Friday, April 26, 2013

Thanks Be to God

I am just sitting here at the computer, rambling around in cyberspace, and I looked up at the notes I have taped to my desk.

And I noticed I have 2 scriptures that both start off, Thanks be to God.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, Thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.
 Both scriptures are the NASB version.

Thanks be to God!!!!!

Can we ever thank him enough?

Right now my heart is singing out to God, my creator, my life, my one true love, for all his blessings on me.

Can you hear my heart beating with thanks to you God?
Can you feel the love and the gratitude I have for you God?

I know I don't deserve your mercy, God, but I am ever so grateful.
I know I don't deserve  your blessings, God, because I don't tell others enough about you and your love.

I know I don't deserve all I have, but God, you have so much love and grace and mercy, you overlook my faults, you supply my every need.
You are always with me, you never leave my side, even when I think I'm all alone.

Thanks Be To God, who gives ME victory though My Lord Jesus Christ!

With a Thankful Heart I praise You!


Blessings,
Kathy


Saturday, February 23, 2013

Aggravation

I have a Facebook page called Prayer and Praise.
It is a page I started intenting for people to post prayer requests or praise reports.
I use it to invite people to my churchs' early morning Praise and worship service.

I am aggravated because no one comes except for a few faithful family members of mine, one sweet lady who loves music and the pastor and his wife.

Oh some people do "like" the post about the service,, but no one comes.

So I  wrote a post saying that I wasn't going to invite anyone to the service anymore. If they wanted to stay home with their excuses and were satisfied with their worship practices that it was fine with me. That if they wanted to miss out on blessings, then that was their fault.

But I couldn't hit the post button.

Why?

Because I got to thinking about how "I" aggravate the Lord.

When I don't speak up for him at work.
When I tell a little "white" lie.

When I don't tell the people I work with I don't like some of the language they use.

When I don't tell people about God and his love for us.

The praise service was started because the pastor mentioned it and I ran off with it offering to help do the service. It was a vision of mine to have a service like that. And it was a vision of the pastors too. The service is God's and I need to stop thinking it is mine. I need to stop being "aggravated" that no one comes.

It's not mine!

Nothing in this life is "mine"!

It all belongs to the most high God. I am just a vessel used by him to bring glory and honor to him.

So who am I to think the service is mine and what right do I have to judge others?

Absoluteley none!

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

1Peter 4:8-9 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves for charity shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

So instead of not asking and inviting people to come, I will lovingly keep inviting and asking because if God can still love me with all the aggravating things I do then I should do the same.

God doesn't give up on me and I shouldn't give up on serving him.

Many blessings to you,
Kathy




Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Praise

Psalm 106:1-2

1.....Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2....Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him enough?


This past Sunday I was heading to our early praise and worship service. I was listening to K-Love radio station and they read these verses, and they stuck in my head.

Think about it. God is good!!!!!!!!!

There is an exclamation point. It's not,Ho Hum, God is good.

It says, GOD IS GOOD!

Praise the Lord, God is good!
His faithful love endures FOREVER.

Not for a few days, hours, or minutes.
FOREVER.

And that is a long time.

Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him enough?

I was at work today. I have a new job and still getting used to it.
As I was working I started thinking about those verses.

And I started praising God for all my blessings.

My back was hurting (like I said, new job and not used to it), but I praised  God for that because that meant I was alive and had a job.

I praised him for waking me up in time this morning to get to work.

I praised him for blessings.

And my back stopped hurting.

When you get down and out....
Praise God!

When you don't feel like praising God...
do it anyway.....

Praise the Lord, for he is good!!!!!!

Blessings,
Kathy


Friday, January 4, 2013

Trust

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not onto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.


Trust. Small word. Loaded with meaning.

I did the One Word Challenge. You pray and ask God to give you one word to live by for the whole year.
My word was trust.

I was at the end of my rope. Spiritually, financially.

I was relying on myself to take care of myself.

I can't do it.

As I prayed, the word "trust" came to mind.

I was reminded of another time when God asked me time and time again, "Do you "trust" me?"

8 years ago, through the most trying time of my life,, as I cried out to God, he kept asking me that.

This time, as I asked God to give me a word to live by this year I heard, " Do you trust me?" Do you trust me to take care of you spiritually and financially?"

So I started praying harder. Trembling, I asked God to open my eyes and my heart.
I asked for help to trust him more.

 I took all my bills, laid them on my open Bible and asked God to take care  of them.

I quit my job today.

I walked away from a full time job with benefits and vacation time to go to a temp job at another factory with no benefits or vacation time.

Why?

Because I have had a restlessness in me for a few years. I have felt smothered in that place, and I felt it was time for a change.

I didn't get the job that was my first choice.

I asked God to lead me to the right place. I asked that if it was wrong for me to leave my job, that I wouldn't get a call.

Some people will call me crazy, and I'm sure a few already have.

But I'm trusting God.

Blessings,
Kathy