You are blessed when...

You're Blessed

1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

8"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

I smile and ask God..."Who ministers to who?"~Debra Wilson

Debra Wilson

On this cold rainy dark day, I started my morning leaving around 7:30 to take Lillian for an echo-cardiogram  I knew it would be hard for her to get out so early and in the cold rain no less. But I found my sweet Lillian positive about our journey. She says she can tell that I have pain today...I mention in a care-free way my neck and shoulders as usual. Lillian has arthritis pain daily and her immobility in her upper body is evident ..and suffers from pain in her neck area. So once home, I get her settled with her heat pack on her neck and she is all cozy in her chair. We hug and say a kazillion I love you's. 

Before I leave I mention I am using her bathroom...I close the door but not tight. I hear her start talking...she is praying. Talking to God as if he is standing right beside her...no formal prayer....just words. She is asking him to take care of me...thanking him for bringing me to her...asking him to make my pain go away and keep me and my home and family safe...asking him to keep my doggies and chickens happy and healthy. I don't want to just go back out and interrupt her conversation. I wait another few seconds and peek through the bathroom door. 

Her hand is slightly raised and she is trying to look up and her words of prayer are just flowing. I am so humbled by what I see and hear my tears just start falling. Here is a woman who has so little and in chronic pain..and she is praying for me. I don't know what I ever did to be so blessed to have a precious lady as this in my life. As I leave I smile and ask God..."Who ministers to who?"

Life after death.... http://youtu.be/xYZoX4N5_YQ

"As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize this election could be my last."~Billy Graham

 "As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize this election could be my last.  I believe it is vitally important that we cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the nation of Israel. 

I urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Vote for biblical values this November 6, and pray with me that America will remain one nation under God."~Billy Graham

"Change your life. God's kingdom is here."~Jesus

Challenge Like No Other

Guest post:   CHALLENGE LIKE NO OTHER~Forbes

Though Felix’s challenge is new and unique, the motive to be first to achieve things other people haven’t achieved is neither new nor unique. It echoes the challenges of early explorers like Christopher Columbus that changed the course of history; and the celebrated entrepreneurs like Thomas Edison,Steve Jobs and Bill Gates that changed the way people work and live.

But Felix’s venture carries a strong spiritual message to everyday people:

Don’t live life as a spectator. Always examine life: Espouse new ideas, long for new things, constantly discovering new interests, escaping from boring routines. Engage life with enthusiasm; grasping life aggressively and squeezing from it every drop of excitement, satisfaction, and joy. 

The key to unleashing life’s potential is attitude. The person who approaches life with a child-like wonder is best prepared to defy the limitations of time, is more “alive,” more of a participant in life than the person who remains a spectator.

~Forbes

One thing i am confident of... you are not possessed by demons.

Archie Rhines

• Your post is interesting to say the very least.... but one thing i am confident of... you are not possessed by demons. Oppressed maybe... but possessed absolutely not if you are a child of the King. 

  Jesus abides and in His abiding, there is not room for a demon. Others may think differently, but for me i am confident demons flee from Jesus and can not reside in the same house or temple.

  It seems likely demon possessed people might vomit in prayer, but they are not praying to the God you are and do not have the abiding of Jesus. If a person is possessed, he/she does not have Jesus. 

  I also believe once you have Jesus, you can't lose Him. He comes and stays for the long haul regardless.

  I think likely the stress of the life you live is catching up with you. The thing about putting time in with Jesus does not make Him any closer or farther. He abides.... nothing you can do performance wise will make Him do any more or less than He desires to do.

  My advice... relax in His presence. Don't do for Jesus out of obligation.... just do as your heart leads... i believe once you let go of a need to perform... you will find freedom you may not have experienced before.... it took me 50 years to understand freedom in Christ.... 

  It is not about me... it is about Jesus.

Starbucks Gold Card Feeds Homeless...

I misconnected with a friend for breakfast and found myself at a Starbucks near work.  I dropped in, reloaded my coveted Starbuck's Gold Card and bought myself a cup of coffee.

Shortly, a bearded balding homeless man sat down at the table across from me.  My senses sharpened and i wondered how i might be able to help the gentleman.  He opened a plastic sack and pulled out a couple water markers and a scrap piece of white cardboard.  Promptly, he went to work drawing.  In a matter of minutes, he had drawn a flower scene and held it up for me to see.

I said, "Nice!"  He said something i could not understand.  His speech was badly impeded.  He then held up 4 fingers and said it again.  This time i understood.  He was offering his drawing for $4.  I sadly said i didn't have any money.  He kindly replied with a smile, "$4". 

I thought to myself and voiced it to God, i want to help but i don't have any money.  He reminded me of my coveted Starbucks Gold Card freshly recharged.  i reminded God, i was attached to my card and had bought a lot of coffee to achieve Gold status.  Then, i got it!  God was once again allowing me to participate in a carefully crafted God Spot of His choosing.

I walked over to the table. Picked up his picture and offered my Gold Card for His picture.  He looked at it and accepted it in trade.  i sat down and began some computer work.  He got up and walked to the counter, grunting while pointing to the kind of scone He preferred.  Then, purchased it and walked back to his table and began working on a new picture of flowers.

I can't describe the absolutely impossibly wonderful feeling and closeness to God i experienced in those few moments.... as i left, i parted with the words... "God is good."  Much to my surprise and without even looking up or missing a stroke of color on his cardboard... grunted... "All the time."

"If something goes wrong, the only thing that might help you is God," says Baumgartner.

The Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner will attempt to become the first human to break the sound barrier unaided by a vehicle.

He is going to jump out of a balloon at more than 120,000ft (36.5km) above Roswell, New Mexico.

In the near vacuum at that altitude, he should accelerate beyond about 690mph (1,110km/h) within 40 seconds.

If all goes well, he will open a parachute near the ground to land softly in the desert, 10 minutes later.

The 43-year-old adventurer - famous for jumping off skyscrapers - is under no illusions about the dangers he faces.

Where he is going, the air pressure is less than 2% of what it is at sea level, and it is impossible to breathe without an oxygen supply.

Others who have tried to break the existing records for the highest, fastest and longest freefalls have lost their lives in the process.

"If something goes wrong, the only thing that might help you is God," says Baumgartner.

"Because if you run out of luck, if you run out of skills, there is nothing left and you have to really hope he is not going to let you down."

Weather permitting, lift-off from Roswell airport should occur about 0700 local time (1300 GMT; 1400BST).

What's it take to conjure up His love?

I am amazed at the love of Jesus.  He loves us regardless of skin color, sexual orientation, gender, height, weight, religion or whatever.  He loves us in spite of all the senseless things we do.  He just simply loves us.

I am sure for many ritual is key to their feeling a closeness or connectedness with their faith.  I understand as humans we sometimes need help in feeling anything.   Life can tend to numb us from experiencing anything outside our norm.  It might be in the ritual, we are pulled back into the spiritual experience we so desperately miss.  The difficulty in needing ritual to feel close and connected with some higher power, is the ritual may not be handy when circumstance dictates the need.  

That is the beauty of an abiding in Jesus.  He does not need to be conjured up.  He is there to assist and abide in you as life plays out in unbelievable seasons.  It is in Jesus we live life to the fullness with an ever present awareness of His power and strength encompassed with His love for each of His children.  It is the abiding... 

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."~Jesus  

 John 14:6 (KJV)

 

Protein in your diet is a good thing... or at least i think it is.