Category: Religion and Spirituality

Deliverance, God, Kingdom Authority, Religion and Spirituality, Spiritual warfare, Spirituality

Wall of Fire Prayer

During times of trial and suffering, it helps me to remember what God said about himself. Who did he say He would be when I am in the firey furnace going through stuff I have no idea how to figure out?

God promised to be a hedge of fire around us and the glory within us.

  • “For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies], and I will be the glory in her midst.’” – Zechariah 2:5 AMP

When life is crazy we have a secret place to go to. We can go sit at Jesus feet and baske in His presence. There we do not need words. We can rest in His presence and listen. We can open our hearts and minds to receive what God wants to tell us. God promised to protect us and hedge us in with His presence.

  • “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah”  – Psalm 32:7

When the enemy comes in like a flood the Lord will raise up a standard and deliver us. God is more than able to defeat any foe.

  • “So shall they fear
    The name of the Lord from the west,
    And His glory from the rising of the sun;
    When the enemy comes in like a flood,
    The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” – Isaiah 59:19 NKJV

God also promised us that he would use the fire of his presence to refine us. He will draw out all the impurities in our lives and wash us with His word. He is the potter, we are the clay. He will use the fire of His Holy Spirit and His Word to change us from the inside out.

  • “I will bring the one-third through the fire,
    Will refine them as silver is refined,
    And test them as gold is tested.
    They will call on My name,
    And I will answer them.
    I will say, ‘This is My people’;
    And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ” – Zechariah 13:9 NKJV

God will be with us in the fire, just like He was with those 3 boys in the furnace.  We are not alone. God is with us. And good news, we will come out on the other side and not even smell like smoke!

  • “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste andspoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”  They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” – Daniel 3:23-25

 

From: godsfirewall.com

Wall of Fire Prayer:

Dear Lord,

You know. You see. We put our trust in You Lord to deliver us from the enemy. Salvation is for us and our families Lord. Deliver us. You are not willing that any should perish. Be a wall of fire around us Lord and be the glory within us.

As we walk through this firey trial Lord, remind us that You are with us, just like you were with those 3 boys. Protect us Lord. Let us come out on the other side and not even smell like smoke.

Give us divine wisdom and protection Lord as we sit in your presence. Renew our strength, renew our minds, and make the  path clear to us. Go before us and prepare the way. Protect us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever, amen!

fire

(all images from Pinterst)

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

Becoming a Woman of Courage

There is peace in salvation. There is peace in Jesus. There is forgiveness and rest in the Lord. But, may I be so bold – now what? We have been transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness and brought into the Kingdom of Light. Can I ask, “What do we do now?”

“For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty.” “- Colossians 1:13-14 AMP

 

That is my saga. My Pastor challenged us today. He said, “Don’t stop.” Two simple words that rocked me in the spirit. Don’t stop Diana. God is not done yet. There is a battle to be fought, souls to be won, and new life to be given.

“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;” -Phillipains 1;6 NKJV

future

There are those who have been taken captive by the Enemy’s lies and have believed the Liar. They are suffering, hopeless, and think that nobody cares or sees. That is not true. We are still here in the Kingdom and if God did it for us, He will bring them hope as well. God is no respecter of persons. He is not willing that any should perish.

God has raised us up Body of Christ for such a time as this. We are the light of the world and can grab them back from the edge of the cliff. We see and we hear their cries. We can step out with the compassion of Christ and make a difference.

Get up, look up, and don’t stop. God is not finished yet. He has raised you up for such a time as this!

warriors

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,  keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

And on some have compassion, making a distinction;  but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” – Jude 1:20-23 NKJV

Princess warrior

Music, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

4th of July Quotes to Celebrate America

Happy 4th of July America! A great day to celebrate our freedom and liberty in this country. There will be picnics, parades, carnivals, and fireworks all over America today!

Accordking to Wikipedia:

Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American coloniesregarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire.

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4th of July Quotes to Celebrate America

  1. “In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  2. “America is another name for opportunity.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  3. “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” — President Harry S. Truman
  4. “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” — Patrick Henry
  5. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do2bbf5016ad31fc1df2681e62fcdd2ae3 for your country.” — John F. Kennedy
    “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” — Benjamin Franklin
  6. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” — — Elmer Davis
  7. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.” — Abraham Lincoln
  8. “The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor, and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.” — John F. Kennedy
  9. “Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” — George Bernard Shaw
  10. “We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something—for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.” — Ronald Reagan
  11. “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” — Martin Luther King Jr,
  12. “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
  13. “This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith. ” — Lyndon B. Johnson
  14. “It is very inspiring, my friends, to come to this that may be called the original fountain of independence and liberty in America and here drink draughts of patriotic feeling which seem to renew the very blood in one’s veins. ” — Woodrow Wilson
  15. “The Declaration of Independence! The interest which in that paper has survived the occasion upon which it was issued; the interest which is of every age and every clime; the interest which quickens with the lapse of years, spreads as it grows old, and brightens as it recedes, is in the principles which it proclaims. ” — John Quincy Adams
  16. “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” — Thomas Paine
  17. “For you have been called to live in freedom. Use your freedom to serve one another in love.” — Galatians 5:13

 

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Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly

Aaron Tippin
Well if you ask me where I come from
Here’s what I tell everyone:
I was born by God’s dear grace
In an extraordinary place
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
It’s a big ol’ land with countless dreams
Happiness ain’t out of reach
Hard work pays off the way it should
Yeah, I’ve seen enough to know that we’ve got it good
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
There’s a lady that stands in a harbor
For what we believe
And there’s a bell that still echoes
The price that it cost to be free
I pledge allegiance to this flag
And if that bothers you, well that’s too bad
But if you got pride and you’re proud you do
Hey, we could use some more like me and you
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
Yes, there’s a lady that stands in a harbor
For what we believe
And there’s a bell that still echoes
The price that it cost to be free
No, it ain’t the only place on earth
But it’s the only place that I prefer
To love my wife and raise my kids
Hey, the same way that my daddy did
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
Songwriters: Aaron Tippin / Casey Beathard / Casey Michael Beathard / Kenny Beard
Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management US, LLC
Deliverance, Depression, God, Healing, Hope, Mental Illness, Music, Religion and Spirituality, Spiritual warfare, Spirituality

There is Power in Praise – Overcoming Depression and Sickness

There is Power in Praise. God inhabits the praise of His people. The Lord reminds us that when we are feeling down or discouraged or hopeless, we do have a rememdy. We can CHOOSE to put on the Garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

power of praise

For me, this means that no matter how I feel, I put on my praise. God is more than able to shake off illness, sickneess, discouragement, and depression. When I praise Him – He goes to work and defeats my enemies!

Remember the Israelites? When they s came to the promised land God gave them they marched Jerico around 7 days. 7 days without saying a word. Just march around the city. They saw those walls, they heard the people laughing at them and mocking them I am sure. They didn’t fight back. They just did what God told them. And then, on the 7th day:

  • “So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”- Joshua 6:20
  • By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. – Hebrews 11:30

Today, I speak to the mountains of depression, cancer, illness, lack and command them to fall down. Like my husband reminded us today, “If it didn’t want to bow, it shouldn’t have given us a name – because now it has to bow!” We know a NAME that is above ALL NAMES – JESUS!

  • “For  assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.Therefore I say to you,  whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “- Mark 11:23-24

 

  • “This is the day the Lord has made;
    We will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

If you need some tunes, here are the newest ones our Church, Janesville Apostolic Ministry are going to learn! Come on, crank it up and put on some PRAISE!

JAM 2018 SONGS:

 

praise verses

faith, God, Healing, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

The Devil isn’t the only liar! (part 4)

Please pray for Sarah – God is more than able to heal. Cancer is NOT from God – we bind it in Jesus Name and command it to leave. Lord, release your miraculous healing in Jesus Name!

My Thoughts about Revival

Lies.By Pastor Jeff,

Well its been a few days since I did my last blog on “Lies” and a lot has happened that made me step back a bit. I promised a more up beat message and that’s what you will get with this blog. Since then I found out that the doctors have diagnosed that my youngest daughters’ cancer has returned and that the prognosis is not good. I’m not calling the doctors a liar as they go by what they can see and past history as they diagnose patients. But I serve a God who is above past history, of what can be seen, for we find in Isaiah 53:4-5, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him…

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Deliverance, faith, God, Kingdom Authority, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

10 Quotes on Spiritural Warfare

This world is not all there is. There is a whole new realm of reality. The Heavenlies. Here is where the angels and demons fight.  Our prayers and worship can invade this place, and move mountains!

As children of the King of Kings, we have been made new and adopted into a new Kingdom. Our prayers have power. Our worship changes the atmosphere. – not because of what we do or how we do it, but because of  WHO we belong to – Jesus.  It’s His Power, His Authority, and His Word that brings the victory.  He had the victory at the Cross of Calvary. We have the privilidge and honor to bring His kingdom from Heaven to Earth and stand by His Word, enforce His Word, and watch His Word set captives free!

When we align ourselves with God, we enter the fight. Yes, there really is a war going on – and we are the Soldiers of God’s Army bringing His light into the darkeness to rescue the captives and set free those who have been bruised and broken. Spiritual Warfare is God’s way of setting prisoners free!

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” Isaiah 61:1

Prayer Warrior

10 Quotes on Spiritual Warfare

  1. “The nature of the enemy’s warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God’s deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God’s resurrection power.” ― Bob Sorge, Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth
  2. “If you are a Christ follower, the evil one is after you. When you signed on for Christ, you enlisted in a great war. You became a combatant in a titanic battle for spiritual dominion that has been going on since before Adam and Eve. The enemy has marked you for annihilation, and his demonic armies are aiming their big guns right at your heart. Satan wants you to stumble and fall. He wants your failure to cause others to think that Christianity is empty of meaning and powerless to change lives. If he can tempt you to forget whose side you’re on just for a moment… if Satan can get you to forget your commitment to holiness for just that moment, he may bring down not only you, but others who are watching you. It’s a serious thing to be a follower of Jesus. We must find ourselves in a state of constant dependency on him. We must ask God for his strength to overcome the evil one and resist such temptations.” ― Michael W. Smith
  3. “I believe that the attacks on your life have much more to do with who you might be in the future than who you have been in the past.” ― Lisa Bevere, Girls with Swords: Why Women Need to Fight Spiritual Battles
  4. “Whatever your station or position in life, there is always room for improvement, enhancement, and perfection. I say this with a great sense of humility. Regardless of what you are enjoying at the moment, the Lord says that he has something better for you! No matter what you have achieved, attained, or accomplished in this world, there are more challenges and blessings ahead. God says that you have stayed long enough on this mountain. It is time to press forward to take more territories and receive more trophies.” ― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ
  5. “The devil takes his victories,” the man replied, “wherever men of God lose heart, and leave the field to him.” ― Orson Scott Card, Seventh Son
  6. “Prayer is picking a fight with the Enemy. It’s spiritual warfare. Intercession transports us from the sidelines to the front lines without going anywhere. And that is where the battle is won or lost. Prayer is the difference between us fighting for God and God fighting for us. But we can’t just hit our knees. We also have to take a step, take a stand. And when we do, we never know what God will do next.” ― Mark Batterson, All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life
  7. “We do well to be reminded that the devil hates a praying leader and a praying church. When we begin to pray, we pick a fight with the devil at a whole new level. Yet, our calling is to be praying menaces to the enemy.” ― Daniel Henderson, Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word
  8. “If you are paralyzed by your past, if Satan is destroying your gifts and your calling by his incessant replaying of old tapes, you’re actually being hit by a double whammy. The original damage in the past is one thing – but now you’re letting yourself be hurt and sidetracked again by the memory of what happened… We should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, and these ugly memories are one of the main weapons in his arsenal.” ― Jim Cymbala, Fresh Faith: What Happens When Real Faith Ignites God’s People
  9. “Don’t attempt to fight the enemy in your own strength. You will experience burnout, and you will fail. Don’t even think about it! The key is to engage in spiritual warfare God’s way. And that is by resting in him and fighting from victory, not for victory!” ― Pedro Okoro, The Ultimate Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Learn to Fight from Victory, Not for Victory!
  10. “God isn’t asking you to fight the devil. He is asking you to simply uphold or sustain the victory won by Jesus at Calvary and enforce his authority over the devil. You’re like the traffic warden who raises his hand and the vehicles stop. They don’t stop because he can physically bring the vehicles to a halt, but because he is representing and upholding the authority of the state.” ― Pedro Okoro, The Ultimate Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Learn to Fight from Victory, Not for Victory!
God, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

God is Preparing You for Great Things

We all have seasons in our lives. Spring is great, everything is growing and turning green. Winter just sucks in my book. I am not a snowbird. I don’t like cold. Everything is buried and dormant. Winter is a hard season – both in the natural and in the spiritual.

We have seasons in our faith walk too. There are times of growth where wer feel like we are on fire, and then other times when it seems like absolutely nothing is happening. This is normal.

We can’t base our faith on how we feel.

God is faithful and He promised never to leave us or forsake us.

So guess what? God is there whether we “feel” Him or not!

I love that! My feelings are pretty fickle. They come and go and change from day to day. Some days they just don’t make sense. I mean, I know God is with me and for me, but some days I feel like I fell off the turnip truck and missed my ride.

Those are the times, the dry seaosons, that I need to read the Word more and look for myself what God really says about preparing us for great things. His plans for us are so much better than what we could have dreamed up ourselves.

faith

God’s Word for You:

  • “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.” – Phillipians 1:6 NKJV
  • “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV
  • “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
    Because His compassions fail not.
     They are new every morning;
    Great is Your faithfulness.
    “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “Therefore I hope in Him!”” – Lamentations 3:22-24 NKJV
  • “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

God is greater

faith, God, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Father’s Day Quotes and Bible Verses about our Heavenly Father

Happy Father’s Day! Some of us have our fathers still here on Earth. Some have them in Heaven. Today I thought I would share some quotes about our Heavenly Father, Abba Father. God is so good. He is not mad at you – he is madly in LOVE with you!

god the father

Father’s Day Quotes and Bible Verses about our Heavenly Father

  • “God attaches no strings to His love. None. His love for us does not depend on our loveliness. It goes one way. As far as our sin may extend, the grace of our Father extends further.” ― Tullian Tchividjian, One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World
  • “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” ― John 14:1-2
  • “Not even death can take us from the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father. ” ― Joseph B. Wirthlin
  • “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” ― 1 John 3:1
  • “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. ― Matthew 18:12-14
  • “Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you – as His precious daughter or son with divine potential.” ― Dieter F. Uchtdorf
  • “A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.”  ― Psalm 68:5-6
  • “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” ― Matthew 6:26
  • “We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever.” ― Joseph B. Wirthlin
  • “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 1For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” – Romans 8:12-17 NKJV
  • “The love of God is one of the great realities of the universe, a pillar upon which the hope of the world rests. But it is a personal, intimate thing too. God does not love populations, He loves people. He loves not masses, but men.” – A.W. Tozer
  • ” I am writing to you, my children, for your sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him Who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have power over the devil. I have written to you, young boys and girls, because you have learned to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him Who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong. You have kept God’s Word in your hearts. You have power over the devil.
    Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love is not in him. For everything that is in the world does not come from the Father. The desires of our flesh and the things our eyes see and want and the pride of this life come from the world. The world and all its desires will pass away. But the man who obeys God and does what He wants done will live forever.” ― 1 John 2:12-17 NLV
  • “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” ― Matthew 6:8
  • “Jesus answered, `I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me…. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” ― John 14:6,9
  • “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [or Comforter] to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth.” ― John 14:16

honor

 

Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin

 

Good Good Father
Chris Tomlin
I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
‘Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us
Oh, it’s love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
Into love, love, love
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father
You are perfect in all of your ways
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
You are perfect in all of your ways
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
Songwriters: Anthony Brown / Joseph Patrick Martin Barrett
Good Good Father lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group
Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

A Very Bumpy Bus Ride – My Lesson in Humility

I take so much for granted. I admit it. Sometimes I forget how far the Lord has brought me. How much He has blesssed me. I had a lesson in humility this past week. The brakes went out on my truck. I made it home, thank you Lord. But the light was on and no matter how much brake fluid I added, it leaked right out by the back tire.

My husband, God bless him, said he wanted to fix it instead of taking it in. He had done the front brakes earlier this year. So the fun begins. He took the tire off and it was drum brakes. Lots of springs and little pieces. Looked liked a nightmare to me, but he was game.

That was last Monday. Let’s say, there were parts to be bought, tools that were needed. And one very stubborn husband who was determined to get the job done. I admit it, I would have not even attempted it – way too many parts!

In order to get to work, my husband took me and dropped me off this past week. I forgot what a blessing having a running vehicle was. I took it for granted that it would always work and I could go where I wanted to go.

There was one night he got stuck at a job over 2 1/2 hours away. I got off at 5 and went outside. Then what? Here I sit. Most of my coworkers had left at 4:30 so I couldn’t ask them for a ride. I thought about flagging a car down, but hey, I never did do the hitchhiking thing.

So I sat for a moment. There was that initial moment of panic when I thought, “Oh no, I am going to be stuck here all night.” No Diana, you are not staying here all night. Then you run through your kids and your friends and wonder who can I call to come get me? I texted a few – all still at work. Ugghhh.

Then Holy Spirit opened up my mind. My work is on a bus route. I hadn’t ridden a bus in years. The last time was when I was living in a violent relationship and my husband at the time wouldn’t let me have my own car. It was a very troubling time in my life. But hey, a bus? Why not? I walked over to the bus stop about a block down. I called the number on the sign and asked when the next bus was coming by. Guess what? There was one in 10 minutes! Yeah!

The bus pulled up and I got out my wallet. I thought hey, I’ll go to the mall until my husband could come get me. I had no idea how much it was. I asked the driver – only $1.50 but I would have to get a transfer to get to the mall. Ok, here I go.

I sit down in the seat and look around. Across from me is a visually impared woman with a service dog.  The dog was laying down quietly at her feet and had a doggie jacket on that said, “Don’t pet me, I’m working.”  I smiled. The driver took off and as we drove through the city I thought, “Hey this isn’t so bad.” I can get accross town and not even have a car! I looked back at the woman. She was sitting quitetly enjoying the ride.

And then it hit me. I can’t imagine the hardship this woman went through to even get on the bus without her sight. Just trying to get to the store, or work, or wherever was so much harder for her than me. My heart dropped. Here I was all upset I didn’t have my truck and yet this same bus is how she got around everyday. Forgive me and my pride Lord. humility 2

The bus hit a bump, I grabbed for the rail. It seemed like we were going so fast.  This bus is so bumpy! We rode to the bus station and she got off. She walked over to the next bus as she was transferring too. Turns out it was the bus to the mall.

I followed her in as she sat down. This time I sat behind her and prayed that God would restore her sight. I thanked God for the lesson in humility and learning to be grateful for what I do have. And I asked God to bless her.

We arrived at the mall together. She got off and the dog tried to go back to the air conditioned bus. It was one of those 90 degree days. She stopped him, and they walked in together to the mall. The same place I went to hang out for an hour until my husband could get me.

Life lesson learned – things are not as bad as they seem. There are always others who have much more to deal with on a daily basis. Life is good, God is good, and I had a very enjoyable bumpy bus ride!

humility

 

Anxiety, Healing, Hope, Life, Mental Illness, Religion and Spirituality, teens, Uncategorized

Mom-xiety – When You Don’t Know What is Going On and You Panic

It was a normal Saturday. Our teens were out doing their thing as my husband and I focused on house stuff – well and Netflix too. A great relaxing day. Then I texted one of my kids. Just checking in, mom stuff – you know. No answer. I brushed it off, no big deal.

Four hours later, I texted again. Still no answer. Another hour later – still no answer. That’s it – that was all my imagination needed to get off to the races. My anxiety started to rise. My heartbeat increased. My mind was going a thousand miles an hour.

What it they were kidnapped?

What if someone did something to them?

What if they are hurt and can’t call me?

What if they don’t want to talk to me?

What if they got a ticket and are in jail?

What if they are dead somewhere on the side of the road and can’t call?

Yeah, you know.

“Mom-xiety – when you don’t know what is going on and you panic.” – Diana Rasmussen

I busied myself most of the day. Then went to try to go to sleep. Texted again, still no worry and faithanswer. Well that was it – I was off to the races again. I couldn’t fall asleep. The pictures in my mind kept getting worse and worse.

Why do we always think the worst?

I was up every 2 hours last night, checking my phone. Not wanting to make a big deal, I didn’t call them or their friends. I thought about it though.

I could have hunted them down like an animal. I could have gotten in my car and went and made a fool of myself, I didn’t. I stayed home and worried. Yeah I prayed – “God you take care of them, so I don’t kill them for not getting back to me.”

I woke up early Sunday morning, 5:00 am. By 5:30 am I couldn’t take it anymore. I texted their friend. Still no answer. I was pacing the floor by this point. This Mom-xiety is awful!  I hate that feeling of being out of control and not knowing what is going on. That’s the truth.

It was about 7 when I got a text from my child. All was well. They had gone boating and had not brought their phone. I didn’t know wheter to laugh or cry from releif! I didn’t lose it and bite their head off. They were out living life and having fun, and being responsible. I was the nutcase yesterday.

Some days I have it together, and other days I just lose it. I wish I wasn’t so up and down. Anxiety sucks. Yeah, I take meds. Yeah, I pray. But when your heart is pounding out of your chest and your brian is a tornado and you can’t breath – then what?

Do I have faith. Yes I do.  Somedays, I guess I just forget to use it.

bible verses for anxiety

 

 

Bible Study, faith, God, Healing, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Women

12 Things Women Give Birth To – Mother’s Day 2018

Here are 12 things woment give bith to. It is the Word God have me to share at our Women’s Luncheon this year. God bless you!

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Copyright 2018 Diana Rasmussen

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Gal. 5:22-26 NKJV  

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A tree doesn’t have to work to make fruit. You don’t walk outside and hear an orange tree saying, “Uggggg, Ohhhhhh, give me an orange.” You don’t walk through an apple orchard and hear, “Noooooo, Ouchhhhhhh, Oh myyyyyyyyy, give me an apple.

Why?

Because that is what is was made to produce.

The fruit is already in the tree.

God made it that way.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV

Yes, the trees need water, they need sunlight, and soil. But the important thing is – they were already made to birth fruit!

I want you to think of a birthing suite. There is a special room, special Doctors and Nurses. A special place to bring a baby into the world. God is our father. We are his inheritance, We are His children. He will birth new things from Heaven to Earth – through us. We are God’s Birthing Suite.

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As women we were made to birth new things. Yes, we birth children, but God also created us to birth new ministries, new life, and new hope into those we touch. Do you remember your mothers touch? You would be sad or upset, and she would scoop you into her arms and hug you.  That love would drive out the sadness or the anger. It washed over you like waves until all you felt was good.

There is healing in our hands. God has given us the right and the authority to heal. A woman’s touch can change world!  As mothers of children and ministries and hope we carry within us the Healer, the Redeemer, the King of Kings. Sometimes it’s just a friend that needs someone to listen. Other times it’s a family in need of desperate prayer. Either way, God hears and answers our prayers.

DEFINITION OF BIRTH

• an act or instance of being born

• the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent

• high or noble birth

• any coming into existence; origin; beginning

 

12 Things Women Give Birth To

1. Forgiveness

God calls us his Beloved. We are already loved and accepted by what Jesus did at the cross. We are forgiven god calls us to share that forgiveness with others. I remember when my mom was passing away. I was there in the hospital with her. She started bringing up things that she regretted. I stopped her. All I said was, “Mom, I forgive you. You did the best you could with what you had. I love you. And God forgives you too.” She started crying. Forgiveness is a powerful thing we birth into others. It has the power to break down walls and years of regret. Offer it generously.

2. Love

Women know how to love. God made us that way. We will go out of our way to help someone in need. We will sacrifice every day for our children and our families. We will love the lost. We love the broken. In fact, we are the first to get out the Band-Aids and antibiotic lotion. We will bandage up the broken. Do you remember when Jesus died and was buried in the tomb? It was the women that went to the tomb to anoint Him.

3. Hope

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

God is the author of hope. His hope is our anchor. Our hope is not in ourselves, but in God! How can we go wrong when we place our hope in the hands of the Maker of Creation? He knows all things, can do all things, and will bring life to the dead! God will use that hope to spill on over to those we meet. Your hope in the middle of this crazy world is what will draw people to you like a magnet. The entire creation, even the Earth is groaning for HOPE!

4. Children

Do you remember when God decided to enter his creation as a man? He chose a woman to give Him birth. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and she became pregnant. God chose a woman to carry Him, to hold Him, to love him when he was a baby. He knew that a woman’s touch would help him grow and thrive. As women we have the ability to bear children. We also find ourselves caring for other people’s children. Heck, we usually adopt the whole neighborhood!

5. Peace

Have you noticed how women are peacemakers? Give a woman a few kids fighting and she will instinctively jump right in the middle of it and break it up. God made us that way. We crave peace. So do those around us. God gave us peace that surpasses all understanding, and we carry to those who we touch

6. Joy

God had given us joy unspeakable. Joy that bubbles up like rivers of living water from the depths of our being. There are times we laugh out loud at the smallest thing. That is the Joy of the Lord spilling over. Joy is contagious. Have you ever laughed uncontrollably and all of a sudden so is everyone else? That is what our God does. He delights in you my Princess. You are the apple of His eye and he adores you!

7. Ministries

God has a place for women in his Body the Church. Without women, it would be pretty dry out there! We are the water for a dry and weary land. We are the light bearers who go rescue those who are lost in the darkness. We are the hands of God to a lost and dying world.

8. New life

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things,
Who stretches out the heavens all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;” – Isaiah 44:24 NKJV

God will use us to bring life to dead things. Have you noticed how a woman can take a run down old house and make it a home? We are resourceful. We use what we have. We are creative. God made us that way. We bring life to the dead, just like Jesus.

9. Faith

 “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”” – Matthew 21:21-22 NKJV

The faith we carry to those around us will open up the doors of Heaven over them. Our faith is contagious in a good way. When we bring God into the situation, we bring health, healing, hope, love, forgiveness, and new life!

10. Healing

“In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.” – Act 28:7-10 NKJV.

As women of God there is healing in our hands. We carry in us this hope of Glory, Christ in us. Christ can touch people and heal them when we simply reach out and touch someone. God will do the healing. We can just lay hands on them and they shall recover, God promised!

11. Prayer

“ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6 NKJV

“Confess your trespasses[ to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” -James 5:16 NKJV

Our prayers move mountains. When we stumble and fall, there is a sister to pick us up. We carry each other’s burdens. We pray for one another. God answers our prayers.

12. Power

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.  Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 NKJV

God fills us with His power with the Holy Spirit. We have received a deposit. A precious deposit that guarantees our inheritance. It marks us as His.

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1;11-13 NKJV

To summarize, the fruit is already in you. God put it there.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:16-17 NKJV

You were give the power with Jesus to birth 12 new things into this world:

Forgiveness, Love, Hope, Children, Peace, Joy, Ministries, New Life, Faith, Healing, Prayer, and Power.

Now go on out there and share the love, and share the fruit, in Jesus Name!

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God, Life, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

Quotes About New Birth and New Beginnings

Everybody loves a new baby. Just the act of bringing forth a new life into the world is a miracle. New babies are so adorable. Life is so precious. Totally helpless, the new baby  depends on their parernt(s) or adopted parent(s) to feed them, to hold them, to love them. Babies aren’t picky. Anyone will do. All babies need someone to help.

The same is true for the Church. New babies in Christ are born all the time. They need spiritual mommies and daddies to care for them, to feed them, to hold them, and to love them. Let us be the hands and feet of Jesus and not only look forward or to our own needs, but let us  look beside us to feed the new babies Lord.

Babies remind us that we can all begin again. We can always make a new choice and start over. God is patitent with us. He is not willing than anyone should perish. God is FOR us, not against us. Let us start today – with our new life and a new beginning with Jesus. Your story is not over yet – it is just beginning!

born again

Quotes About New Birth and New Beginnings

 

  • “God’s Word is the living seed that brings new birth. It is the milk that nurtures the new life of a young Christian and the meat that builds the muscle of a mature believer.” ― Colin S. Smith
  • “As a newborn baby breathes and cries, so the signs of life in a newborn Christian are faith and repentance, inhaling the love of God and exhaling an initial cry of distress. And at that point what God provides, exactly as for a newborn infant, is the comfort, protection, and nurturing promise of a mother.
    “If God is our father, the church is our mother.” The words are those of the Swiss Reformer John Calvin … it is as impossible, unnecessary, and undesirable to be a Christian all by yourself as it is to be a newborn baby all by yourself.” ― N.T. Wright
  • “A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can’t be both. But with God we’re both born of Him and adopted by Him.” ― Jerry Bridges
  • “Faith is the evidence of new birth, not the cause of it.” – John Piper
  • “The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.” ― Brennan Manning
  • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • “Eternal life is not a peculiar feeling inside! It is not your ultimate destination, to which you will go when you are dead. If you are born again, eternal life is that quality of life that you possess right now.” – Major Ian Thomas
  • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
  • “The gospel declares that no matter how dutiful or prayerful we are, we can’t save ourselves. What Jesus did was sufficient.” ― Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
  • “A transformed life is the greatest of all miracles. Every time a person is “born again” by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ, the miracle of regeneration is performed.” ― Billy Graham

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