I want to tell you that having Faith is truly a marvelous thing. My stress level has dropped dramatically since I have come to know our Lord and Savior. The more I study God's word, the more I understand his desire to provide for those who trust in Him.
I believe that God has put each of us here for a reason. I feel the major reason is to give us the opportunity to love him and be a part of His Kingdom. He has given us the freedom to make a choice. He has provided us with all the information and evidence that we need in order to make that choice.
It is evident through God's word that we were not put here to suffer. He promises to provide all that we need and all that we desire. He has promised an abundant life to anyone who believes and follows his Word.
Jesus himself said "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." This statement from our Lord has no qualifiers. It has no limits. Jesus did not in anyway put restrictions on what we might receive. He left what we may ask for wide open.
The keyword in Jesus' statement is believing. You may not get what you pray for unless you truly and fully believe in Him and His ability to give it to you. This is the magic of Faith. If you know the Lord, if you truly believe in Him, if you trust Him fully, and you follow His Word, then you will never need to worry about anything.
August 05, 2009
May 02, 2009
A Step in Faith
Does God speak to us? I am convinced that he does. While he doesn't speak to me through my ears, He does speak to me through thoughts and feelings. There are times when a thought will come to mind that has an associated emotion that just leaves no doubt as to where it came from.
I think our Lord speaks to all of us this way. For too many years I was so self centered that I didn't even realize that this was happening. I wonder how many wonderful opportunities and blessings I missed because I failed to pay attention.
I had one of those moments just recently. I sat down in front of the computer, thinking about what I might write about. Then out of nowhere came the thought "what are you doing?". I started this blog for two basic reasons. The first was to share what our Lord and Savior has done in my life. The second was to see if his will would be for me to earn some income on line.
I feel like there is a bit of a conflict with the way I have gone about this. Writing about God, who has blessed my life in so many ways, and then surrounding it with advertising doesn't seem right now. I think I was paying too much attention to what I wanted and not enough attention to what he might have me do.
I overlooked too many things in putting this blog together. First off, God's Word tells us that he will not only take care of us, but that he is eager to do so in an abundant way. If we believe in him, trust in him, and rely on his will for us, we shall never want for anything. How I managed to forget this is beyond me at this moment.
My very first mistake was trying to tell my sweet Lord how I wanted him to bless me. I wanted to make money by working on the internet. Maybe this is his will for me, but maybe it's not. God knows no limits and if I put restrictions on how he might send me blessings, then I am sure to miss out.
The Lord has done some things in my life that defied all logical reasoning. Let me give you one example. If this tends to make you think I'm crazy, that's okay because it had me wondering for awhile. We had a situation where we had more obligations than we had money. I saw it coming in advance but I couldn't come up with a solution. I turned it over to prayer and then refused to worry about it anymore. As the bills came in I prayed about them and then paid them. I figured that the worst thing that could happen would be that we wouldn't be able to pay them all and we might have to survive on what food was already in the pantry.
Now for the strange part. Not only were we able to pay everything, but we were able to buy groceries and have some money left over. No matter how I try to figure this out, I can't. We simply did not have enough coming in to cover everything but in balancing the checkbook, all the math worked out. I told you that you would think I was crazy. Every time I think about this, it brings to mind how Jesus fed a multitude of people with five loaves and two fishes. If he could do the one, he certainly could do the other.
I am telling you all of this because I am pulling all advertising from this blog. I will allow my Lord and Savior to bless us through what ever means he chooses. I will still work the internet and maybe he will choose to bless that work, but it will be completely separate from this. From now on this blog shall belong to God and be used to do his work. I am stepping out in faith and am anxious to see what God will do in my life next.
I think our Lord speaks to all of us this way. For too many years I was so self centered that I didn't even realize that this was happening. I wonder how many wonderful opportunities and blessings I missed because I failed to pay attention.
I had one of those moments just recently. I sat down in front of the computer, thinking about what I might write about. Then out of nowhere came the thought "what are you doing?". I started this blog for two basic reasons. The first was to share what our Lord and Savior has done in my life. The second was to see if his will would be for me to earn some income on line.
I feel like there is a bit of a conflict with the way I have gone about this. Writing about God, who has blessed my life in so many ways, and then surrounding it with advertising doesn't seem right now. I think I was paying too much attention to what I wanted and not enough attention to what he might have me do.
I overlooked too many things in putting this blog together. First off, God's Word tells us that he will not only take care of us, but that he is eager to do so in an abundant way. If we believe in him, trust in him, and rely on his will for us, we shall never want for anything. How I managed to forget this is beyond me at this moment.
My very first mistake was trying to tell my sweet Lord how I wanted him to bless me. I wanted to make money by working on the internet. Maybe this is his will for me, but maybe it's not. God knows no limits and if I put restrictions on how he might send me blessings, then I am sure to miss out.
The Lord has done some things in my life that defied all logical reasoning. Let me give you one example. If this tends to make you think I'm crazy, that's okay because it had me wondering for awhile. We had a situation where we had more obligations than we had money. I saw it coming in advance but I couldn't come up with a solution. I turned it over to prayer and then refused to worry about it anymore. As the bills came in I prayed about them and then paid them. I figured that the worst thing that could happen would be that we wouldn't be able to pay them all and we might have to survive on what food was already in the pantry.
Now for the strange part. Not only were we able to pay everything, but we were able to buy groceries and have some money left over. No matter how I try to figure this out, I can't. We simply did not have enough coming in to cover everything but in balancing the checkbook, all the math worked out. I told you that you would think I was crazy. Every time I think about this, it brings to mind how Jesus fed a multitude of people with five loaves and two fishes. If he could do the one, he certainly could do the other.
I am telling you all of this because I am pulling all advertising from this blog. I will allow my Lord and Savior to bless us through what ever means he chooses. I will still work the internet and maybe he will choose to bless that work, but it will be completely separate from this. From now on this blog shall belong to God and be used to do his work. I am stepping out in faith and am anxious to see what God will do in my life next.
April 15, 2009
Help With Problems
Someone out there needs to hear words of encouragement. There is somebody in the world that needs help. I have no idea of who or where you are, but I know you are there. I had a very strong feeling come over me today while praying. It was if God was telling me to go home and write something to help someone in need.
I believe that there is one solution for any problem a person can face. It is so simple, so easy, and anybody can do it. The answer for every problem is prayer! I have not had one single problem in my life that prayer didn't overcome.
You may not always get the answer you want. You may not always get the answer as soon as you want it. But, you will get an answer and your problem will be overcome. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can turn every problem into a blessing.
There are a couple of things that we must keep in mind. In order for God to enter into our lives and help us out, we must do a few things. First of all, we have to invite him. Then we must must trust him and be willing to accept his will for our situation. This means that whatever happens will be the best thing for us in the long run. It doesn't necessarily mean that we will get exactly what we want when we want it.
I have found many times over the years that His will took me a different direction than the one I wanted to go. Sometimes the direction he took me seemed to be in complete opposition to what I had in mind. The fact is that each and every time this has happened, the end result has been much better than I could ever have imagined. Don't be afraid to follow the path that he places you on.
If you are hurting, if you have a problem, if you are in trouble, take it to Jesus. Get down on your knees, confess your sins, and invite him into your life. Ask Him to take control of your life, your situation, and help you to believe. What do you have to lose?
I believe that there is one solution for any problem a person can face. It is so simple, so easy, and anybody can do it. The answer for every problem is prayer! I have not had one single problem in my life that prayer didn't overcome.
You may not always get the answer you want. You may not always get the answer as soon as you want it. But, you will get an answer and your problem will be overcome. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can turn every problem into a blessing.
There are a couple of things that we must keep in mind. In order for God to enter into our lives and help us out, we must do a few things. First of all, we have to invite him. Then we must must trust him and be willing to accept his will for our situation. This means that whatever happens will be the best thing for us in the long run. It doesn't necessarily mean that we will get exactly what we want when we want it.
I have found many times over the years that His will took me a different direction than the one I wanted to go. Sometimes the direction he took me seemed to be in complete opposition to what I had in mind. The fact is that each and every time this has happened, the end result has been much better than I could ever have imagined. Don't be afraid to follow the path that he places you on.
If you are hurting, if you have a problem, if you are in trouble, take it to Jesus. Get down on your knees, confess your sins, and invite him into your life. Ask Him to take control of your life, your situation, and help you to believe. What do you have to lose?
March 28, 2009
A Leap of Faith
I have made a number of attempts at being an entrepreneur with little success. I seem to do pretty well when I work for someone else, but haven't been able to succeed on my own. That may be about to change.
I say this "may" be about to change because this time it really isn't up to me. I have turned this matter over to the Lord and it is now up to His will. If he chooses for me have success, then nothing can stop it. If being an entrepreneur is not part of His plan for my life, then it is doomed already. I am fully prepared to accept his answer.
You see, the Lord has been most gracious to me in many things. He has blessed me with wonderful children and very special grandchildren. He has provided me with a great wife and blessed our marriage. He has even bailed us out financially many times after I made unwise decisions. He has always been there for me and I truly believe that relying on Him is the right way to go.
In creating this blog I am attempting to do two things. The first is to share some of the wonderful truths about our Lord and Savior. The second is to find out if His will is for me to earn my living working on the net.
If you would like to tell about something that God has done in your life, please post a comment. If you include your email address, I will contact you about your testimony. If it is something that may help others, with your permission, I might even write an article about it.
Thanks for reading!
I say this "may" be about to change because this time it really isn't up to me. I have turned this matter over to the Lord and it is now up to His will. If he chooses for me have success, then nothing can stop it. If being an entrepreneur is not part of His plan for my life, then it is doomed already. I am fully prepared to accept his answer.
You see, the Lord has been most gracious to me in many things. He has blessed me with wonderful children and very special grandchildren. He has provided me with a great wife and blessed our marriage. He has even bailed us out financially many times after I made unwise decisions. He has always been there for me and I truly believe that relying on Him is the right way to go.
In creating this blog I am attempting to do two things. The first is to share some of the wonderful truths about our Lord and Savior. The second is to find out if His will is for me to earn my living working on the net.
If you would like to tell about something that God has done in your life, please post a comment. If you include your email address, I will contact you about your testimony. If it is something that may help others, with your permission, I might even write an article about it.
Thanks for reading!
March 22, 2009
Not My Will, but Thy Will
Our Father in Heaven wants good things for us. He is more than willing to provide us with an abundant life. The thing to keep in mind is that what we want for ourselves may not always be in our best interest.
God knows every intimate detail about who we are and what we need. If we could see ourselves from his perspective, we certainly would make our decisions very differently. If we only had a small percentage of his wisdom, we would surely live our lives in a whole different way. Can you imagine how easy it would be to make decisions if we knew the outcome in advance?
I have spent the majority of my life making poor decisions. I call them "poor decisions" because I based most of them on what I wanted and insisted on doing things my way. Each time I would manage to take two steps forward something would happen that would push me three steps back. This went on year after year and I just couldn't understand why things always seemed to happen this way. I'm not sure if it was because I was trying to do everything on my own or if God was just trying to get my attention.
Over the past few years I have spent time getting to know more about our Lord and Savior. Not only have I learned to pray, but I've learned to wait for His answers. I've found that He is far wiser than I am and that he always answers prayer. Yes, He always answers my prayers even though the answer isn't always the one I am hoping for. I have learned that if I accept his decisions and am genuinely thankful, that many times He will follow up with a blessing far greater than what I originally asked for.
Let me give you one example. There were rumors going around at work about the company downsizing. Not long after the rumors started several of my co-workers where handed pink slips. I prayed long and hard that I would not be next. Sure enough, several months later, my position was eliminated. I was devastated and had no idea how we were going to pay the bills. I had been job hunting for several months and had literally found nothing.
I decided to place my situation in the Lord's hands. I prayed and told Him that I trusted him and that I knew He would provide for us. My last day was on Friday and on Monday I got a call from a company that I did not even apply to. They had seen my resume' online and wanted to give me an interview. I got the job along with better pay and a much shorter commute. It turned out that I never missed a single paycheck. I am convinced that my Father in Heaven didn't answer my prayer to keep my job because He had a much better job in mind for me. I thank him everyday for his grace and for making good on His promises that are clearly given in scripture.
If you are yearning for a better life, then start your education by studying the Bible. Everything you need is in there. I have always called this magnificent book life's operating manual. I just wish I had of started paying attention to it's words years sooner. To get started, I suggest pondering over the truths of Luke 12, verses 22 through 31. Read it several times and let it thoroughly sink in. Once you understand and believe what these verses say, you will begin to feel your worries and fears just melt away.
God knows every intimate detail about who we are and what we need. If we could see ourselves from his perspective, we certainly would make our decisions very differently. If we only had a small percentage of his wisdom, we would surely live our lives in a whole different way. Can you imagine how easy it would be to make decisions if we knew the outcome in advance?
I have spent the majority of my life making poor decisions. I call them "poor decisions" because I based most of them on what I wanted and insisted on doing things my way. Each time I would manage to take two steps forward something would happen that would push me three steps back. This went on year after year and I just couldn't understand why things always seemed to happen this way. I'm not sure if it was because I was trying to do everything on my own or if God was just trying to get my attention.
Over the past few years I have spent time getting to know more about our Lord and Savior. Not only have I learned to pray, but I've learned to wait for His answers. I've found that He is far wiser than I am and that he always answers prayer. Yes, He always answers my prayers even though the answer isn't always the one I am hoping for. I have learned that if I accept his decisions and am genuinely thankful, that many times He will follow up with a blessing far greater than what I originally asked for.
Let me give you one example. There were rumors going around at work about the company downsizing. Not long after the rumors started several of my co-workers where handed pink slips. I prayed long and hard that I would not be next. Sure enough, several months later, my position was eliminated. I was devastated and had no idea how we were going to pay the bills. I had been job hunting for several months and had literally found nothing.
I decided to place my situation in the Lord's hands. I prayed and told Him that I trusted him and that I knew He would provide for us. My last day was on Friday and on Monday I got a call from a company that I did not even apply to. They had seen my resume' online and wanted to give me an interview. I got the job along with better pay and a much shorter commute. It turned out that I never missed a single paycheck. I am convinced that my Father in Heaven didn't answer my prayer to keep my job because He had a much better job in mind for me. I thank him everyday for his grace and for making good on His promises that are clearly given in scripture.
If you are yearning for a better life, then start your education by studying the Bible. Everything you need is in there. I have always called this magnificent book life's operating manual. I just wish I had of started paying attention to it's words years sooner. To get started, I suggest pondering over the truths of Luke 12, verses 22 through 31. Read it several times and let it thoroughly sink in. Once you understand and believe what these verses say, you will begin to feel your worries and fears just melt away.
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