Appropriate Endurance

“–giving no cause for offense in anything in order that the ministry be not discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance,” II Corinthians 6:3

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

We can endure, suffer, be martyrs for many things, yet there is only One that is appropriate for whom we are to endure. My friend, do not grow weary and do not lose heart, because the One who watches over you does not slumber or sleep and He loves you as no other can.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: New Prayer Request: Marilu –pregnant in hospital, will have to lay still and on her side for months to save her unborn. Ongoing prayer requests: God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Barb and Gary to find new, satisfying jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for and endurance for Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael, as they manage their health in new ways. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and girlfriend (who’s stayed with him throughout entire ordeal).

He First Not Me First

–giving no cause for offense in anything in order that the ministry be not discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God,

“Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus...” Philippians 1:1a

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13

There is a difference between being a slave, a servant and a son. A servant is unable to resist, is sold into unwanted servitude. A servant is one who has a choice, (in biblical times they may have been a slave set free who made the choice to stay as servant). We are slaves to sin until we become servants of our Father and then... He adopts us as sons and daughters!

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son;” Galatians 4:4-7a

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: New Prayer Request: Marilu -in hospital and will be for several months to ensure she does not lose her baby. She must lay still on her side which will be really difficult. Ongoing prayer requests: For God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and girlfriend (who’s stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

His Timing

“For He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of Salvation I helped you; behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’; behold, now is ‘the day of salvation.’” II Corinthians 6:2-3

“THIS is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:23

“And He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Permit me first to go and bury my father.’ But He said to him, ‘Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.’ And to another also said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good bye to those at home.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:59-62

The passage in Luke is not about disrespecting your parents, or walking away from them and what they have told you to do, it’s about priorities. God’s grace covers us with overflowing love. He offers us opportunities moment by moment to obey Him and follow Him as He leads. There are blessings when we do, if our heart remains pure; not clouded by the thought of reward for obedience. And whatever is prioritised first in our lives begins to show.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: New Prayer Request: Marilu -in hospital and will be for several months to ensure she does not lose her baby. She must lay still on her side which will be really difficult. Ongoing prayer requests: For God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and girlfriend (who’s stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Co-Labourers

“And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain –“ II Corinthians 6:1

“”Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.; so that we confidently say, ‘The lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5-5

It is important to remember you do not labour alone...in fact you have the Lord as your Helper. He knows where you are today, what is uppermost on your mind, what your fears are, how you feel about whatever circumstances you are in today – and most of all, He cares and holds you.

“No trial or temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tried or tempted beyond what you are able, but with the trial or temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Today

“And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain – for He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of Salvation I helped you; behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’; behold, now is ‘the day of salvation’ –giving no cause for offense in anything in order that the ministry be not discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distressed, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the Word of Truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness, for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonour, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punishment yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.” II Corinthians 6:1-10

I love this passage when I need to think that this is the day the Lord has made for me and I am able to rejoice and be glad in it. Here is a new mini-series and I hope you can find many topics in this one passage. I know it has blessed me as a memory passage for many years.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

ASSIGNMENT: Full-dressed Heart

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:12-17

Assignment: Print out today’s devotion. On the bottom or back of the page of the print out, write the numbers 1 through 15 down one side. Then, see how many qualities you can find within this passage for a “Full-dressed Heart” for Christ.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Full-dressed Heart

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:12-17

Assignment: Print out today’s devotion. On the bottom or back of the page of the print out, write the numbers 1 through 15 down one side. Then, see how many qualities you can find within this passage for a “Full-dressed Heart” for Christ.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For God’s hands on the new USA political administration. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Quiet Love

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love. He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17

“..and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be willed up to all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die; but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 4:6-8

God’s love for you is so amazing; in fact incomprehensible! Yet it is the quiet, confident love of someone who knows all, who planned your life to come to Him and who watches each step after to help you in your walk with Him from the moment of your rebirth. His quiet love fills us to where we would want to shout of our joy!

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

First Conflict

“Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, ‘I have gotten a man-child with the help of the Lord.’ And again, she gave birth to his brother Able. And Able was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Able and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.” Genesis 4:1-5a

I woke up thinking of this passage today and the more I thought about it the more ideas came. Perhaps here is the core of all conflict. One son, two professions, each with special differences. Both professions needed for sustaining and protecting life. Both dependent on different types of planning and sweat of the brow. Both men made offerings to dedicate their labour to the Lord. Perhaps Cain thought of it first or watched their father or was told to do it. However, Cain’s was rejected. We don’t know why, perhaps it was heart attitude; perhaps it was pride. God knows the darkness hidden in all our hearts. Conflicts like this continue today with the same roots of competition for attention in families, schools, churches and the world.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith’ and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

His Joy !

“If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important then himself; do not merely look out for your own person interests, but also for the interest of others.” Philippians 2:1-4

Questions: Are you encouraged in Christ? Is there consolation, comfort, solice in His love in your life? Do you rest in the fellowship of His Holy Spirit in your life? Do you feel His love? Do you rest in His amazing compassion for you personally? Then make His joy complete!

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Seeking

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth.” I Chronicles 16:8-12

In the word “seeking” there’s implied urgency and deep need. Here we are encouraged to seek our Father in gladness, continually, remembering the work of His hand in our lives up to this moment; that His judgments are wonderful and praise worthy.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Magic Words

“And it came about while He was on the way to Jerusalem, that He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a certain village, then leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master have mercy on us!’ And when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And it came about that as they were going they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he has been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine – where are they? Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?’ And He sad to him, ‘Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well.’” Luke 17:11-19

This segment of Scripture is bursting with lessons for us, if we will but look. The obvious one is to thank the Lord for saving you and for the personal and unique journey He set before you to lead you to Him and the personal and unique journey He leads you on from that moment. But there is more. See what you may find today in these verses that the Holy Spirit can use for His purposes in your life.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Heart Shepherds

“’Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord; ‘I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the lord; ‘I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favours to the strangers under every greet tree, and have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the lord. ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the Lord; ‘For I am a master to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.’” Jeremiah 3:12b-15

In the Bible, your heart is the place where your attitudes live. God is to be the Master of your heart. Throughout your lifetime He will send “heart shepherds” into your life to help you understand what it means to trust God with all your heart.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Feet

“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armour of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace;” Ephesians 6:10-15

Have you ever thought about your feet? Silly questions, usually you do if they are hurting or you stub your toe, but as I was showering this morning I wondered why God had designed my feet like they are. For instance, my feet do not slip on the shiny tiles. Just that alone was amazing. Why? Because God designed my feet with thousands of tiny ridges that grip better on slippery surfaces that most modern shoes do -- and there were no polished surfaces to stand on in the Garden of Eden!

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Worship

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendour and majesty are before Him, strength and joy are in His place.” I Chronicles 16:23-27

Ever see a building, a sculpture, a work of art that you truly admired? Ever wonder what it would be like to meet the artist or architect? Sometimes it is easy to miss the wonders around us; it is also easy to forget we have a personal relationship with the ultimate creator of all things.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Wheat Fields

“’Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not laboured; others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’” John 4:35-38

As a child, I remember my dad stopping our car on a trip and having us all pile out and walk along a wheat field. We watched as he wandered into the waving sea of ripe grass and snap off heads of some of the stalks and hand the prickly things to us to hold in our palms. He showed us how to rub our hands together gently to remove the chaff from the wheat and how to blow it away from the grains so we had the lovely kernels to munch on. Jesus said:

“’...but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” Acts 1:8

Wherever you are, whoever you speak with today, plant, cultivate, nourish or begin the gathering process for those He is calling.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Those returning to work this week; healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Thank You Beverly

“For I am confident of this very thing, the He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel, you are all partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, ho I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your live may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:6-11

Do you mark in your Bible? I started to write little notes and dates in mine when I was only nine years old. The verses from Philippians were sent as encouragement to me 12 April 2003 by a lovely woman who still sends me a special writing notebook from the States that I cannot get in Australia. Her name is Beverly and she has subscribed to the WeakDay Devotion since the very beginning. Pray with me in thanksgiving for the faithfulness of Beverly.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Those returning to work this week; healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Futility or Hope?

“Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labour which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly, for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. Then I said to myself, ‘As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?’ So I said to myself, ‘This too is vanity.’ For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:11-17

Life without Christ is rather futile. What a remarkable love the Father has for each of us and it alone makes life worth living.

“’I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.’” John 10:9-10

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Those returning to work this week; healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

What 2 Remember - Part 2

“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26

“And Jesus said to him, ‘If You can! All things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father cried out and bean saying, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief.’” Mark 9:23-24

Take the memory of how far you’ve come. This is what is called a benchmark. You can see far into your past and see how far you’ve come, but just go back the one year and write down a few highlight highs and lows and think of how blessed you are with the progress you made as you followed Him through 2008.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Those returning to work this week; healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

What 2 Remember - Part 1

“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute. If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

It is a time of breathing in the new and out the old; in with the fresh, out with the stale. God always has a plan of renewal for us. Perhaps it could be a good time to think through the treasure nuggets from the past year, write them down and thank God for them. Then you could take another sheet, fold it in half length wise and write down all the painful things that happened one on side and write what you learned from each one on the other column (or what you ARE learning from this “lesson”). When you do this, you will find there may be connections between your treasure nuggets and your painful lessons.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. My friend, Hispa, who need to make a wise decision. Those returning to work this week; healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For some new work projects for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).

Now What ?

“’Indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seek all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’” Genesis 22:17-18

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

“’but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” Acts 8:1

Well there is work to do...so rest now and prepare for the New Year, knowing He has a plan for your life and for the lives of all those you meet.

Know His Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Ongoing prayer requests: For the New Year in God’s hands. Those alone for the holidays; healing of Barb and Gary, who lost their jobs; wisdom for doctors caring for: Doris, David, Adrian, Randy and Michael. For a new work project for me. Praise: Lyle’s brother (healing well) and for his girlfriend (who has stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal).