Giving Thanks to Him
Thanksgiving in every aspect of life, yes! For HE has promised to meet every need both great and small!!!
I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There’s no end to what has happened to you-it’s beyond speech, beyond knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:4-5
Lord, you give me peace that
surpasses understanding;
a voice to praise you through
every trial.
You give me hope when
my faith starts fading;
a promise that my troubles
will only last a while.
Lord, you have given me grace
I never deserved;
a new life lived only for you.
You have blessed me with prayers
both answered and not.
There is no situation you have not
Brought me through.
Lord, what you have done for me
is beyond words;
A love given that could never be measured.
I thank you for a future, hope,
faith, love and forgiveness;
a bushel of gifts that will forever
be treasured.
Angel by Your Side
As we go to battle each day, we can often feel alone, yet as HIS children we are never truly alone. When reading this blog this morning, I was immediately reminded of Elisha and his servant. All his servant could see was the visible and the impossibility of their situation. Elisha prayed,
“And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” ~2 Kings 6:17
Elisha already saw the invisible forces surrounding him to aid him. He knew God was about to accomplish what the servant and everyone else around him believed was impossible!
The other thought that crossed my mind is that we do entertain angels:
“Don not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” ~Hebrews 13:2
Don’t be troubled in your walk today, remember as HIS child, you are loved and cared for beyond what we see. He is by our side. The journey maybe hard and long, however HE is with us holding us up providing the strength needed to endure.
We bring honor and glory to HIM when we testify to HIS grace and goodness especially when we are hard pressed on every side. Through our act of faith, testifying to HIS grace and provision, during the harder times of life, we also open ourself to blessings in our life.
Blessings & Peace Always,
~Robert
Different, Yet the Same
“Just as God formed each rock to look different-some smooth, and some not so-he formed us in the same way. Some of us, like me, were made with rough edges. This toughness allowed me to navigate the streets of a not-so-nice neighborhood, to survive a teenage pregnancy, and to be strong and protect a younger brother. He also toughened me for the ministry to which he would eventually call me.”
via Different, Yet the Same. ~January Marshall
There is tremendous value in knowing which “rock” you are and how this fits into your place in where you are; home, work, neighborhood, school, work, etc.
We have been uniquely designed by our Father in heaven above and yet He created us all the same. Where we are the same is in our physical make up, yet we don’t all look the same. Our personalities are unique, and yet we can experience the same events in life and no two individuals will be impacted the same!
The rough and smooth stones exist together and some might say, the rough ones help make the smooth ones… Can one exist without the other?
If I am a smooth stone, can I stay smooth without the rough stones? Can the rough stone have a complete purpose without the smooth stones?
The truth is we are all made up of rough and smooth parts. Some with rougher parts and some with smoother, yet we ARE still the same. We need each other, no doubt!
Recognize which you are and then apply yourself appropriately! Ask God to show you how to help glorify Him by being the best you are created to be.
“So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things with which one may edify another.” ~Romans 14:19
Be the instrument in God’s hand to build up and encourage on another. He will use you just as you are and where you are, just seek HIS direction in all you do. He uses us where we are, rough or smooth. We need only be available and follow HIS leading!
Blessings & Peace Always,
~Robert
You Take My Breath Away
“He literally took my breath away with His creation! He was so clearly working on me to worship Him in other ways. There is so much more to worship than singing!”
Great observation about how God will show us the things that “creep in” to nudge HIM from the throne of our life! I’m not saying here that Julie was taking her eyes off her Lord and Savior, not at all. We do however, as Christians, allow our focus to drift.
God gifted Julie with a tremendous ability to worship Him through playing the piano, singing and writing, beautifully! She enters into worship this way and there is nothing wrong with the process and certainly not the results.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” ~Philippians 1:6
In bringing us to be like Christ, I’ve started learning that HE will place times of testing in our life and for HIS very own reasons… Phil 1:6.
Whether music, service, giving our tithes, teaching, preaching, outreach, compassionate ministries, etc. All of these are right and He alone is worthy, yet they must remain ALL about HIM!!!
Such a blessing to see sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in council and correction applied. I believe as we Journey With Christ, course corrections, both gentle and extreme, are God’s way of bringing our focus directly and firmly back to Himself.
I believe, starting with myself, we can take a special lesson to heart through what Julie has shared about this difficult time in her journey. Julie, thank you for your continued transparency and allowing me to write as He leads my heart, mind and soul from what you share.
“You Take My Breath Away”, may this be our prayer and goal today! Yes LORD, please open my eyes to see!!!
Blessings & Peace Always,
~Robert
Blessings Flowing
So often in our journey through this life, we lose sight of our blessings. The last couple of months have been especially difficult around our household. Without going into all the specifics, we lost my mother-in-law on November 4th. Our loss is heaven gain and we take comfort in the knowledge that her struggles are now at an end.
While she struggled over the past year with cancer and then recovery, we were all witness to her strength and fight. It was truly inspiring and frustrating at the same time. Still she endured until our Father called her home. She was 78 years young and spent 59 years with her love Bus or Mac, depending on who you were talking to at the time. Together they raised three children on a dairy farm in Cossayuna, NY. Anyone who knows anything about a dairy, knows this takes a special commitment, it is a life style of long dedicated days and sometimes nights. She is survived by my father-in-law, their three children, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Blessings Flowing… with mixed emotions, a heart that is at the same time filled with all HIS goodness and a heart ripping sense of loss, yep our Blessings are indeed Flowing! We were blessed over the past year to see Florence’s strength, fight and humor. You can’t be a farmers’ wife and be a wimp and you most certainly must have a sense of humor.
Our blessings included being able to see her several times, some under circumstance less than ideal. The point is our Father made a way for us to meet the needs of my wife’s parents and my wife desire to be there! We could have missed so much were it not for our Father’s loving care and abundant grace.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of HIS glory in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19
We were blessed to be a part in the sharing of memories old and new. Joy in the remembering that turned such a difficult time into a blessing that was shared by family and friends. The blessing of seeing how she poured her life into so many lives that were touched and blessed by her actions and words. Kindnesses, graciousness and love met lives any so many ways, Blessings Flowing!
Here we are a few weeks removed and while our emotions are still swinging up and down, the blessings are still flowing. Bus is doing well and his cousins have stepped in to help him adjust, plus it’s deer season and a regular crowd is coming and going at the farm. Since Tracy’s brother lives in Florida and we are in Virginia, her sister is left to help. She and her husband are dairy farmers and the demands don’t change even though life takes a dramatic turn, Blessings Flowing!!
Back here, cards are still coming in and we have our first service at church complete. Sometimes the blessing of love from our brothers and sister in Jesus is overwhelming. We wouldn’t exchange the hugs and expression of compassion for a moment, Blessings Flowing!!!
By HIS grace and supply, we are going to head back for Thanksgiving…. We will give thanks! HIS provision, grace and love will be known and shared. We will laugh and cry, share great stories and solemn moments. Still blessings will be flowing!
Thanks to everyone who has loved us through these difficult times. Your prayers, words of encouragement and hugs of comfort…BLESSINGS FLOWING
Blessings & Peace Always,
~Robert
Florence P. McIntyre
July 14, 1935 – November 4, 2013
A Slice of Heaven
His pleasure is in His creation and His creation declares His glory! We get to enjoy what we see and like Julie, we should instantly be drawn into praise & worship!!!
A slice of Heaven- I take in the beauty of His creation and I am compelled to worship Him. What a Wonderful Maker!
Yours, O LORD,
is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty,
indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth;
Yours is the dominion, O LORD,
and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11
Happergy
Words to live by…”Happergy” great little word. Honest and true, it takes so much energy to be angry, mad or mean… “Happergy” is a choice to be Happy and Energized!!! Be “Happergy” today!!!
Oh, what a joy it is to raise a highly spirited, strong-willed child!
Each morning the madness begins… get up! get dressed! where are your socks? did you brush your teeth? don’t forget to brush your hair! are you wearing deodorant? you have to eat something!!
This morning, my youngest flings her shoes down beside her as she sits on the floor. They have been double knotted from the day before and she can’t get them undone. “I CAN’T DO IT” she yells at me as she throws them. I pray a thousand prayers for patience for both of us in a mere second.
“Babe, just hand it here… I will help you. You need to calm down- you are very excited.”
Through gritted teeth and beady eyes she calmly tells me that she is not excited and that she is very mad that she cannot untie…
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What If We Were Real?
Very nicely written with honesty and transparency.
We keep trying to make it look so nice, and we keep hiding what’s going on inside. But, what if I share my brokenness? What if you share how you feel? And, what if we weren’t afraid of this crazy mess? What if we were real?
These are some of the lyrics to a Mandisa song that I have come to love, one that expresses just how I feel when it comes to doing something that can be so hard for many people-being honest and vulnerable. Too often we put on masks and carry around our burdens, hiding ourselves and our struggles from the outside world. We don’t want people to know that we think we are lousy mother’s, that we don’t have it all together, or that some days we just want to throw in the towel, find the nearest and tallest mountain, and let out one huge scream!
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