Halloween

I would like to direct you to a fantastic Halloween post put up by Emily, Extending Eager Hands. Emily wrote a 3 part post that is pretty amazing and she was chosen for the Best Christian Blog of the Week! If you haven't already read her posts head over to read post 1, post 2 and post 3.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 NIV

The LORD your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

Hebrews 10:26 NIV

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,

Blessings,

<>< 

Beloved & Update on Katie

Beloved, Tenth Avenue North





Romans 5:8 NIV
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Song of Songs 2:10 NIV

My beloved spoke and said to me,
   “Arise, my darling,
   my beautiful one, come with me.

News on Katie

Click on the 'News on Katie' to go directly to updates on Katie. There you can see some pretty amazing x rays of Katie's lungs and this mass that is quickly disappearing!! Here is a snippet from her update.

The first picture shows the mass in Katie’s chest that was the main cause of concern when we initially went to Stanford.  The second picture, after only three weeks and one round of Chemo shows the mass as a small fraction of what it was!  One nurse literally started crying when she saw the picture because she was so amazed at how fast it is shrinking and said she hadn’t seen something like this before.

Our God is greater and stronger than anything we could ever face and He is healing Katie and amazing everyone along the way.  It has been our prayer since the beginning that this journey will be a testimony of God’s faithfulness and power.  His kingdom is alive and moving here on earth and that He hears t the prayers and intercession of His people.

How about a loud

PRAISE GOD!! 

Keep it coming LORD, keep the healing coming!!

1 Chronicles 29:12-13 NIV

Wealth and honor come from you;
   you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
   to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
   and praise your glorious name. 

Psalm 59:16-17 NIV

But I will sing of your strength,
   in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
   my refuge in times of trouble.

 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
   you, God, are my fortress,
   my God on whom I can rely. 

Blessings,

<>< 

A Little Bit of This & A Little Bit of That

Emily over at Extending Eager Hands  gave a really cool testimony on Halloween. Conrad Rocks interviewed Emily and this is a must listen to, type of interview.

Emily is an Ex Wiccan turned Christian and she really knows her stuff when it comes to Halloween. Her testimony is amazing and I would urge you all to listen to it. You can get there by clicking here

Sweet Tripp! This week is EB Awareness Week. There really isn't much awareness out there for EB. Not much research and meds available for children who suffer from this skin disorder. It would be so cool if we could help get the message out there. Click on this site http://debra.org to educate yourself.



And if you are able and willing to donate here is the deal...

Tripp; "EB"ing

Below is taken directly from Courtney's blog...

I thought this was awesome.  I mean, how many of us text like crazy people? I know I do!!  It's SO easy- all you do is text TRIPP to 50555 and a donation of $10 will be added to your wireless bill going straight toward EB Research through the Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota.  Cool, right? $10 a person can go a long way!! And you don't even have to take the time to pull out a credit card- it just charges straight to your wireless bill and does the work for you!!  Brilliant, right? Let's do this!!  

Text Tripp to 50555 and help us END EB NOW! And then SHARE this video as much as you can to help us spread awareness about these beautiful children.

Ok, last bit of info, Lucy from 2 3 Kids, A mini Van and a Mortgage has finished her series of radiation and chemo and her scans are stable!! So Lucy is home and recovering. Please keep praying for this precious daughter, pray the cancer does not return. 

 

We have 2 Praises! Sam's scans are clear!! Lucy's scans are stable!!

PRAISE YOU GOD!! 

Seriously, this is reason to rejoice! But do not stop praying and praying. Keegan, Karing for Keegan needs our prayers and only the hand of God can heal him. The doctor's have given him only a bit of time left here but I know God can heal him here on earth. We need to press in with prayer for this little boy. His mom and dad are very sad, so please cover them in the Blood seeking healing and carrying on while they are weak and weary.

 

Hebrews 12:28-29 NIV

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” 

 

1 Timothy 2:1-10

¹ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. ⁷ And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

 ⁸ Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. ⁹ I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰ but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

  

Thank you for praying, it really means a lot to these people who are in need. P.U.S.H. Pray until something happens.

Blessings,

<><

Bitter-Sweet

'Mighty Breath of God' Jesus Culture



The last few weeks have been full of prayer for two sweet little boys, Keegan and Sam. Keegan and Sam have been battling cancer almost their whole lives which consists of 2 years each!  Both of these boys have had scans to see what is going on with the cancer. One scan the result was bitter and the others scan results sweet.

Keegan had an MRI yesterday and the results were heartbreaking. The cancer has spread and the doctors give him a few weeks to a few months. Beth and her husband are devastated. Please cover them in prayer as they take all of this in.

Sam had scans last week that showed spots on his liver so they arranged a PET scan that took place this morning. The scans came back clean! No sign of cancer!! PRAISE GOD!

I am mourning with Beth yet rejoicing with Cassie, for me this is bitter-sweet. God is good always and in every situation He needs to be praised. So I praise You God for being You, yet I ask You to heal Keegan here on earth. Cancer is not to hard for You to do. Only You, Father, the Great Physician, can remove this cancer from Keegan. He is in Your hands Lord and I ask You please touch and heal this sweet, sweet boy. Heal him hear on earth.

Acts 4:29-30 NIV

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 

Psalm 145:1-7 NIV

 I will exalt you, my God the King;
   I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
   and extol your name for ever and ever.

 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
   his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
   they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
   and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
   and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
   and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 

Matthew 6:9-13 NIV

 “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,  

your kingdom come,
your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.  

Give us today our daily bread.  

And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.  

And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.

Please continue to pray for Keegan, for the cancer to be gone here on earth. Please praise God for Sam and pray for continued health.

Blessings,

<>< 

Broken Girl, Matthew West

John 8:35-36 NIV

Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

God placed this song strongly on my heart and in obedience to Him I have posted it. Someone needs this song and His loving reassurance right now. Jesus loves you deeply and in HIM there is healing, love and freedom. Reach out to Him, He will answer.

Praying and praying,
<><

Joy In Sorrow?

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

How do we find joy in sorrow? Well if we study the above verses we find that, we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, who are from the faith chapter, Hebrews 11:1-39. I kind of envision them cheering us on and encouraging us through their stories. The first thing we are to do is keep our eyes on Jesus and do as He did, for He is the perfecter of faith. He set the joy before Him as He prepared and endured the cross. When Jesus was at Gethsemane Luke 22:44 tells us He felt much stress and anxiety that His sweat was like blood. Jesus knew what He was to endure, the suffering and the intense shame of our sins. Jesus despised what He was to go through yet He had joy. How could Jesus have joy? He was thinking of the end result. The forgiveness of sin and reconciliation between God and man.

Jesus understood and looked to the joy of the end results of the cross. We too, can endure trials and hardships if we follow Jesus' lead and focus on the joy of obedience to the Lord. When trials, hardships, sickness and death come our way we too can experience joy if we keep our eye on Jesus and store our treasures in heaven. The joy of the Lord is a wonderful thing to have. It fills you up and spreads to those around you like sunshine.

Hebrews 12:7-8 NIV

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 

  




Christians are children of God, isn't that in itself wonderful? God, the Creator of all is our Father! He knows that if we focus on His word and do as He says then we will be over comers. He will fill us with His joy and reward us on earth and in heaven. Now that is good news indeed!

Blessings,
<><

Pray And Do Not Give Up

Sam

Sam has been undergoing scans all last week and the results show there are still lesions on Sam's liver so the next action is a PET scan to be given hopefully sometime this week. Please press in with prayer for these lesion to be nothing but scar tissue. Claim health and keep asking God for 100% cancer free! 

Keegan

 Keegan goes in for a brain scan early in the morning on Thursday October 20. Please pray for no more cancer! Again, claim 100% health for this sweet boy, Keegan. Also please pray for movement to return to his legs.








Katie Taken right from Katie's blog....(italics, boldness and red added in from me)

Pray for Katie

 
GUESS WHAT WE SAW...

The mass that was in Katie's chest has SHRUNK to LESS THAN HALF THE SIZE!!!!

C'Mon!!! That's worthy of some PRAISE and CELEBRATION!!!
We also found out that Katie's port us healing quite nicely! What we need now is for the skin over the port to GET THICK! So that's your cue...pray for 'THICK SKIN'! ;)
Katie also has to get that shot again...remember the one that everyone told her would be really painful last time and it wasn't?! Well we need to pray that 'the shot will NOT cause Katie ANY pain' again!!
Katie will have to continue the shots in her abdomen each day for her next two week stint at home. Please continue to pray for the grace and strength to do this each day.
Katie is discovering that her sense of smell is quite heightened from the chemo. This effects what she is hungry for or if anything even sounds good. It also causes funny phrases to cone out of her mouth! Yesterday she said that one of the nurses came in to her room in the middle of the night and she smelled SO clean and fresh! Katie said she smelled like, 'she had taken a bath in Downy!' this was a 'good smell' moment! Lol
Katies journey is FAR from over...remember the chemo process alone is over four months long! We are SO GRATEFUL for the abundance of love and support that has poured in over the past month! It's OVERWHELMING to be surrounded by the LOVE of Jesus and the evidence of His sweet body at work! 

Thank you for your prayers. We covet them for these children of God. 

Mark 10:46-52 NIV

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

   So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

   “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

   The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

   “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. 

Luke 18:1-8 NIV

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

   “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Google Image

I want Jesus to return and see this type of faith on this earth. Press in with me in prayer and claim health. Knock, knock, knocking on heavens door. But let's not stop with just Sam, Keegan and Katie. We need to press in for Summer, Lisa, Emily, Milly, Joanne, Sara G, Hailey, Tripp, Ian, Lucy, Ansley, Beautiful Light and Turquoise, Gary, and many, many more people.

Praying and praying,

<>< 

Fall Time

5:15 am starts allow me to greet the sunrise and lately the early mornings have been spectacular. Here are some pics of the wonderful clouds on the drive back from the bus stop, which I need to have my daughter in town for the early morning bus. Of course these pictures do not do the glorious sky justice. :)

 Daniel 2:20-22 NIV

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
   wisdom and power are his.  

He changes times and seasons;
   he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
   and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
   he knows what lies in darkness,

   and light dwells with him. 

Acts 14:16-18 NIV

In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

 Exodus 34:21 NIV

“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

 Leviticus 26:3-5 NIV

‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.'

I love fall time. The bounty of the harvest, the cooler days and cold nights, the amazing clouds and the turning of the leaves, the horses and cows starting to grow their winter coats and the wonderful smell in the air, the toasty fire in the fire place, the return of the chickadees all add up to this being one of my favourite seasons. How about you? Which is your favourite season?

Blessings,
<><

Hailey Needs Our Prayers

Hailey

Hailey is off to the Mayo Clinic for some further tests.

Below is taken directly from Hailey's blog.

Some ways that you can help:

1) Send prayers or positive thoughts our way. For strength, for health, for answers.

2) Make a monetary donation. All funds collected will go to this trip. Airfare, lodging, rental car, etc... No amount is too small, and every penny counts. There is a donate button on the right side of my blog, and you can donate securely through paypal.

3) Spread the word. If each of you shared Hailey's story with ten other people, we could have this trip taken care of in no time! So steal my words (go ahead, I give you permission) and tell your friends about Hailey's story. Then ask them to tell their friends. Post it on Twitter. Share on Facebook. Send a pigeon out with a note in its beak. Ok, maybe not that last one. You get my point.

4) Consider doing some early Christmas shopping at my store, Robin's Custom Watches (Just click on the purple link). If you don't have facebook but would like to order watches, you can email me at robinswatches@yahoo(dot)com

Hailey

5) Consider purchasing items for yourself or as gifts from my Mary Kay business. I'm running some specials this month, and we have some items that make great gifts! If  you would like to do so, please email me at robinvisbal@yahoo(dot)com  
Thank you so much for reading, and for helping in any way that you can!

Matthew 21:21-22 NIV

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Blessing, keep the faith. Pray and pray!! :)

<>< 

Canadian Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for, I just don't know where to start. I am so very thankful for this blog and all the people I have met here. I am thankful for every single one of the followers here, the ones who comment and the ones who don't. I want you all to know I prayer for every single one of you. I may not know your name or anything about you but that is ok for God knows you and He loves you. He knows your concerns and the trials you go through. Isn't He great?

I am so thankful for my family. My husband, my daughter and my son. There are challenges and trials that we face every single day and I am thankful for all of them.

 

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 NIV

 “Praise be to you, LORD,
   the God of our father Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power
   and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
   for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;
   you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
   you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength to exalt and give strength to all.
                                                          Now, our God, we give you thanks,

                                                             and praise your glorious name.

I am so thankful for the animals that God has given me to care for. We have 30 cows, 12 horses, 5 dogs and 3 cats. Countless wild birds, coyotes, bears, cougars and moose.

Psalm 145:7 NIV

 

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

 I am so thankful for the land the Father has provided me with. Wide open spaces to share with the youth that seek to explore and know God.

2 Corinthians 9:11-15 NIV

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

I am so thankful for my church family. An older group of people who care and are grandparents to my kids. We are not lacking.

Psalm 31:19 NIV

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

I am so thankful for all that God has provided me with. Even though I go through troubles, He is always there to listen to me. He is always caring and loving on me. God is so good, in the bad times and the good times.





 Psalm 95:1-6 KJV

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

But most of all I am thankful for Jesus and His gift to us on the cross. Where would we be without Him? We would be lost and wandering around looking for our purpose. Praise God, that He loves us so much to give us His Son. Now that is something to be thankful for 24/7!!

Colossians 2:6-7 NIV
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Blessings,
<><

Remind Me Who I Am

'Remind Me Who I Am'~Jason Gray



Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
   for he shields him all day long,
   and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” 

Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Isaiah 54:4-8 NIV

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
   Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
   and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
For your Maker is your husband—
   the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
   he is called the God of all the earth.
The LORD will call you back
   as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
   only to be rejected,” says your God.
“For a brief moment I abandoned you,
   but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
   I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
   I will have compassion on you,”
   says the LORD your Redeemer. 

Blessings,

<><