What Can Make Me Whole Again?

From time to time I just

take the weekend to refresh

and feed on God's love,

grace and mercy...this was one of those weekends

I am so thankful for the time I spent

in quiet......just being still...

Sometimes I just get too busy, too rushed

or too influenced by what is going on in my life

and I need to just lay it all down at the feet

of my Savior..

I love the Matt Redman version of

Nothing But the Blood

so I have attached the link to the song here

Nothing But The Blood

Speaks righteousness for me

Stands in my defense

Jesus it's your blood

Nothing but your Blood King Jesus!

I pray that you all will take the time allow Jesus' blood to make

you whole again..........

In this everyday life.

Because He Lives....

Over the past 3-4 months I have had plenty of people ask me why I sign my cards of encouragement or my emails "Because He Lives" well this is the story....

When I was a little girl we used to have to special speakers come to the Church and they would stay and speak on a certain subject....as the hours would pass on each night, I would of course get real tired, I remember that I would lay on my mommas coat and pull it over the top of me and it was lined with the really good silky sateen (which is a whole nother story....called "Silky") and would smell just like my momma. As the message was coming to the end, there would always be a long closing prayer, a call to except Christ and then "the closing song" the songs back then you know the Hymns? were a big part of my growing up, physically and spiritually. Those hard years, you know the ones, I would and still do get choked up and teary when  we sang them. Some of my most favorites are: 

• Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
• Just a closer walk with Thee
• Softly and Tenderly
• How Great Thou Art
• The Old Rugged Cross
• In the Garden
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

So many more....

          But the one that sticks in my mind all the time is "Because He Lives" and the reason is this:

God sent His son, They called Him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died, to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know, I know, I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

How sweet to hold a new born baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still is that assurance the child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know, I know, I know He hold the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

And then one day, I'll cross that river. I'll fight life's final war with pain. And then as death gives way to victory. I'll see the light of glory and I'll know that He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives. 

Each and every word brings me peace, and even today when Satan attacks me and temps me to become someone other than what God desires me to be.....I can hear the sweet sweet voices in that little white Church, in the third pew, wrapped in my momma's sweet smelling-silky coat, as if it were the arms of my Savior,  and I know that Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, in this everyday life...

Jackie

Application Makes All The Difference

Such a great message

By Andy Stanley

Plain and simple!

Click below to enjoy a great message.

"APPLICATION MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE"

Encouragement and Instuction for

 this everyday life

Jackie

On Christ the Solid Rock

I am so thankful that the one true Solid consistent thing in my life is my Lord and Savior, Jesus, He is my rock, my true north. He is never changing. Thank brings me comfort in just remembering the faithfulness of God and the power of His word.

I hope and pray it brings you comfort too. Remember,  there is nothing so big that God isn't bigger still..

Below is an awesome song we sang is church today. 

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

From time to time I find myself putting my trust in other things that are on "sinking sand", but I know that Christ is the only solid rock in this everyday life....

JACKIE

Time Gone By

Time has passed so quickly that I didn't realize it.

Our friend Clay went home to be with our Lord on June 21st, which ironically enough was Todd's 50th birthday. Todd was quiet for a couple of days but we have the assurance that Clay is no longer in pain.

The services were the 1st and 2nd of July in Lovelock Nevada. Pastor Terry Berreth brought the message at the graveside and true to His word God was there speaking through Pastor. We praise God for his faithfulness.

We were able to visit with Linda, Polly and Jeanne as well as other friends and family. It was good to see them all. God continues to lay Linda on my heart and so she is in my thoughts and prayers through each day. We will remain in touch as often as we can, we are sisters and nothing will ever change that.

As the days continue to stumble by Todd is continuing his online education as well as working on projects around the house. The weather is great and we are enjoying each minute of it.

We hope and pray for our friends and family....that each one that heard the message and was encouraged will continue to seek God's face daily, feeding on His precious word as we take each day of this everyday life...

Jackie

Can We Just Be Honest?!?!?

Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating or theft.

I have decided to take a word for each week and share a little of my thoughts on it.....Hope you will visit each week to read and share your thoughts. 

 As a  child honesty was a very important part of my daily life, I was held accountable for alot of things such as: did you water the horses? Did you feed the chickens? Did you gather eggs? Did you roll all the bales in that field? Did you leave the key on in the tractor? Did you run into the barn with the pickup? :( ......All questions that really wouldn't have stopped the world from turning around but none the less questions that held me accountable and taught me integrity. I know that we are not born to be honest it is taught to us by our parents. Kids learn by example. They watch and listen to their mom's and dad's all the time. Not just the good things we do but the dishonest. Just as we watch our children or grandchildren and correct them when needed God also watches us, we to do not get away with anything, even if we think we do. I praise God for his guiding hand and for his gift to me of the Holy Spirit that convicts me when I am tempted to step out of his will. Honesty effects every aspect of our lives. Our relationship with Christ, with our spouse, our friends and with our employers. We are called to be upstanding, honest people every minute. 

               
Hebrews 13:18

Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things.

Psalm 7:8

The Lord judges the people; judge me, O Lord, and do me justice according to my  righteousness my rightness, justice, and right standing with You and  according to the integrity that is in me.

Job 31:6 Oh, let me be weighed in a just balance and let Him weigh me, that God may know my integrity!

So as I continue to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus, I will strive to live each moment with honest integrity in this everyday life.

Think about what you are thinking about

When I am driving or waiting for an appointment and just have a few minutes to be still and think. I often think about the fact that God knows my every thought, good or bad, positive or negative, selfish or unselfish. To be honest I used to not have the most positive thoughts. Like if I would get frustrated with something or someone, I struggled with the self-control to not let these thoughts frustrate me. In turn these negative thoughts would sour my words with negativity. God's word tells me that the over flow of the heart the mouth speaks, Matthew 12:34.God knows my heart he knows the intent of it. I thought about this for a long time and knew that if I  sincerely want to be a  light I have to control my thoughts, when I have a bad thought I have to turn it over to the Lord and focus on the unconditional love he shows me and that I must show others. I can hate the sin but love the sinner through Christ. I pray that God will make me mindful of my thoughts and rather they were uplifting and encouraging. So I am more aware of what is on my mind these days. Are you aware of what you are thinking? When something or someone wrongs you do you have bitterness? Make it your goal each day, as we all should, to have good encouraging thoughts that build up rather than tear down. Pray that you will be convicted if you start to have ugly thoughts that don't glorify God. Rest assured that every time we do what is right even though it feels wrong we are growing and that is where we need to be in our everyday lives.

Life Through Death

Last week Todd and I flew to San Francisco. We had been praying about this trip for a while and felt that we needed to be there to encourage Linda. We had no idea all the while, God had a bigger more better plan, a much better plan. We got to our room late Wednesday night called Linda and planned to meet for breakfast and then go see Clay; the visiting times are at 10:00 a.m. and go every 2 hours. 

It was so good to see Linda, her smile made my heart jump; she has been on my mind every minute for the past couple of months. Her mom, Polly, is a character and I loved her right off. Clay’s mom Jeannie is a sweet, sweet lady and I am proud to call her my friend and new sister in Christ.

As we walked through the hospital winding our way to the waiting room I got anxious and a little dizzy for what lay ahead. I held tight
to Todd’s hand, he is always steady, but this time he too seemed  anxious. As we passed through to security and then to go into Clay’s room I got a knot in my throat the size of an orange. Where did all the air go? I thought to myself. Then as the doors opened and the sound of the machines beeping and the breathing machine making its special sound, I became aware of where I was. I won’t lie Clay’s looks had changed, a lot. He was smaller, frailer, no longer the “I’m in control” man he was just 30 days ago, but a man clinging to life with every breath that he was given………..by  amachine, and all this orchestrated by our all sovereign, all merciful God, whose timing is never late. I chide myself from time to time when I wonder, “Why is this happening?” “Why did it take so long?” “What is God’s plan” when all the while His planned is unfolding before us. Everywhere we turn we are given the opportunity to share about what God has done in Clay’s life and in our own. People are excepting Christ as their personal Savior, People are trusting God and praying, and  growing and witnessing that all He wants is for us to love him and to seek Him with our whole heart, and just to prove it He gave His son as payment for our Sins. My heart ached to encourage Clay’s mom Jeannie. I can’t even imagine what she is going through; watching her son lie in a bed so close to death. What a pleasure it was to be there and see God work in this woman’s life. I see that God is giving Linda all the Grace and Mercy for each step of this long long journey; has He promises us all he will, “Never leave us nor forsake us” in Hebrews 13:5 then on to Hebrews 13:6 it says “So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid what can mere mortals do to me?” Yup, I love it.

As I stood and watched Clay’s breathing, his little twitches and flutters; a thought came to me  that, this could be Todd recovering, this could be Todd laying in a bed healing from donating part of his liver to Clay…. I didn’t feel sick, I didn’t feel relieved that it wasn’t my husband,  the feeling I
had was that confident, security that God said in his word…..For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts.“ Isaiah 55:7-9, we were honored that God brought us into
this situation, we have shared, we have trusted, we have grown, and each minute
of each day since Todd said, “what do I need to do?” we have learned of God’s
all sovereign ways, to not only show Himself strong, but to show His mercy and grace. The story in
Genesis 2 of Abraham and Isaac comes to mind...

Abraham and Sarah were promised by God that they would be parents, even though they were old. When Abram was ninety-nine God told him he would have a son. Sarah did conceive and
she did have a son, they named him Isaac. Isaac grew into a strong and healthy boy, and Abraham loved his son with all of his heart—and then some! One day, God called out, "Abraham!"

            "Here I am," said Abraham.

"Abraham, I want you to take your only son Isaac—the one you love so dearly—up to the mountains, and there offer him to Me," said God. "I will show you where to go."
Abraham felt sad. He had waited so long for a son, and he didn't want to give
him away. But Abraham obeyed. Early the next morning, he rose and took his only son—the one he loved so dearly—up into the mountains.

After three days, Abraham
finally reached the place God had told him about. "Father," said
Isaac, "we have fire and wood, but where is the lamb for our
offering?" "God will provide," said Abraham, with tears in his
eyes. And he began to carefully arrange the firewood on the altar. At last he
bound Isaac and laid him on top. "Stop!" cried a voice from heaven.
"Do not harm the boy. Now I know that you trust Me completely." Then Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket. He and Isaac offered the ram to God. And Abraham named the mountain "God will provide."

 Life
Out of Death

After everything Abraham
had been through, he knew that he had to obey God. Abraham knew that God gives
his best to those who are willing to give him their best.

Just as Abraham was about
to plunge the knife into Isaac, the angel of the LORD stopped him. Abraham had
shown God that his faith was still in God. Everything that Abraham had belonged
to God ... even Isaac. God then provided a sacrificial lamb. Just as He did
when He gave His son as sacrifice for us.

Consider the person in your life who is your most treasured gift. Maybe it is a child, like Isaac, or  for me it is my Todd, and even though we were trusting God for each moment and we were ready and willing to fly out on March 30^th to do the transplant on the 4^th, God’s ways are higher and he provided the liver through the death of another. Not that the journey was for nothing, because He has used the last 6 months to draw people to Him, and we still have to take it moment by moment with Clay’s life, but that once again He showed himself strong in this everyday life. 

NEW BEGINNINGS

Today was one the Biggest and
Best Hallelujah days ever!

Celebrating our Risen Savior! What
a wonderful day indeed.

But now God added a second chance
for our friend Clay, yes Clay got the call for a new liver last night and went
to surgery early this morning.

Yeah, that’s just the way our God works, the
impossible is possible for Him and just cause He can, His timing for this event
was Easter!

Oh how I love to watch God work,
this will be a testimony to everyone as to who is really in control.

I love the season and the fact
that everything I think of reminds me our “New Beginnings”

“New Life” I get a lump in my throat
just saying those words…..

Master, Savior, Jesus………….There’s
just something about that name! Remember that old song?

I love it.

So I Praise His Holy Name and hope
that everyone really concentrate on the meaning of New Life and what the Cross
means to us. Not a Lucky Charm, it is our  “ Ebenezar” which in Hebrew means “Stone of
the Help.” 

So today and every day I will
sing praises to my Ebenezar and celebrate His finished work on Calvary and the
continual work in me and Shout Hallelujah in this everyday life.

Count it all Joy

James 1:2-8

My brethren,  count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of 
God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to  him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who 
doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Last week I had a really bad day, not your everyday really bad day, but a sharp, snaggily, venom filled bad day. I was sure after this incident that I was nothing but worthless scum, no wait what is lower than scum……..well whatever that was me, and I was sure of it. Well it is not true, it is not true of me and it is not true of anyone. That is just one of Satan’s lies he uses to pull me and you down, and he works through different people and situations to do it. I fall for his schemes from time to time like when I am tired or anxious. Yeah, I allow Satan’s attacks to beat me down and the only thing that can stop it is getting into the word, focusing on God, abiding in him presents.

As a daughter of the King, I am worth everything, he cares about what I care about no matter how small.  I  am His.   By casting out every thought unto the obedience of Jesus Christ and by His grace I was able to 
stand up straight, forgive this person who wounded me and continue to press on toward the goal. I am so thankful for God’s unconditional Grace, Love and Mercy and that is what I must give to others, I do not hit it right on all the time, but he knows my heart and the intent thereof. So as I learn, grow and abide, I will count these trails and snares as Joy for the testing of my Faith produces fruit that can only come from abiding in God in this everyday life.