The Haven of Rest

The Haven of Rest 

My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying,
“Make Me your choice”;
And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!

 

Refrain

I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
In faith taking hold of the Word,
My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
 The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.

 

Refrain

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the “Haven of Rest.”

 

Refrain

How precious the thought that we all may recline,
Like John, the belovèd so blest,
On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm,
Secure in the “Haven of Rest.”

 

Refrain

O come to the Savior, He patiently waits
To save by His power divine;
Come, anchor your soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
And say, “My Belovèd is mine.”

 

Refrain

 

 

Give Thanks

Give Thanks By Don Moen

 

 

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

 

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks

 

We give thanks to You oh Lord

We give thanks

 

 

 

 

Sunday, November 2, 2014

 

 

Today is Sunday. There are a lot of times I am feeling sad because I am home instead of church. There are a lot of times I am sad that I am home instead of anywhere. My fibromyalgia keeps me at home and I miss out on being able to live life the way I want to.  Making plans and scheduling anything is difficult. Yesterday was a good day and I didn't overdue anything so there wasn't any chance of being too tired or sore the next day. Sounds great except guess what? I'm too tired and in too much pain to be able to attend church today. At the beginning I mentioned I was sad, but I have a lot of other feelings that go along with being at home. Sad. Lonely. Angry. Bitter. Irritated. Left out. Isolated. And with all the emotions there are physical problems to deal with. Tired. Pain. Dizzy. Weak. Aching. Fibro fog. I struggle to make sense of all of this. I wonder what good will come of this? What good am I at all to anyone?

I search and I find little bits that help me through the pain.

 

From Randy Alcorn's book Seeing the Unseen:

Perspectives from God’s Word

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

Perspectives from God’s People

“I want to stay in the habit of ‘glancing’ at my problems and ‘gazing’ at my Lord.” —Joni Eareckson Tada

“There are rare and wonderful species of joy that flourish only in the rainy atmosphere of suffering.” —John Piper

9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom

Moms, a new resource just for you! 9 Traits of Life-Giving Mom

 http://amzn.to/ZrDLrb  #LifeGivingMOM 

 

 

 

9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom: Replacing my Worst with God’s Best is written by a mom for moms. Sue admits that she, like most moms, has moments where her own unresolved issues come to the surface. Discover how to embody the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your own life and home.

Book Trailer on Facebook

OBX Souvenirs

Vacations are fun! Even though my fibromyalgia kept me inside today, I'm still enjoying myself. The family went out today and picked up some OBX Souvenirs for me. Dolphin goodies and a spoon. It was so awesome to see the dolphins swimming the other day and these dolphin trinkets will be sweet reminders of the special vacation I had with the family.

For the Beauty of the Earth

The United Methodist Hymnal Number 092
Text: Folliot S. Pierpoint
Music: Conrad Kocher; Arr. by W.H. Monk
Tune: DIX, Meter: 77.77.77

---

1. For the beauty of the earth, 
 for the glory of the skies, 
 for the love which from our birth 
 over and around us lies; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour 
 of the day and of the night, 
 hill and vale, and tree and flower, 
 sun and moon, and stars of light; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of ear and eye, 
 for the heart and mind's delight, 
 for the mystic harmony, 
 linking sense to sound and sight; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

4. For the joy of human love, 
 brother, sister, parent, child, 
 friends on earth and friends above, 
 for all gentle thoughts and mild; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For thy church, that evermore 
 lifteth holy hands above, 
 offering up on every shore 
 her pure sacrifice of love; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

6. For thyself, best Gift Divine, 
 to the world so freely given, 
 for that great, great love of thine, 
 peace on earth, and joy in heaven:  
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

Being Real With Chronic Illness

I have the perfect quote about chronic illness:

"Ok. I’ve thought a time or two that perhaps my “over-sharing” on my blog (and then to Facebook, etc) may make some of my friends uncomfortable. But, honestly, these are my “friends” (most in the internet sense, some in the very real sense) so I would hope that they would love me regardless.... Stop letting our pride get in the way of allowing our invisible illnesses to be visible. If we need help we need to reach out and take it, and not deny ourselves those things we need because we don’t want people to see how bad we really feel, or because we don’t want to make others uncomfortable... It’s time for those of us who are chronically ill to start making our illness more real to those around us."-Julie Ryan

 

You can read the entire blog post here:

 

The Slow Death of Compassion For the Chronically Ill

Avocado Cilantro Lime Rice

Avocado Cilantro Lime Rice
 

I love Pinterest! It is so much fun to collect so many different ideas.  The latest recipe I tried was from Cooking Classy. This rice is perfect for your next homemade Chipotle night!

Blessed Redeemer

	Blessed Redeemer
Author:	Avis B. Christiansen

1 Up Calv’ry’s mountain, one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.
Refrain:
Blessed Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems I now see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding—dying for me!
2 “Father forgive them!” thus did He pray,
E’en while His lifeblood flowed fast away;
Praying for sinners while in such woe—
No one but Jesus ever loved so. [Refrain]
3 Oh, how I love Him, Savior and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Through years unnumbered on heaven’s shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore. [Refrain]

Prayer Request

Elizabeth Rose

#PrayerRequest #preemie #NICU #Akron Please pray for Elizabeth Rose that God would help her body grow strong, pray for her parents Jesse and Laura, and pray for the Dr's and nurses in charge of her care.

Recent Events

Jack has been enjoying the sunshine.

The cats have been busy catching birds.







And school is out!

A Look at Fibromyalgia

I saw this video and found encouragement from it. Take a look and try to understand. The pain and fatigue are so hard to deal with physically and emotionally. We want to live a normal, healthy life, but must find ways to cope with the disappointment of broken expectations. Thank you +Kelly Kvenlog Wichlacz !

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

-Philip P. Bliss 1875

Strange Fire- Book Review

Strange Fire Review
John MacArthur wrote this book with an amazing amount of passion. There are countless references he uses throughout the book to prove the truth he feels so strongly about. When I started reading, the introduction felt very harsh. How should one teach on the holiness and reverence due to our God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit? How should we act towards false prophets and their prophesies? After much thought, I discarded my emotions and fears of what I’ve been exposed to and really tried to look at this biblically. This book took a lot of courage to write and will challenge the way you think and act toward the Holy Spirit.






Quotes:
Speaking of Nadab and Abihu:
“These men certainly seemed to be godly, trustworthy spiritual leaders and faithful servants of God – young men of renoun.  No doubt virtually everyone in Israel esteemed them highly.”

“The real Holy Spirit is not an electrifying current of ecstatic energy, a mind-numbing babbler of irrational speech, or a cosmic genie who indiscriminately grants self-centered wishes for health and wealth.”

“In 1 John 4:1-8, the apostle outlined a strategy by which believers can become skilled at differentiating between the true work of the Spirit and the counterfeit ministries of false prophets.  Though written in the first century, the principles presented in these verses are timeless.”

“A true work of the Spirit convicts the heart of sin, combats worldly lusts, and cultivates spiritual fruit in the lives of God’s people.”

“…a true work of the Holy Spirit does not tempt people with empty pursuits or the lusts of the flesh; rather, it promotes personal holiness and resists worldly desires.”


Strange Fire youtube

What Once Was Lost - Book Review

About This Book - Back Cover

A woman meant to serve, a child in the dark, a man standing apart—can these three souls embrace a God with new plans for them?

On a small Kansas farm, Christina Willems lovingly shepherds a group of poor and displaced individuals who count on her leadership and have come to see the Brambleville Asylum for the Poor as their home. But when a fire breaks out in the kitchen leaving the house uninhabitable, she must scramble to find shelter for all in her care, scattering her dear “family.”

With no other options, Christina is forced to approach Levi Jonnson, a reclusive mill owner, to take in a young blind boy named Tommy Kilgore. Levi agrees with reluctance but finds himself surprised by the bond that quickly grows between him and Tommy. As obstacles to repairing the farm pile up against Christina, she begins to question her leadership ability and wonders if she can fulfill the mission to which she's dedicated her life. And when an old adversary challenges Christina, will she find an unlikely ally—or more—in the aloof Levi? Can Levi reconcile with the rejection that led to his hermit-like existence and open his heart and life to something more, especially a relationship with a loving God?

This book was such a beautiful story of faith, friendship, and forgiveness. Christina Williams is a woman who is in charge of running a poor house. She is a kind leader who shows such love and devotion to the people in her care. When there is a fire that leaves them homeless, she tirelessly finds everyone a temporary home. While worries seem to overwhelm, she contacts the mission board in hopes they will provide funds to rebuild the home. The board adds to her worries when their decisions are not what she has in mind.

Ms. Williams prays throughout the book while facing difficult people and unfair situations. She grows more and more into a loving Christian though all the hardships. The author Kim Vogel Sawyer did a wonderful job with developing Christina's disposition through trials and using all of the other characters in the book.

What Once Was Lost will uplift you. I believe it is possible for fiction to bring you closer to God and rethink how you treat other. This is a five star book.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Free Webshow

Priscilla Shirer interviews Beth Moore Friday on her new Bible study, Children of the Day! The show starts at 6:30 p.m. CST, and you can watch it here: http://thechatwithpriscilla.com/thechat/

 

Restoration

Luke 15:1-32
The repentance and conversion of sinners on earth are matter of joy and rejoicing in heaven. It is possible that the greatest sinners may be brought to repentance. While there is life there is hope, and the worst are not to be despaired of; and the worst of sinners, if they repent and turn, shall find mercy. Yet this is not all, [1.] God will delight to show them mercy, will reckon their conversion a return for all the expense he has been at upon them. There is always joy in heaven. God rejoiceth in all his works, but particularly in the works of his grace. He rejoiceth to do good to penitent sinners, with his whole heart and his whole soul. He rejoiceth not only in the conversion of churches and nations, but even over one sinner that repenteth, though but one. -Matthew Henry

The Lost Sheep

 They that have left the fold in which they were nurtured in early life, and have gone over bleak mountains and through tangled brakes, find themselves in this exquisite picture. But the Lord is on their track. He cannot abide happily with the rest, while one sheep is liable to be torn by beasts of prey or caught away by eagles. He goes after it till He finds it. Don’t you think, mother, that the Lord loves that child of yours, now far away, as much as you do? Cannot you trust Him to seek until He finds? Then He will ask you to rejoice with Him. Jesus not only receiveth sinners, but seeketh them. Those who have always lived an outwardly correct life and who do not think themselves in need of repentance are the ninety and nine. -F.B. Meyer

The Lost Coin

This silver was lost in the dirt; a soul plunged in the world, and overwhelmed with the love of it and care about it, is like a piece of money in the dirt; any one would say, It is a thousand pities that it should lie there. Here is a great deal of care and pains taken in quest of it. This represents the various means and methods God makes use of to bring lost souls home to himself: he has lighted the candle of the gospel, not to show himself the way to us, but to show us the way to him, to discover us to ourselves; he has swept the house by the convictions of the word; he seeks diligently, his heart is upon it, to bring lost souls to himself.  -Matthew Henry

The Prodigal Returns

Sin is temporary madness. The first step to God is to come to ourselves. The prodigal’s real nature stood face to face with the ruin and havoc of his sin. Never, for a moment, had the Father ceased to love and yearn. There was an instant response to the slightest indication of repentance. Love was quicker than words, to understand what the prodigal meant. The confession was therefore cut short. Note the profuse welcome, meeting every need-the robe of righteousness, the ring of reconciliation, the kiss of love, the shoes of a holy walk, the feast of fellowship. -F.B. Meyer


The father thus showed his great tenderness towards him, and his great affection for him. -Adam Clark

Easy Knit Dishcloth

Knitting is hard work! I'm proud that I finished this dishcloth, but it takes a lot longer to knit one than crochet.  I need to keep practicing and hopefully my speed will increase.

Easy Knit Dishcloth

Face to face with Christ, my Savior

Lyrics: Mrs. Frank A. Breck

1. Face to face—what will it be?
   When with rapture I behold Him,
   Jesus Christ who died for me.
• Face to face I shall behold Him,
  Far beyond the starry sky;
  Face to face in all His glory,
    I shall see Him by and by!
2. Only faintly now, I see Him,
   With the darkling veil between,
   But a blessed day is coming,
   When His glory shall be seen.
3. What rejoicing in His presence,
   When are banished grief and pain;
   When the crooked ways are straightened,
   And the dark things shall be plain.
4. Face to face! O blissful moment!
   Face to face—to see and know;
   Face to face with my Redeemer,
   Jesus Christ who loves me so.

Be Still, My Soul

---

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
- Ka­tha­ri­na A. von Schle­gel

A December Bride Review

A December Bride (A Year of Weddings #1)

by Denise Hunter

"What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy, the best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiance would be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency, a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart."

Denise Hunter's book A December Bride is a fast, Christmas love story that will make you smile. I don't recommend living your love life this way, but this is fiction so enjoy the carefree, in the moment relationship through Seth and Layla. Four stars.

Water Walker Review

Wow. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book! I'm normally the happy Christian Amish type, but decided to try something different. Ted Dekker's Water Walker is very addicting. There was just enough suspense and mystery for someone like me (meaning that didn't make me too hyper or drive me insane).  I give this book 5 stars! The next time I need a change I will choose another one of his books.

Choosing God

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    For they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6 NKJV 

This morning I read a devotion from Anne Graham Lotz that I thought was perfect for a Sunday reflection. I pray that every day I will be choosing the things God would have me focus on instead of my own desires. 

The Beatitudes

 

Join the Facebook Book Study!

Good news! The No More Perfect Kids Facebook study group is now available for people to join. The study will run from April 1-May 27 and will read and discuss one book chapter a week. 

The Calling, (The Inn at Eagle Hill Book #2) -Book Review

The Calling, (The Inn at Eagle Hill Book #2)

About the Book:

Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime’s accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher–and he seems bent on irritating her to no end.
When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves–and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love.


Suzanne Woods Fisher did such a wonderful job on this book. I loved all the details she used describing Eagle Hill. The story moved along nicely and I fell further in love with the characters. Looking forward to the next book!

Coming Very Soon - No More Perfect Kids

In No More Perfect Kids, Savage and Koch take an in-depth look at the Perfection Infection, explore why it’s so
dangerous, and share four antidotes to help eradicate it from our lives. Building on that foundation, they then
explore seven core identity questions kids silently ask themselves and explain how parents can apply the antidotes
to answer those questions in a way that gives their child freedom to fly. These questions include:
• Do You Like Me? We have to nurture the children we were given and not the children we wish we had.
• Am I Important to You? Many positive and negative behaviors have their roots in whether our children feel
important and valued.
• Is it Okay I’m Unique? We all have specific traits, talents, learning styles, and temperaments that God longs
to use for His purposes.
• Who am I? The more they hear you call out their unique, defining, positive traits, the more they will begin to
define themselves positively too!
• Am I a Failure? Our children are in process, and the more often we remind ourselves of this, the more grace
and love we’ll have for them along the way.
• What’s My Purpose? Understanding why we’re in the world and what impact we can make gives us inherent
value both as members of society and members of God’s family.
• Will You Help Me Change? Loving them for who they are means we don’t expect more than they’re capable
of. It does mean, however, we don’t expect less and we don’t expect them to be what they cannot be.
“When you and I can let go of “being perfect” and really embrace the process of “being perfected” by God, we’ll
experience the contentment and freedom we intrinsically long for,” says Savage.” And, we’ll give our children the
freedom to be themselves.”

 

This book is fantastic and I highly recommend it to every parent!

Find Out More!!

Psalm 98

Psalm 98 NKJV

98:1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

 
² The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.

 
³ He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴ Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

 
⁵ Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,

 
⁶ With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

⁷ Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;

 
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord,

 
⁹ For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.

Take My Life And Let It Be

Take My Life And Let It Be

1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

-Frances Havergal

Happy Birthday Travis

Today is Travis's birthday. We will be going out to dinner with a lot of the family, but Travis won't be with us. He is in heaven. Travis passed away June 30, 2013. SUDEP - Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. He was only 23. I have a lot of questions jumbled in my head. I have a few Bible verses floating in there too. Trying to put answers to the questions isn't easy. Some things are incomplete. That is where faith and trust come in. I will believe God knows all things. I will trust God in all things. I will love God in all that happens in this life.  He is LOVE.  He is FAITHFUL. He is GOOD.  He is JUST. 

Why did God let Travis have epilepsy? 

Psalm 139:13-14

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;^[a]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

-God made Travis. God knew the family Travis would belong to. God knew Travis would have epilepsy.

Why do I have to feel this pain? Why did Travis suffer with epilepsy? Why did we have to worry about his epilepsy?

Romans 8:18 

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

-I won't always feel this way. Travis isn't suffering now. This life cannot compare to the next.

What is God thinking? What is God doing? What is the purpose of this?

^{Isaiah 55:8,9}

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

^{Job 1:20-22}

²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

^{Romans 8:28}

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 Revelation 21:4

 ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

-The death of Travis was a shock. I have trouble putting my grief into words. I know that God is in control. I still praise God. Sin has hurt this world. Look forward to the future.

 (*Disclaimer* I am not a theologian and I have fibro fog. I know "context is king" and things may not answer all the whys but I've tried my best. God's comfort is what I seek and hope I can help someone else.)

Evangelism - Sharing the Truth

Be a good person. Do good deeds. Act like a Christian. Go to church.

These are all great things, but none of it will get you into heaven. There are many who don't know what it truly means to be a Christian. We need to go into the world and tell people about sin, forgiveness and that there is truth to be found.

"It matters whether we believe truth or falsehood. Believing falsehood will lead to ruin.  God wants those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth."

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in 

spirit and truth.  John 4:24 NKJV

"The goal of evangelism is helping people enter into a relationship with Christ as Lord, not merely getting them to live a more "Christian" lifestyle. ... Cleaning up dirty bad habits is no substitute for a life-altering relationship with Christ." -FUSION teaching guide for adults

Not sure how to share your faith? One way is using the "Romans Road". Use your Bible to show the need for salvation. Highlight, underline, *star and/or memorize the following verses in the book of Romans:

Romans Road NKJV

• ^3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

• ^6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• ^5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  

• ^10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  

Pray for wisdom and courage to tell the world the truth. You can do this!

Trust and Obey

Trust and Obey

Text: John H. Sammis, 1846-1919
Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1850-1919

---

 When we walk with the Lord 
 in the light of his word, 
 what a glory he sheds on our way! 
 While we do his good will, 
 he abides with us still, 
 and with all who will trust and obey. 
 

 Not a burden we bear, 
 not a sorrow we share, 
 but our toil he doth richly repay; 
 not a grief or a loss, 
 not a frown or a cross, 
 but is blest if we trust and obey. 
 

 But we never can prove 
 the delights of his love 
 until all on the altar we lay; 
  for the favor he shows, 
 for the joy he bestows, 
 are for them who will trust and obey. 
 

 Then in fellowship sweet 
 we will sit at his feet, 
 or we'll walk by his side in the way; 
 what he says we will do, 
 where he sends we will go; 
 never fear, only trust and obey. 
  

        Refrain:
 Trust and obey, for there's no other way 
 to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

It Is Well With My Soul - Book Review

 Book Review  It Is Well With My Soul 

This is absolutely one of the best devotionals that gives comfort and encouragement during difficult life situations.  Shelly Beach did an excellent job collecting the many life stories of people and sharing her situations to give hope to those who are hurting.

A story about Jill Gibbs on pg 105 was something that really spoke to me.

 Her advice for other women who mother with handicaps? “God gave you to your child.  He loves your child even more than you do.  He chose you to be your child’s mother, and your children aren’t getting the short end of the stick. Parenting may be difficult, but you’re the right parent for your son or daughter.”

With the diagnosis of my fibromyalgia I have struggled with a lot of false guilt. It is very painful at times to not be able to do activities with the family or even be able to do the simplest household duties. It is a relief to hear I am not messing my family up. With God’s help you can use illnesses and tragedies to make children stronger and full of compassion for others.

There are a lot of books out that are given to the hurting by well meaning people. Sometimes their “thoughtfulness” isn’t appreciated. This book is definitely one that will not be offensive but truly a treasure to own.