of life you'll find...In other words, if you keep on traveling your old sinful path you shall surely experience the suffering of God's eternal wrath.

Remember, Jesus was sent to save us, from heaven above.

So above all, "spur" yourself and others on to believe and live...in God's eternal love.

Written by Blair Sneddon for our Women's Day Retreat

How will you spur (encourage) someone today?