Pray For Lisa

Joshua 1:9 ESV
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Please pray for Lisa from My Heart's Home today, Thursday December 26, as she is having a double mastectomy. Pray for the surgeon and for a complete removal of the cancer with a quick recovery. Pray for her family as they walk through this with her.

Psalm 28:7 ESV 
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Our strength is found in Jesus and He will carry us through times that are rough.  He is our refuge when our world is shaken or when we are given a plate that we are not pleased with.

Praying and praying for you Lisa!
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You Stepped Down Into Darkness

Give Me Jesus, Jeremy Camp

Matthew 1:18-25 ESV 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

Jesus, the light of the world, stepped down into darkness over 2000 years ago to give us freedom from the sin that binds us to this world. He is lovely, wonderful and our hope in this dark and dreary world.

Happy Birthday Jesus Christ!!

Merry CHRISTmas my blogging friends! Hoping and praying this will be a day filled with worship and joy, glad tidings, family and peace. But even if this is a day filled with loneliness, confusion and sadness, I pray you will feel the peace that only Jesus Christ can bring, one of hope for life eternal away from the misery of this world.

Matthew 2:11 ESV 

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Merry CHRISTmas!

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Hope

H O P E

In this world of sorrow, pain and suffering there is hope and that is found in Jesus Christ. 

This world and all that is in it is dying away yet in Jesus there is:

Hope for tomorrow.

Hope for a future.

Hope for living in peace and security.

Hope for joy.

Hope for seeing our loved ones again.

Romans 5:2-5 ESV

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Let's hope together.
Blessings,
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Who Can Add to Christmas

What better gift is there then the gift of eternal life.

I'm linking up with Barbie for The Weekend Brew.

 

Merry CHRISTmas!

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Prayer Request

One of our blogging friends is in need of prayer. Lisa, Never Forsaken from My Hearts Home, has found out she has breast cancer and will be having a double mastectomy next week, December 26. Please pray for Lisa that the surgeon will remove all of the cancerous tissue, for a quick recovery and knowledge about the nature of this type of cancer. Please also pray for Lisa's family and friends as this news doesn't just affect Lisa and her husband Jeff, but her children, grandchildren and her family and friends.

Lisa has let us know that the cancer has not spread and is contained in the breast tissue. Praise GOD! Here is the comment Lisa left on her blog post Surgery Next Week!

A thousand thank you's are not enough to express my heartful of gratitude to my dear friends who are praying, and sharing scripture with me!
Brenda, those scriptures are only confirmation of what the Lord has been telling me since day one of this!
I have to Praise Jesus today....My x-ray and bloodwork came back...everything is normal including liver function and clear chest...This is big since this cancer usually goes after the liver...and into the chest wall!
I was so worried about that because I saw my chest x-ray and thought I saw spots on it (when I had it done)...and so I called the doctor today and they checked everything for me. This has eased my mind, and I am ready to go forward again!
Jesus still has me safe in His embrace...sometimes He carries me.
Blessings & Love!
I will keep you updated..here in the comments section.
I promise I won't make this blog all about cancer...It is all about Jesus and me!

Romans 12:12 ESV
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

Praying and praying,
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Battle Lines

The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Chapter 15

At that moment they heard from behind them a loud noise—a great cracking, deafening noise as if a giant had broken a giant's plate.... The Stone Table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end; and there was no Aslan.

"Who's done it?" cried Susan. "What does it mean? Is it more magic?"

"Yes!" said a great voice from behind their backs. "It is more magic." They looked round. There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.

"Oh, Aslan!" cried both the children, staring up at him, almost as much frightened as they were glad....

"But what does it all mean?" asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer.

"It means," said Aslan, "that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward."

I love C. S. Lewis’ book series the Chronicles of Narnia. His ability to write a child’s fantasy story and equate it to spiritual warfare is nothing short of a genius. Reading this fiction story of children traveling to another land allows the mind to break through the natural and see into the supernatural with ease.

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Satan is real. 

The battle is fierce. 

The delusion is on and thicker than ever before. 

Satan's ways are deceiving and he will stop at nothing to acquire a soul. He sows the bad in with the good, the bad thoughts with the good thoughts. He has no pity or sympathy and he is great in doing evil. He is very smart, driven and inspired by a vicious, cruel heart.

Our fight is not against atheist or other religious cults. Our fight is against the angel of light, Satan the great deceiver, and the only way we can fight this mortal enemy of ours is on our knees in prayer and worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, love our neighbour and those who just don’t see, the ones who have fallen under the spell of Satan.

The battle is increasing and Christians should be wearing their armour and hit the ground often in supplication to our Father in heaven, seeking His face, His wisdom and His will.

Our society is lacking prayer. 

We need to pray for the advance of God's cause not for the advance of man's cause. Praying according to the will of God and not to twist the arm of God, is where mountains are moved; spiritual mountains. 

James 4:3 ESV

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

The battle lines are being drawn, there are only two sides to chose from. Either you are with God or with Satan, there is no other choice. 

Praying and praying,

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God Is Logical

Make Known Your Ways LORD

The Christians worldview, beginning with creation, is the only rational, possible explanation to how our world began and how we came into being. Any alternative to this is self-refuting. Our God is logical and His way makes sense

Titus 1:9 NIV

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

 

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, CARM

How does a Christian account for the laws of logic?

• The Christian worldview states that God is absolute and the standard of truth.
• Therefore, the absolute laws of logic exist because they reflect the nature of an absolute God.
• God did not create the laws of logic. They were not brought into existence, since they reflect God's thinking. Since God is eternal, the laws of logic are too.
• Man, being made in God's image, is capable of discovering these laws of logic. He does not invent them.
• Therefore, the Christian can account for the existence of the laws of logic by acknowledging they originate from God and that Man is only discovering them.
• Nevertheless, the atheist might say this answer is too simplistic and too convenient. It might be, but at least the Christian worldview can account for the existence of logic itself. 

Colossians 2:2-4 NIV

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

Seeking the truth can only be found in the Christian God, Jesus Christ, and only through the reading of Scripture will bring about wisdom, knowledge and understanding. 

I'm linking up with Barbie for, The Weekend Brew

Blessings,

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Precious Joy

Baby Joy has gone home to be with Jesus.

Psalm 34:18 ESV 

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

There hasn't been a lot of news about Joy. Her parents wanted to keep things a bit private and that is totally understandable. Every now and then I would see on Facebook a request for prayer for Joy or sharing of a blessing and last night a request came up that Joy needs prayer and then this morning this is what I saw...

At 730am CST our Joy was called home. We have told her from the beginning that if Jesus called her name she should run to Him and she did. We are Blessed to serve a God who let us call her ours for even a little while.

From what I understand, she had an infection and when you are a heart patient things can go from good to really ugly, super fast.

Please pray for the family as this is a very difficult time. Thank you.

Psalm 147:3 ESV

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Praying and praying,
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Earthquake Resistant Faith

Matthew 7:24-27 ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

This morning while excising these verses came to me and along with it came the thoughts and images of large buildings swaying in an earthquake. Father revealed to me that building on His Word, which is not earthly, is like building an earthquake resistant building. We are building on His Spirit which is flexible, moving and active. The Spirit is not concrete and sedentary like earthly things but forever living, stretching us and in control.

I decided to do a bit of research on earthquake resistant buildings and came up with some pretty neat stuff.

Source

In order to build a building that can resist the shaking of the earth it must be built on a solid foundation that is not solid on the earth, it must be separate, moveable and flexible.

Source

Here are a couple of short clips on how to build an earthquake resistant building taken from the Imagination Station.

Isn't that cool?? 

Above is the Petronas Towers in Kuala, Lumpur Malaysia. In order to meet local safety construction codes, the towers had to be able to withstand 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) winds. In order to assure this requirement would be fulfilled the engineers tested the towers twice within a wind tunnel, first by computer simulation and second by building an actual model of the towers.

 

Above is Taipei 101 found in Xinyi District, Taipei, Republic of China. Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors common in its area of the Asia-Pacific. Planners aimed for a structure that could withstand gale winds of 60 m/s (197 ft/s, 216 km/h or 134 mph) and the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500 year cycle.

As we can see both of these towers are unique, beautiful and flexible. God has created each person unique and beautiful and He compares His children to the trees of Lebanon.

Psalm 92:12-15 NIV
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

A few weeks ago we had a sermon on concrete Christians, set in their ways not willing to change and move. God does not want this for this makes us earthly full of the flesh. We need to have our foundation built on God's Word which is living and active, where we are growing and changing in the Lord with each and every day becoming more and more like Jesus. 

Let Scripture cut down into the solid, earthly ways and make you flexible in Jesus Christ so when the storms of this earth come on us we will not crumple and tumble down because our foundation is set in the earth, but we will move and bend and continue to grow and produce fruit for our Lord.

Blessings,
<><

Trust God, Prayers For Joanne

We haven't heard from Joanne for awhile, a lot has been going on and she is struggling and really needs prayer. Please stop by her blog The Simple Wife and give her some encouragement. For those of you who do not know Joanne, she had a major stroke over 2 years ago and her family nearly lost her, but thousands of people prayed and fasted for her and the Lord restored her to her husband and her family. It has been a rough 2 years and it seems it is still pretty rough. Joanne needs us to stand in the gap and pray for her. Please join your heart with mine and many others and lift this woman of God up to His throne.

Here are her prayer requests:

Please pray
1. For a Job for Toben (one with good benefits would be sprinkles on the frosting on the cake).
2. For my relationship with the girls. I want so much to shower love on them, yet I also want to respect their desire for some distance. It hurts and I am sad.
3. For the girls. They are doing well for the most part – dealing well with school and friends. I would dearly love for Audrey to have a big sister/mentor in her life to pour into her, to love on her, to be her friend.
4. For my sleep. I go to bed tired, wake up tired, lay awake in the night tired. I am not active but I am worn out a lot.
5. As I read this, I see I am afraid a lot. One of the Psalms says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you”? I need help to do this more! I do trust you, Lord; help me trust you more!
 I am in Denver now, so many thanks to my Dad for typing this for me! And for loving me so unconditionally and well.
 I’m headed back to Colorado Springs on Wednesday and we will spend Thanksgiving there.
 My goal and desire is to blog more regularly. So I hope to “see” you again soon.
 With love and many thanks for your love and care,
Joanne

John 16:33 ESV
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Praying and praying,
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Anger or Love

This past week I found myself in a couple of situations that rose up in me some angry feelings. After examining myself closer I noticed these feelings of anger were rooted in pride. I was prideful that these people who were the cause of this anger didn't understand me and were judging me wrongly. I am thankful I curbed my tongue before I said something wrong and spent time in prayer with Father allowing Him to show me the cause of the anger. 

Even when Jesus was being tortured for us He never complained or became angry. No, as He hung on the cross He said instead, 

Luke 23:34

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

  Friends, I encourage you when someone misunderstands you or mistreats you do not become angry but love them and pray for them. That is what Jesus did and we are to follow in His footsteps not the footsteps of the world. 

I'm linking up with Barbie for The Weekend Brew

Blessings,
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How Come?

Source

I saw this picture on Facebook and I thought, yea, so true! If evolution was true then mothers should have at least 10 hands. I say this in itself proves evolution to be false. :)

Revelation 4:11 ESV
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Exodus 20:11 ESV
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Blessings,
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Be Still And Wait

Psalm 40:1 NIV

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.

We live in an age where everything is fast. We have fast food, fast communication, fast everything. Just a couple of days ago a friend posted a picture on Facebook of his speedometer at 190 K as he was traveling on the autobahn! He said he was slow compared to those who were passing him.

With our rapid lifestyle it seems that God is moving in slow motion. We are accustomed to instant communication via phone, internet or such and we expect God to answer our prayers immediately. If He hasn’t answered quickly we think oh He never heard me or He isn’t real or we take the matter into our own hands and step outside of His will.

Waiting, though, can grow us in a way that nothing else can. Abraham waited 20 years for God to fulfill His promise of a son and he never did see the inheritance that God promised him. Abraham is known to be a man of faith and it was the waiting on God’s timing that molded and fine-tuned his faith. David too waited for the Lord to fulfill His promise to him of being king. In fact as David was waiting on God’s timing, he was running for his life. A couple of times he had the opportunity to take matters into his own hand and kill Saul but David wouldn’t go there because he feared God. Yet even so, David cried out to God…

Psalm 143:7 NIV

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

With all the new technology and speed at our fingertips it is us who are changing not God. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He doesn’t answer prayer any slower than before; it is just that now we are even more impatient then our ancestors.

Psalm 40:1-3 NIV

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

Psalm 27:14 NIV

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Does God have you in a place of waiting? If so, let Him sculpt you and mold you. This maybe a time of growing, a season of stretching; take the opportunity to learn from Him how to be still and just wait.

James 1:2-4 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Blessings,
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Remembrance Day/Prayer Requests

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Canadian Troops who captured Vimy Ridge

Photo: Canadian machine gunners dig themselves in, in shell holes on Vimy Ridge. April 1917/Vimy Ridge, France. (DND/Library and Archives Canada PA-001017)

Do you want a bit of Canadian history? Click here for the story on Vimy Ridge and how these brave, young men captured it.

Today I am thankful for those who were brave enough to give up what they had so my family can have what we have. So often when I remember the veterans my mind is drawn to Jesus Christ and what He gave up for us so we can have the chance to accept eternal life with Him in heaven. What a gift!!

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Do you have a concern on your heart that you want prayer for? Message me either through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or email me, cpr[dot]ezra[dot]8[dot]23[at]gmail[dot]com and let me know if you want it posted on the blog or if you just want me to keep silent about it. If you want anonymity, message me through Tumblr you can use the anonymous option and I will answer you privately.

Blessings,
<><

Billy Graham's Message to America

Billy Graham's message

Father, He loves you with a deep, powerful love.

Mark 8:34 ESV
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

John 3:16 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

There is no other way to happiness, peace or eternal salvation. We all must at one point in time, either here on earth or when we meet God face to face, bend our knee in submission to His authority.

"The cross is offensive because it directly confronts the evils of this world." Billy Graham.

We have all gone astray, each and every one of us has turned to his own way. We need a Savior and His name is Jesus Christ. 

I'm linking this post with Barbie from The Weekend Brew

Blessings,

<><

Fasting and Praying for Pastor Saeed!

!URGENT!

Fasting and praying for Pastor Saeed

Monday November 4, Tuesday November 5 and Wednesday November 6 are fasting and prayer days for Pastor Saeed. It seem he has been transferred from Evin Prison in Tehran to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj which is known for those people who are on death row. Recently 2 people have been killed right in front of Pastor Saeed. He is in desperate need of our prayers and there has been a request for those who are willing to fast for him as well. Here is the full story. Saeed Transferred to Brutal Iranian Prison If you have a facebook page, please stop by Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini and let his wife know you are praying for him.

Acts 12:6-11 ESV
Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

Let's claim this Scripture passage for Pastor Saeed.

God is good!! 
This is not to hard for Father and if it is His will Pastor Saeed will be freed.

Fasting and praying!
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Trick or Treat? Yes? No?

So, what’s the big excitement about Christians having nothing to do with Halloween? After all it is really All Hallows Eve and November 1^st is All Saints Day. I mean when you look at it Christmas and Easter are pagan holidays and yet Christians celebrate these too. Yes, the focus is not the pagan celebration but on Jesus, His birth and His death and resurrection. But, what is the focus on Halloween? It is nothing more than a Pagan holiday and there is nothing Christ centered about it.

What does God say about Christians celebrating pagan holidays? Let’s see.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 ESV

“When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

Colossians 2:8 ESV

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Matthew 15:3 ESV

He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"

1 Corinthians 10:21 ESV

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Ephesians 5:11 ESV

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ephesians 5:6-12 ESV

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ...

There are a lot more verses that are against worldly ways but I don't want to bog you down, I think you get the idea by what I have shared. So is it wrong for a Christian to take part of the fun? Well, there is a lot more to Halloween then meets the eye. It is a strong hold for satanists and there are a lot of sacrifices going on but really Halloween is not the most powerful time for these people. They rely more on full moons and solstice. But even with that our God is bigger and He demolishes strongholds in the heavens. With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ those who trust and believe in Him are free. 

I do believe that even give us the freedom to take part of Halloween.

There is more though.

What does God want from us? He wants us to love Him and put Him first. He wants us to love our neighbour. He wants obedience from us. To love Him means we obey Him and He detests all things that are evil and Halloween has nothing to do with God but all to do with the world.

Consider this...

How much do you really love God?

Joshua 24:15 ESV

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Blessings,

<><

Sharing a Miracle

Ava Rose

Hello everyone!
Ava's mommy here Thank you all for being so patient with me and for your continual loving care and support for my sweet Ava! Part of the reason I had not written a post in so long is because I had been extremely discouraged. One minute Ava would be doing well the next minute she would get a corneal abrasion. One minute she would have the courage to not hold on to the couch and try to walk the next second she would fall and take skin off her fingers. And bandages changes were just another stab at my heart. Anytime I would unwrap her she would just bleed and bleed. She would cry and say "momma stop!! you hurt me." All I could do was try to hold back tears while telling her that I'm so sorry and I never want to hurt her! Explaining to a 2 1/2 year old that a bandage change is good for them no matter how much it hurts is impossible. So in my despair I did the only thing I could, I cried out to God. How much more could Ava possibly take?! She never gets a break! Im tired of the emotional roller coaster. Why can't Ava just have a normal life! I have had to say no to her on so many things that a normal toddler should be experiencing. It just breaks my heart. The questions went on for quite some time. But just like I comfort Ava when she is in so much pain, God was comforting me in the midst of all my fear and confusion. I knew He had heard me. So I am excited to share this miracle! Ava's left eyelid has had an open sore on it for about a year and a half. We had seen the eye doctor numerous times and with each visit the wound was getting bigger and bigger. All they could suggest was putting a lubricating ointment on it. It never worked, so I stopped using it. I promise you that from the day I cried out to God, until now that sore has almost completely closed up! He had heard the secret cries of a broken hearted mommy, and proven Himself to be faithful. Ava started doing better, as you saw from Aunt Monkey's post. I just want to stop and say thank you for your prayers, I know this was God's hand at work!!! Ava's overall demeanor changed. She was just so happy. But sadly bandage changes were still awful. I hated that time of day!! In the beginning of October my sister had invited us to her church for a healing service. The guest speaker prayed for Ava at the end. He asked me if I believed Ava could be healed and I said Yes! The next day I did Ava's bandages and it wasn't as bad as it had been. Day two and three rolled around and she was no longer bleeding after each bandage I took off. I called Tony and told him the amazing news! And with each day that has passed her wounds have been getting smaller and smaller. Bandage changes have gone from the most dreaded part of the day to us eagerly unwrapping her bandages to see more new skin! So many areas are healing. Even the big scabbed spot under her nose is healing! If you are struggling with believing God for something, just hold on! I will keep you in prayer if you need me to, just like you all have done for us. If He can answer my prayers He can most certainly answer yours! Ava's cover page was taken last december when she had that awful virus. Quite honestly i wasn't sure she was even going to make it. I look at her today so full of life! I thank God everyday. Sadly many families have lost their loved ones to EB. Please join with me in spreading awareness! We desperately need a cure! Too many people have suffered for too long. A few months ago Ava and I went to Walmart. As we turned the corner two kids around 8 and 9 years old saw Ava and started pointing and yelling ewww, eww, look! I quickly started talking to Ava and engaging her in conversation because I knew she would know what they meant. I waited to see if their mom would do anything about it. This carried on for about two minutes until the mom just pulled them away. I cant even begin to explain how hurtful that was! Im grateful at that moment Ava didn't even notice. But please, remember to spread awareness to your children as well! Again thank you very much for all the love and support. It would be great to hear how you were able to spread EB awareness! -Rose

Patience

Persistence

Coming to the end of self

This is what EB is teaching Rose and can teach us too.

In every situation that we find ourselves in we can learn valuable lessons if we allow ourselves to bend and mold to the Teacher's way. Nobody wants to suffer. Nobody wants to see their child suffer. It seems, though, we don't learn unless we suffer and go through things we dread. God has promised in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The rough situations we find ourselves in are not meant to harm us but to draw us closer into Father's heart. 

I encourage you to seek God and ask Him to help you. He will, you know, because He loves you. 

Isaiah 41:10 ESV 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Praising God for this miracle in Ava!

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Spirit and Life

To really live we need to be whole and the only way we will be complete is to live in the 

Spirit of God.

Linking up with Barbie for The Weekend Brew

Blessings,

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World Hunger Awareness

October is World Hunger Awareness Month

Have you ever gone without for a period of time? If so, then you know that the first 3 days of hunger are the worst. The pains in your stomach can make you feel like you are dying and that there is just no way you can continue on through the day without satisfying your gnawing stomach. If you have gone longer than 3 days without food then the cramps in your stomach subside but they never truly go away and your body becomes weaker. Being a fully developed person, one can continue on without food for a good many days before they become ill but, if you are a growing child, your body quickly becomes malnourished and development becomes stunted and eventually death.

2013 World Hunger and Poverty Fact and Statistics reports that nearly 870 million people of the 7.1 billion people in the world, which is one in eight are suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2010-2012. Of that 852 million live in developing countries giving us 15 percent of the population of developing countries, with 16 million people undernourished in developed countries. That, my friends, is a lot of hungry people.

Poorly nourished children suffer from preventable illnesses. How sad! This report also tells us that our world produces enough food to feed everyone! World agricultures produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago. So then, why is there hunger? Well, there is the lack of resources for the poor, unfair distribution of food in the world within certain countries, conflict and hunger itself. This site also tells us that the World Bank has estimated that there were 1,345 million poor people in developing countries who live on $1.25 a day or less. When you are hungry your health is poor and you have low energy levels and sometimes mental impairment which can lead to greater poverty and thus greater hunger. A vicious cycle is produced and can be hard to remedy unless there is intervention.

Today’s news has Syria in it focus. The inhumane treatment of these innocent people is just ghastly. Huntington Post reports: 

Mouadamiya is controlled by rebels but under blockade by Assad's forces. The United Nations says aid workers have been unable to visit the town for over a year due to fighting.

"Food is only dozens of metres away and our children are dying because of a checkpoint or a sniper," said Omar, a doctor in the town, speaking by Skype.

Save the Children cited reports suggesting a quarter of Syrian families go as much as a week at a time without being able to buy food. Food is often available but prices have doubled in the last year and poverty is rising.

According to the World Food Program (WFP), about 4.25 million people need food aid. It targets 3 million people for aid a month. But Graham said other aid groups assess that at least 10 million people face problems getting food.

"We have a situation where millions of people are not being given any help at all," he said.

U.N. officials say they are struggling to find ways to enter combat zones. Laure Chadraoui, a WFP spokeswoman in Beirut, said aid workers had resorted to air-lifting food to some areas.

That is Syria, now, as of this past Saturday, India is suffering from Cyclone Phailin and there are thousands of people marooned by floods. Thank God, only a small number of people have been killed by this disaster, 27 as of last count reports BBC News. But the intense storm has made more than half a million people homeless, state government officials said.

The storm tore down power and communication lines and knocked out road and rail links, making an assessment difficult.

An estimated 5,000 sq km of mostly paddy crops have been destroyed, causing a loss of some $320m (£220m).

Even in our own backyard are there those who are suffering from hunger. Just on Sunday my husband bought some food for a homeless person sitting on the street begging for money. I encourage you to help out where you can. Pray for Father to guide you where to donate or just pray for those who are hungry. 

 James 2:14-18 ESV
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Today I am blogging for World Help 

Check out the videos on the Crisis in Syria center, they are pretty moving.

 Praying for Syria,
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