He Will Provide.

Life has never been easy, but it has never been impossible. I am blessed in many ways but have had trials in some. I am happy and healthy now, but it has not always been that way. About a year ago I went through a period in my life that will stay with me, my family and my beloved friends for the rest of our earthly lives. I was told that God was testing me, and I had to keep the faith. I was told that God does not give us anything we cannot handle. I was told to pray for miracles, I did and began to rely on them. I was asking for miracles, which worked out in my favor, but I recently ran across a quote which changed my whole perspective of the experience. The quote reads "Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it." Cancer sucks to put it bluntly; I used to shudder at the sound of the word. I don't fear the word anymore or the disease, because we have a God who can breathe and leave a trail of galaxies, He's our Savior, our Defender, our Healer, He's our King. And I know He will not only shelter me from dangers, but give me the fearlessness to face them, He will still my pain and my heart, and give me peace. This I know because He's been doing it all along, just without me knowing it. 

Something to Think About.

I cannot say
"Our"
if my religion has no room for others and their needs.

I cannot say
"Father"
if I do not demonstrate this relationship in my daily life.

I cannot say
"Who Art In Heaven"
if all my interests and pursuits are in earthly things.

I cannot say
"Hallowed Be Thy Name"
if I, who am called by his name, am not holy.

I cannot say
"Thy Kingdom Come"
if I am unwilling to give up my own sovereignty
and accept the righteous reign of God.

I cannot say
"Thy Will Be Done"
if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life.

I cannot say
"On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
unless I am truly ready to give myself to his service here and now.

I cannot say
"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
without expending honest effort for it or
by ignoring the genuine needs of my fellowmen.

I cannot say
"Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us"
if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say
"Lead Us Not Into Temptation"
if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.

I cannot say
"Deliver Us From Evil"
if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.

Never let the Flame of Hope Go Out.

I recently came across this story at the perfect time. It's so encouarging!


The Story of the 4 Candles

The Four Candles burned slowly.

Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak...

The first candle said,
"I Am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit."
Then Peace's flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

The second candle said,
"I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable."
Then Faith's flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

Sadly the third candle spoke,
"I Am Love and I haven't the strength to stay lit any longer."
"People put me aside and don't understand my importance.

They even forget to love those who are nearest to them."
And waiting no longer, Love went out completely.
Suddenly... A child entered the room and saw the three candles no longer burning.
The child began to cry,

"Why are you not burning? 
You are supposed to stay lit until the end."
Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the little boy,

"Don't be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn,

we can re-light the other candles."
With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope

and lit the other three candles.
Never let the Flame of Hope go out.

With Hope in your life, no matter how bad things may be,

Peace, Faith and Love may shine brightly once again.

Wearing Your Christanity.

We've all seen it- people who walk around with be-dazzled crosses swinging from their necks. Why do they do it? I would hope it means more than a fashion accessory to them. The reason I wear a cross is in hopes someone would ask me about it, and I would be able to share about our Savior and all He has done for me. Other people wear the cross as a physical reminder of the crucifixion and His sacrifice. However, I began to wonder if I should stop wearing it and demonstrate my Christianity through my actions and not rely on a piece of metal to show the world I am a Christian. I came to the conclusion it cannot hurt to do both. I wear a cross for three reasons now: to promote questions, to be a physical reminder of His sacrifice and to remind me that when I wear a cross I am representing Christians and my actions must reflect that.

The Heart of Christ

The Bible simply records Jesus breathed His last and died. Oddly, Islam officially teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross but merely swooned and passed out. If Jesus had not died, that would in and of itself be a miracle, especially in light of the fact that the soldiers were not yet finished ravaging his body.

Jesus hung on the cross for at least six hours—from the third hour to the ninth hour, when the darkness ended (Mark 15:25, 33). How long after that He breathed His last and died is not clear in Scripture. What is clear is the fact that if a victim remained alive on the cross for too long so that it interfered with another event such as a major holiday, it was customary to break the victim's legs, disabling him from pushing himself up on his cross to fill his lungs with air and thereby prolong his life. However, in accordance with the promise of Scripture, Jesus died quickly enough that His legs were not broken (Ps. 34:20; John 19:36).

We read in John’s gospel (John 19:34) that “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.” C. Truman Davis writes concerning the medical significance of the blood and water, “We, therefore, have rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Our Lord died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure…” Heart failure that began to develop in the garden when Jesus was sweating blood continued to build when he was rejected by many of his disciples and came to utter fruition when his people nailed him to a cross.

Jesus died with both a literal and metaphorical broken heart.