Category: faith

faith, God, Hope, Life, Motivation, Music, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Videos

Shout Out to the Plants Growing Through Concrete or Snow

I live in Wisconsin. Last night we had another snow emergency with another 1 to 4 inches. We are kinda buried in snow. It’s real pretty to look at – as long as you are inside, lol!Then you see it. There is always a sign. God never gives up on us. Here is a little geranium plant that refuses to give up. It won’t quit. Shout out to all the plants growing through concrete – or snow!

“But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.” – Philippians 3:20 MSG

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV

This is my new favorite song!

The God Who Stays by Matthew West

Verse 1
If I were You I would’ve given up on me by now
I would’ve labeled me a lost cause
‘Cause I feel just like a lost cause
If I were You
I would’ve turned around and walked away
I would’ve labeled me beyond repair
‘Cause I feel like I’m beyond repair

Pre-Chorus
But (‘Cause) somehow You don’t see me like I do
Somehow You’re still hereChorus
You’re (From) the God who stays
You’re the God who stays
You’re the one who runs in my direction
When the whole world walks away
You’re the God who stands
With wide open arms
And You tell me nothing I have ever done
Could separate my heart
(From the God who stays)

Verse 2
I used to hide
Every time I thought I let You down
I always thought I had to earn my way
But I’m learning You don’t work that way

Bridge
My shame can’t separate my guilt can’t separate
My past can’t separate I’m Yours foreverMy sin can’t separate my scars can’t separate
My failures can’t separate I’m Yours forever
No enemy can separate
No power of hell can take away
Your love for me will never change
I’m Yours forever

AJ Pruis | Jonathan Smith | Matthew West

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faith, God, Hope, Life, motivational, Music, Psalms, Quotes

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

As the Christmas Season is upon us there is one word that I keep thinking of – Adore. Adore means to love and respect someone deeply, to worship them. This season I am taking time to Adore Jesus.

Yes, we can Adore Jesus in Church. But this season, I am going to Adore Him in my home, adore Him in my car, adore Him when I am doing the dishes, adore Him when I am doing laundry, adore Him when I am going about my day to day activities.

Psalm 95:1-7 MSG

1-2 Come, let’s shout praises to God,
    raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Let’s march into his presence singing praises,
    lifting the rafters with our hymns!

3-5 And why? Because God is the best,
    High King over all the gods.
In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
    in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
He made Ocean—he owns it!
    His hands sculpted Earth!

6-7 So come, let us worship: bow before him,
    on your knees before God, who made us!
Oh yes, he’s our God,
    and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.

Source: lovelylovelythings.wordpress.com

I LOVE this version of O Come All Ye Faithful by Pentatonix!

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Pentatonix

O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels!

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem

Oh, sing, choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
Oh, come, oh come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem

O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye
O come, all ye faithful

O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem

O come, all ye faithful
(O come, all ye faithful, o come, all ye faithful)
Joyful and triumphant
(O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem)
Come and behold Him
(O come, all ye faithful, o come, all ye faithful)
Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to BethlehemSongwriters: KEVIN OLUSOLA, SCOTT HOYING, AVRIEL KAPLAN, KIRSTIN MALDONADO, MITCHELL GRASSI, BEN BRAM© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLCFor non-commercial use only.

faith, God, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Quotes on Little Things Becoming Greater

I have been in the body of Christ for about 25 years now. I did not grow up in the church, I grew up in the world. Yes, God has delivered me from many things, including my negative mind. I am eternally grateful that the ‘voices’ have stopped talking in my head. Maybe you  know what I mean.

During this 25 years I have attended numerous Churches. I find an interesting quality with the leadership teams I have seen. Some are servants, doing the work that God has called us to do with humility and honor. Others, however, just want the microphone and the glory. That makes me sad. 

I really think all of us Christians need therapy. We need to learn how to serve each other and put each other before our own desires. Many Christians are mostly selfish. Sorry, that has been my experience. Yes, there are exceptions. And it is the Servant Heart is what draws me in. I trust a Shepherd who will feed and care for the sheep. You know, when you are in the Hospital, they show up. When you end up in jail, they show up. When you are sick, they visit. When you are disabled, they come.  They call to check up on you. They take an interest in what goes on the rest of the week.

Servant Leaders are the first ones to show up and take care of all the little things. They clean the bathrooms, take out the garbage, mow the grass. Stuff like that. They don’t announce it or look for a trophy, they are busy doing the Father’s work in the Father’s House. I honor the True Shepherds today because they are faithful with the little things – that really become the big things in God’s hands!

Quotes on Little Things Becoming Greater

  1. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. – Mother Teresa
  2. All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. –  Winston Churchill
  3. The beginning of Greater things starts as a seed. Passion, willingness to learn and tenacity is the key to rising above the average and the mediocre. Keep pushing and the refinery of life will bring out the Gold within you.” ― Oscar Bim
  4. There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things. – Dwight L. Moody
  5. God has greater things in stock for us, but unless our great things are given away, we can’t receive our greater things. Give big and you’ll receive bigger! – ― Israelmore Ayivor
  6. Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon. – Booker T. Washington
  7. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. – Luke 16:10 NIV
  8. “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ – Matthew 25:23
  9. “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ – Luke 19:17
  10. After that, the Word of God came to me: “Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!” – Zechariah 4: 8-10 The Message (MSG)
  11. God hides great things in little things. In every young girl, God hides a great woman; in every young boy, He hides a great man; in a small seed, He hides a big forest! A little is never inadequate if God’s hands are its creator! Don’t despise little things!” ― Israelmore Ayivor
  12. A faithful man will abound with blessings,
    But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. – Proverbs 28:12
behavior, faith, God, Healing, health and wellness, Mental Illness, Music, Videos

Life Lesson Learned – You Can’t Change Someone Who Does Not Want to be Changed

I am sure you have met one, a person who absolutely did not want to change. You can love them all you want, give them all the tools for personal growth, but they are not interested. You may want the best for someone but they don’t want it for themselves. Life lesson learned – you can’t change someone who does not want to be changed. They simply have no vision. Without vision the people perish. Yep, that’s in the Bible, and it’s true.

I always thought if I loved them enough, they would change. Not always true. I have met some very stubborn people in my life that are happy just where they are. They do not have any desire to change anything. No amount of me pushing or prodding will make one bit of difference. Just because I think there may be more, they are happy to stay right where they are. That’s ok. I think I will stop trying to control them and just let it go!

Talk about freedom, wow! I finally don’t have to have everything figured out. That’s a load off this control freak shoulders, lol! For today, my focus has changed. I am going to let others make their own choices and I’m gonna focus on making my own. I can choose to let it go!

So now I have opened myself up to learning new things, to choosing a higher road. I have been on this path for the last year. First with becoming a Certified Peer Specialist and now with training for becoming a Certified Life Coach. Yes, I have been declared disabled by the Social Security System, but I’ll tell you what, I’m not giving up! I have used this time to refocus and build a vision for my future. You can too! Don’t give up, God is not done writing your story!

I signed up on Udemy for a number of classes. This month I am working on the Life Coach Certificate from Kain Ramsey. I admit it, I am only through the 4th video, and I’m hooked. Wow, I sure wish I would have met this guy sooner! I could have avoided so many detrimental things in my life. Oh well, lesson learned.

“We cannot make people change. We cannot want more for the people than they want for themselves. People are either ready to change, or a person will never change until the desire to change becomes greater than their desire to remain the same. People will generally never have a desire to change until they HAVE A VISION OF THEIR FUTURE that is GREATER then where they are today. ” – Kain Ramsay, internationally bestselling instructor, social entrepreneur

faith, God, Healing, Hope, poem, poetrty

My Beloved

My Beloved (Based on the Song of Solomon) -2019 Copyright Diana Rasmussen-

I worship You in between every tear
I worship You in spite of my fear
I worship You in the midst of the pain
I worship You, I am called by Your Name

You are my Beloved, and my Beloved is mine

Your love is better than wine
Your name is like the meadow brook
Come to me, take me away with you
Your love is like a fragrant bouquet of wildflowers
A sachet of pure myrrh
Come to me, take me away with you
You woke me up to love

You are my Beloved, and my Beloved is mine

Let me see your face
Let me hear your voice
My lover is mine and I am His
We dance and we feast on His grace
Our victory dance is love and peace
You awoke me to a love that lives outside of time

I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is
mine

The fire of Your love stops at nothing
Sweeping everything put before it
Floodwaters cant drown it
Torrential rains don’t put it out
Your love can’t be bought or sold
Run to me dear lover like a gazelle
Leap like a wild stag on our spice mountain

I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine

faith, God, Motivation, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Filled With Awe and Wonder

It was an ordinary morning, until I opened the door to let our dog Max out. He is still a puppy at 6 months old. It had snowed overnight here in Wisconsin. Then it occurred to me, Max has never seen snow!

I could not resist taking a video of him and his first look at snow. He is a Borderjack, a mix between Border Collie and Jack Russell terrier. He was a bit hesitant at first, but then his sense of awe and wonder came out and he starts jumping around in it! He loves it.

That made me think of God and His Creation. Daddy God loves to surprise us, just like He surprised Max today. I have to admit it, I have been a bit cynical with all the things going on in my life. I had let the cares of the world take over. I was too busy trying to figure out my life that I had missed it, Just watching Max today reminded me of what awe and wonder look like.

I believe that Daddy God wants to surprise us with amazing things. He is good, all the time. But if I lose my sense of awe and wonder I am not paying attention to Him. Forgive me Lord.

God’s Word for You

Place Your Life Before God

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” – Romans 12:1-2 MSG

Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, “Why all this gossipy whispering? Which is simpler: to say ‘I forgive your sins,’ or to say ‘Get up and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: “Get up. Take your bedroll and go home.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!” Luke 5:22-26 MSG

The enemy spoke,
        “I’ll pursue, I’ll hunt them down,
    I’ll divide up the plunder,
        I’ll glut myself on them;
    I’ll pull out my sword,
        my fist will send them reeling.”

You blew with all your might
        and the sea covered them.
    They sank like a lead weight
        in the majestic waters.
    Who compares with you
        among gods, O God?
    Who compares with you in power,
        in holy majesty,
    In awesome praises,
        wonder-working God?” – Exodus 15:9-11 MSG

My Prayer for You:

Surprise us Daddy. Show us your Glory. Just like you surprised Max this morning. Fill us with an amazing sense of awe and wonder for our everyday ordinary lives, in Jesus Name.

Disablility, faith, God, Life, Spirituality

What to Do When Life Changes and You End Up Disabled

There will be times of pruning in our lives. Times after Harvest, where God will till the fields of our lives. He is a Good Father, and wants to help us produce more fruit, more wine.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” – Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

I guess this is the season where I get to use that Faith Muscle. Not sure I like it. Next month it will be a year since I have been out of work. It definitely is not what I had planned. I was happy working my way up the ladder of Corporate America when BAM, life took a left turn I didn’t expect.

So, here I sit a year later. Last week I was granted Social Security Disability after my first attempt. People told me it would never happen, that I would have to go through at least 3 appeals, hire a lawyer, etc. They were wrong. I did use a service to help me with the paperwork. (If you need help, email me and I’ll send you a link).

Today I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I never wanted to be labelled as Disabled.

Is God mad at me? No, not according to the book of Job. He lost a lot in one day. Did I do something to deserve this? Is it punishment? No, I don’t think God punishes us like that. Jesus took the wrath that we deserved at the Cross. “It is finished.” He said. Well then, I don’t need to carry that wrath.

But why? Isn’t it funny that we as humans always want to know why? Sometimes I remind myself of a toddler. Why Daddy why? As a Good Father, He has vision way beyond my meager view of the world. I guess in this season, I have learned to stop asking Why, and just trust and believe that My Daddy knows what He is doing. I may not know all the answers, but I think I’ll stop my whining at the checkout aisle and see what God has in store for me next!

 

The True Vine

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. – John 15:1-6 

faith, God, Hope, Prayer, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

3 Ways to Pray for those in Hurricane Dorian’s Path

I don’t know about you, but my heart hurts for the people in the midst of Hurricane Dorian. I live in the Midwest. I have never been in a hurricane. I can’t even imagine. But I can pray for all of the people impacted by Hurricane Dorian.

3 WAYS TO PRAY FOR THOSE IN HURRICANE DORIAN’S PATH

1. PRAYERS FOR PROTECTION

  • “The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” – 2 Samuel 22:3-4
  • “Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” – Psalm 17:7-8
  • “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” – Psalm 34:17-18
  • “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” -Psalm 34:19
  • “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.” – Psalm 138:7
  • “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
  • “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” – Nahum 1:7
  • “The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17

 

2. PRAYERS FOR PEACE

  • “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
  • “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
  • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
  • “The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11
  • “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
  • “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”1 Peter 5:7

 

3. PRAYERS FOR RESTORATION

  • “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
  • “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.” Psalm 71:20-2
  • “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10
  • “Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.” Isaiah 61:7
  • “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12
  • “And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10
  • “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.” Joel 2:25-26
  • “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!” Jeremiah 30:17

Bible Study, faith, God, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

23 Perseverance and Endurance Bible Verses

23 Perseverance and Endurance Bible Verses:

  1. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2
  2. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. – Matthew 10:22
  3. God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. – Romans 2 6-11
  4. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – James 1:2-8
  5. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. – Galatians 6:9-10
  6. Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12
  7. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. – Romans 5: 1-5
  8. Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! – 1 Chronicles 16:11
  9. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
    “For yet a little while,
    And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
    Now the[n] just shall live by faith;
    But if anyone draws back,
    My soul has no pleasure in him.”
  10. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. – Hebrews 10:32-39
  11. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good – 2 Thessalonians 3:13
  12. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. – Colossians 1:9-14
  13. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. – Romans 12:9-13
  14. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. – Ephesians 6:14-20
  15. We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 15:1-6
  16. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
    This is a faithful saying:
    For if we died with Him,
    We shall also live with Him.
    If we endure,
    We shall also reign with Him.
    If we deny Him,
    He also will deny us.
    If we are faithless,
    He remains faithful;
    He cannot deny Himself. – 2 Timothy 2:10-13
  17. being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ – Philippians 1:6
  18. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. – James 5:9-11
  19. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:9-14
  20. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5
  21. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ – Revelation 3:10-13
  22. These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. – Revelation 2:1-3
  23. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

faith, God, Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

How God Saved My Life with $1

This is how God saved my life with $1. It was Friday afternoon. I decided to run to church to pick up my bass and a music stand. You know, a girl has to practice every so often. So I get there, load up my bass guitar in one hand and a music stand in the other hand.

It was 1:26 PM. As I was walking by the Altar I heard God speak to me in the Spirit. ‘Take your cash and put in it the Faithworks jar.” Faithworks is one of the local ministries our Church supports. And what do I do? I start arguing with God in my head. I say, “But my hands are full.” Being the slow learner that I sometimes am, I ignored Him and started walking to the door.

God spoke to me again. “Take your cash and put it in the Faithworks jar.” Did I listen? Nope. This time my argument was, “I only have $1 in my purse. Are they really that broke that they need this dollar?” And then the moment when Holy Spirit pricks your heart. You know…

So I reluctantly put down the bass, put down the music stand, and got out the $1 from my wallet. I put it in the Faithworks jar. Then I gathered my things and headed back home.

I got out on I90 and 5 minutes later I was sitting in standstill traffic. I was under a bridge near the Hospital. I saw one Ambulance and Police car drive down the ramp. Then the Firetrucks. Then Ambulance 2,3,and 4. Then 3 more Police cars.Then the tow trucks came. 1,2,3,4,5. I started praying for whoever was hurt. That’s a lot of ambulances. Traffic still sitting there for almost half an hour as we watched the Emergency Responders do their job. God bless them all Lord.

You see at 1:35 PM there was a huge accident on I90. As the cars cleared out with the tow trucks the traffic was diverted to 1 lane. As I drove slowly by, I counted the crunched cars. 1,2,3,…there were 10 cars and a semi truck in the accident. I saw people standing on the side of the road with kids and a dog. My heart hurt for them. The top ripped off a F150 pickup. So many crunched cars. So many ambulances. “Help them all Lord,” was all I could say.

It didn’t hit me until I was further down the road, back at 60 mph. I started shaking. If I didn’t have that little 5 minute argument with God over that stupid $1 I would have been in that crash. I had to pull of at the next exit. You see, I was so worried about having to put my stuff down and dig out that dollar that I didn’t see it. I pulled into a store parking lot and turned the car off.

I got it. The tears just stared flowing. “Thank you Lord for that delay. Thank you Lord for healing all those people. Thank you Jesus for your Divine protection.” I sat there about 30 minutes calming down.

After that I took the backroads home. No more I90. I should not be surprised that God interrupts our everyday life and cares for his kids. We do the same thing with our kids. I am grateful He does though. Thank you Jesus.

Fast forward 1 week. I share my story at Testimony time and praise God for his protection.

Fast forward to today, 2 weeks later. After music practice I look down at my music bag. What is sitting on top but $2.00. You see, God gives us back double for our trouble! Praise Jesus!

faith, God, Hope, Music, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Videos, Worship

God’s Love

I have to remind myself that God’s love is greater than any challenge I face. Sometimes I forget. Here is a poem/song I wrote way back in 2010.  Recently our JAM Praise Band has started sharing our original songs. This is the first one I shared. Here is our band playing – no editing or Melodyne – just a group of us who love Jesus!

You can always watch Janesville Apostolic Ministries live Fridays at 6 PM for SOAK or Sundays at 10:30 am for Worship Service at Christian World Media .

God’s Love  by Diana Rasmussen 4/28/10

V1

God’s love is faithful, He’s forever true

He loves me with mercy and grace to be new.

His love has no ending, His covenant stands.

A promise between us, and I’m in His hands.

 

CHORUS

Gods love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things,

God’s love never fails for me.

God’s love never fails for me

 

V2

How great is the love that Father lavishes on me

now I am called a child of God.

No eye has seen,  no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived  what God has for me!

REPEAT CHORUS

 

V3

God’s love is patient, His love is kind,

His love doesn’t envy, nor boast full of pride.

Not rude or self seeking, or easily angered

Keeps no record of wrongs, but rejoices in truth.

REPEAT CHORUS

 

 

faith, God, Healing, Hope, Life, Spirituality

Sometimes You Have to be Your Own Advocate for Your Healthcare

I admit it. I am a naive patient. I have gone to the same Dr in the same clininc for years. When a problem arose I trusted the Dr to refer me to the specialist and assumed they were talking to each other for my best healthcare. I have learned this is not always the case. Sometimes, you have to be your own advocate for your Healthcare.

I have learned this last year that once a Dr sends you off to the specialist, they do not always follow through. They assume the specialist will do what they are supposed to do and they don’t have to deal with it. Then, when more specialists get involved, I thought they would all talk to each other. Not true.

This past year I have seen my Primary Dr, a Neurologist, an Orthopaedic Dr, a Neuropsychiatirst, a Physical Therapist, and an Occupational Therapist. Yeah, it’s been a year.

My eyes were opened when my Physical Therapist, whom I had been seeing for 3 months, twice a week, made it a point to write a special letter to the Neurologist #1 explaining my issues and the difficulties I was having. She shared how my progress was deteriorating and she needed direction on what exercieses I should do next and what Diagnosis the Neurologist would give me regarding these tremors/seizures.

When I went to the Neurologist #1, I asked him about the note from my Physical Therapist. He did not ever read it. I fired him. That is just wrong. So then I went to Neurologist #2. I asked my Physical Therapist to send him the same letter explaining my struggles. She did. Guess what? When I got to Neurologist #2 he had not ever read it either!

Ugggh. Really? So they send me here, there, and everywhere and they are so important that they will not even read what their supposed partners have found? It is so frustrating!

That is when I decided I have to own my treatment and my own healthcare. Yes, they are the Doctors, but many times they are only interested in their own findings and don’t look at me as a whole person.

After 4 MRI’s Neurologist #2 says that I don’t have any lesions on my brain or spinal cord, so there is nothing else he can do for me. He sends me to the Neuropsychiatrst. Pass the buck here. No, that is me, I am the patient.

I have been going to this Neuoropshychaitrist for 3 months now. The seizures are getting worse with FND ( Functional Neurological Disorder) and I am getting more frustrated.

My friend Laura suggested I get referred to another clinic that was associated with a large hospital in our area, UW-Madison. Thank you Laura! I sent a note to my Primary Doctor and she finally referred me to this other place, out of their network, and I will see Neurologist #3 here shortly.

I guess I share this with you because I learned that I can’t believe everything that a Doctor tells me. I have to OWN my health and my healthcare. I was told I would have this FND forever and there is no cure, just live with it. Ummmm – NO! I do not accept that.

Jesus died so I did not have to carry this illness, by HIS stripes I AM healed. And if one clinic is not going to help me get there, then I’ll go to the next one. God has given Doctors the gift of medicine just like Luke. Healing is from God, and sometimes He uses Doctors to administer it. I refuse to belive that there is no cure for this. I refuse to believe that I will be this way forever!

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.” – Jeremiah 17:14

What about you? Have you ever had to change Doctors or Clinics?