Have you ever been sitting by a pool in the hot summer sun and thought, “why am I sitting here sweating when I could just get in the water and feel so much better?” I love the sun and the water in the summer, but I would so much rather be in the water when it’s hot than out of the water sweating, you know?

One day, Jesus encountered a man at the pool of Bethesda who had been sick for 38 years. The Bible says that there was a multitude of sick people all waiting around the pool for an angel to stir the waters so one could go into the water and receive healing. Now my thought is this: if Jesus’ first question to the man was, “Sir, do you want to get well?”, I believe that Jesus was confronting him as to how long he wanted to remain by the pool without getting into the water to receive healing. Thirty-eight years is long enough for him to ask someone for help to put himself in a position to be healed. Imagine if you were in that position. Wouldn’t you ask a friend to put you as close to the water as possible so that when the water was stirred you could just roll right in!?

In the story, Jesus, who is loving and overflowing with sweet compassion, spoke the Word to the man and he was healed. But as we continue to read the story in John chapter 5, we see that Jesus still had some unfinished business with this man. In the same chapter, Jesus admonishes him to go and sin no more. Wonder what was happening in this man’s mind at that point?  Sometimes it’s easier to nurse hurt feelings and remain in self-pity than it is to do the hard thing and ask for help. What will they think of me if I ask? I’m embarrassed. I can work this out myself.

However, God invites us to come and let Him touch and heal us. I’ve seen Him heal me instantly on a couple of occasions. I’ve also prayed for the Lord to bring about the miraculous in my life only to have to wait a few years to see the answer. However, when I did see the answer, I understood God’s timing. At other times, I’ve let myself hurt while thinking, “It will get better…”, or “Others are worse off, I can wait…”, or “I can’t afford help!!!” and on and on. I remember feeling very much like the man by the pool waiting to to get in and God asking me the same question Jesus asked. Do you WANT to get well?

It’s a new day, a new spring time. Time to let go of the old, or clean out the junk that has been lying around for too long, and time to get in the water and let God bring refreshing and healing. He wants to if you and I will just dive in.

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BLOGGER ID:

I want you to know that if you need prayer or are one of those, like the rest of us, who really would like someone to talk with… Please, please contact us. I can help put you with people who are qualified to help you. Don’t stay out there alone. We would love to pray with you.

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When asked to use the theme, “Never say Never”, my mind goes to stories of bravery or people experiencing life set backs they thought would never happen to them. The stories that inspire me most are those, who when life gives them unexpected blows, they choose to grow and allow God to mold them into stronger people as a result.

Today, I’m reading a book about a missionary to New Guinea. She and her newly married husband found themselves in the jungles of New Guinea in the late 1930’s when war was fast approaching. Soon they were separated by Japanese soldiers and faced horrible tragic circumstances. She talks in her book about the effects the attack of Pearl Harbor had on them. It was so unexpected.  I’ve only just started the book by Darlene Deibler Rose called, Evidence Not Seen, so I can’t give a full account of the story. I do know that she was miraculously spared and lived through terrible persecution to later tell her story of God’s great love.

Now several years later, we are still facing war and heartache after suicide planes hit our country once again on September 11, 2001. It too, was unexpected, and I’m sure if one would have asked if they thought that would ever happen here, we would have said, no never.

Do you ever find it terribly hard to offer words of encouragement to those in the midst of heartache and loss? Have you ever found your own selves on the receiving end of the phone call that gives you the news that something has just happened to change the course of your life? And if asked prior to that call if you thought it could ever happen, you would have said, no never…?? I can say, yes I have, to both of those questions. And I know for myself that when the latter came and totally changed the course of my life forever, it was extremely hard to walk through. It truly was like living in someone else’s nightmare. That was the only way I knew how to describe the pain. I never would have expected it.

But just like America did, I woke up. I faced the fact that there are no perfect families. There are no perfect parents…etc. We are all just people with “stuff”. It challenged me to go to the only One I know that is perfect and the only One who can take our “stuff” and turn it into good for His Glory. I learned a lot from that experience. People ask me to pray a lot today and say I have a gift in that area. But honestly, what I have is a desperate heart for God because I know that only He can heal a broken heart. And because I committed my broken heart to His, I know I’m sheltered in His arms of Love.

Oh, and I can say, Never will He leave me, Never will He forsake me… Never….

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The year was around 605 BC. Many Jews had been taken captive by the pagan king, Nebuchadnezzar. He made himself an image of gold standing about the height of an eight story building. Some scholars say this was a statue of the king himself, or it could have also been a statue of one of his demon gods. The decree was issued by the king that all the people in his province would bow and worship this statue when they heard the sound of the musical instruments playing.

Daniel had been promoted to a different province and sat at the king’s gate over the affairs of another province of Babylon. His friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah found themselves alone to decide whether they would worship this pagan idol or the God of heaven that they served with passion.

Upon hearing the sound of the music the whole province bowed down to the idol. It probably looked like a sea of bowed-over bodies with heads to the ground. But wait!  No, there are three men still standing who have defied the king! Nebuchadnezzar was in a rage and gave the men another chance saying, “Now, if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, … and you fall down and worship the image…, good!  But if you do not, you will be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?

The men declared with boldness to the king that they had made their decision already. “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

The king got so mad, he had them tied up and thrown immediately into the burning fire. Suddenly, he looked and there were not three, but four.  One, he declared, looked like the Son of God. Beth Moore points out in her study on the book of Daniel that the only thing in that fire that was burned up were the ropes that tied their hands.

When faced with so much opposition in our culture to serve God, we are faced with the decision to serve God either in a state of lukewarm, uneffectiveness or with the zeal of these Hebrew men. Can you imagine the celebration that happened even in the fire as their ropes were burned off and they did a little joy march with Jesus? Oh, to have such a zeal, to have such passion!

One of my favorite scriptures I learned as a child was Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!”  The same God who walked with them in the fire  is still the One we can serve today.  I could go on, but I’ve gone over 500 words – my blog limit! Praise be to the God of Heaven! His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom!

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Have you ever received a gift either for a birthday or Christmas…etc, that you had no clue as to what it was supposed to be? A friend of mine has a funny story she likes to tell on herself about that happening to her.

She received for a wedding gift a little white cow creamer. However, never having seen one before, she thought it might be a little cow planter for planting ivy. She proceeded to try her best to grow ivy in that little creamer for several years. I’m not sure how she found out it was a creamer, but I think one of her friends asked her why she was using her creamer to try to grow ivy? She had even sent a thank you note to the person who bought it for her thanking them for the lovely cow planter. Needless to say, she was totally unsuccessful at growing ivy in it.

Trying to fit something or someone into a mold that they were never meant to be in leads to frustration to say the least. I’ve had some experiences being asked to fill in areas where I was not comfortable. I’ve taken those personality tests as well as the Spiritual gift tests many times; I always find myself a mercy person who likes to serve and to teach. I love to encourage and help others. However, if you place me in an administrative position, you will have a very tired and frustrated, not to mention sad, lady. I tend to be pleaser, so there have been a few times when that has happened to me. I worked hard and did the best I could, but as time wore on, I found myself crying a lot and wanting out. But if you place me where I can encourage you, come along side you to serve, or sit with you when you are sad, or teach a Bible study, I’m happy with that, and feel like I’m in my element.

God has given each one of us gifts and abilities to serve Him in His Kingdom. For so long, I did not see myself as having any abilities at all. I wrestled with big insecurities and felt like a mistake. I know better now, I also know that God doesn’t make mistakes. Sometimes the purposes and plans God has for you aren’t always clear; but I know that by taking the time to ask Him, and also talking to those who know and love you the most, you can find where you are needed and gifted.

May God richly bless all of you in this new year, 2012. And whatever you set your hand to do, do it with all your heart as to the Lord. – Laura

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Suffice it to say, it would be easy for me to say I am thankful for my family. I have three beautiful grown children, and two of them are married to the most wonderful people in the world, at least to me. One of them has given me three darling grandchildren. I have a prince of a husband. Yes, I am a blessed woman. I am thankful.

However, I know that at any time, any moment, life can take a turn, and all that we hold dear and precious can be taken from us. Painfully, we can say to God, this is more painful than I can bear.

Life is so unsure at times, and tragedy can strike when we least expect it. I’ve been there before. I know. Job had no idea what was coming to him in his blessed existence. Only God could see far enough in advance to know that all would be well.

So I guess the one thing that I’m so deeply grateful for is this:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God.” Job 19:25 & 26 Putting our hope in God, the One who sees far in advance, is wise. He will make all things well in your life and in mine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Several years ago, I was reading an article in the National Geographic magazine about human trafficking in Thailand. Young girls are being stolen and sold into the black underworld of the sex trade. They are brutally treated, traumatized, and robbed of their childhood and of their very lives. I was horrified and could not believe this was going on in the world. I stopped reading and began to pray for the girls I was seeing in the pictures. I prayed and I cried for them like they were my own.

Just this morning, I read another article on the CBN website about human trafficking right here in the United States. I had no idea that the painful sin against young children I had read about in Thailand was also happening right here in my backyard.

The article, “Young Christians Stand Against Human Trafficking…” was a story about some young Christian girls who had traveled around the world with YWAM to do some research, photography and ministry. In their travels, they discovered that human slavery is more prevalent than they had realized. Then they found out how huge it is in our country. They purposed to fight human trafficking by increasing public awareness.

As a result, they did their homework and wrote a book entitled, Sex + Money. The book documents what they saw during their travels; at the end of their journey, they could say the bottom line was all about sex and money.

Now they are a new abolitionist group to stop human trafficking. Their plans are to make a national directory of anti-trafficking groups in every state, bringing in universities, churches and anyone who will help them bring an end to this crisis against children.

I know that God is grieved over such sins. I know that it won’t be long before He steps in to bring an end to all by coming back for His own. In the meantime, I want to be part of praying for this generation and praying for parents to be strong in their own faith, so they can be aware of what their kids are listening to and what they are up to on the internet.  The articles I read said that, in America, human traffickers look for kids online who are easily fooled by these predators. They lure them to malls or favorite hang-outs posing as a friend of a friend or someone they might trust. They will go after kids as young as 9, 10 or 11.

How can we help? As Christians, we can pray and guard our children. Beth Moore says, “Teach them while they think you are brilliant and while they are soft.” Guard them with knowledge of the word of God.

I’m sure you can take this link to this article and the follow up article to be a part of the new anti-slavery movement as well. I like that!

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“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

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Editor’s Note:  Rescue Her is an organization started by one woman who wanted to make a difference and help bring an end to human trafficking.  Her website is informative and full of details of how you, too, can help make a difference.  Josie Carignan will have a booth at Prize Happenings the evening of our Girls’ Night Out event on October 21st.  

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Blogger ID:

Tell us about the pictures used in your post.   The pictures are from New Life Children’s Home in Guatemala.  They were taken during my daughter’s summer internship there.  Jessica’s Aunt Wendy and Uncle Kendon are the directors.  At the Children’s Home, around 50 children learn the Bible at a young age and receive teaching and prayer from their leaders.  If not for NLCH, these children would be among those who are trafficked, traumatized, or dead…

Why such a heavy post?  Somehow, I feel that if my little girl has been lured and was being traumatized, I might want someone to speak up on her behalf, so she might be helped.

Do you think child porn is part of this crime?  Yes, I do. Be a voice to stop it.

"The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable..."

“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” I Kings 3:9

When young Solomon, King David’s son, became King, God came to him in a dream and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

Solomon was given a huge responsibility to rule God’s people and knew he had to have help from above.

What is the big deal about wisdom?  Why do we need it?

Wisdom gets to the root cause of a problem. It cuts through the surface layers and gets way down to the real issue where the problems are truly solved.

Shortly after Solomon’s dream and wisdom request, he had two harlots come to him. Both ladies gave birth within a few days of each other.  One of the ladies rolled on her baby in the night and killed him.  Not being very wise, she then rose in the night and took the other baby boy from the other lady and put her dead child with the live baby’s mother.

They came to Solomon because they both claimed that the live child was her own.  The mom who had rolled over and killed her baby would not own her mistake and accept her grief.  Now, how would anyone prove which child belonged to the real mother?  In those days, they did not know about DNA to prove the real mother.  However, Solomon simply knew that the real mother had true love for her baby. So, he simply said, “ok, let’s take the baby and cut him in half and give each of you a half.” At that point, the real mother of the child had compassion for the baby and yearned for her son.  She said, “Oh, my lord, by no means kill him! Give him to the other woman!”  So the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him for she is his mother.”

How much we all need the wisdom from above. We all face situations in our lives when we just don’t know what to do. There are many who claim to be wise in this world. There are many words of wisdom, and they can be very confusing if we don’t get our wisdom from God.

The third chapter in the book of James tells us what these two kinds of wisdom look like. One is self-seeking and does not boast of the truth. It may sound good on the surface, but it is fleshly and selfish. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

The good news is that God promises to give us this wisdom from above if we just ask for it. He gives without finding fault, James1:5.

So God says, Ask, what shall I give you?

God, we need your wisdom from above.

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