Gifts

I had a stent put in around 6 weeks ago and it has been a challenge to get back to my normal self. It’s hard to be a physically weak person especially if you are me. On a good day I tip the scales at 280 pounds and can lift almost anything I put my mind to. After my procedure it took around a week to get passed total exhaustion in the house. Then I would get extremely winded walking to my car and doing simple chores. Going back to work was the real challenge though. It was like every bit of energy I had would be totally gone by lunch time and I would have to go home and take a nap for a couple hours. Finally my days have been getting longer and my energy is restoring itself. I can feel God boosting me every day little by little. I honestly thought that I would have bounced back quicker than that since I’m only 41 years old but God had other plans. He is showing me that my strength is a blessing and not a right. To use it for good and not for vanity. That I need to rely on Him and not so much my physical attributes. That can be a challenge at times when you can literally lift the front end of a car. All of my strength comes from God and it is definitely a blessing. I’ve been able to use it on multiple occasions to help people in need and want to continue to do so. If God chooses to take my physical strength however that just means that He is showing me a different gift that I haven’t tapped into yet. God has given us multiple gifts and we may not always see them because we are so focused on our favorite one. God gave me the gift to write and pray for others. He guides me to those who are hurting so that He can encourage and uplift through me. Praise God for multiple gifts. What are your gifts today? Pray to God and ask. Matthew 5:14-16 ” You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on it’s stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

He Still Perfoms Miracles!

www.bible.com/111/mrk.16.6.niv

The miracle on Good Friday April 10, 2020.

God laid it on my heart to share with you that I have been sick with the COVID-19 since March 19th. At home under doctors’ care during this entire time. Lots of prayers have been lifted up for me that I am so grateful for. Good Friday I felt terrible, I was sick in bed most of the day. Our Church had planned a special communion service at 7:00 that evening. At 5:00 p.m. I told my husband that I didn’t think I could attend the service. Gary assured me I might feel better it was 2 hours away. He knew I didn’t want to miss it and didn’t want me to let Satan win this battle. As it got closer to the time to join the service live online. I thought I don’t feel like fixing my hair, putting on make-up, or even changing from my grubby clothes. My chest hurt, shallow breathing, and headache but God was pulling at my heartstrings, Karen, Come as you are! God completely blessed me during that service and healed my body. I have felt incredible ever since. All my symptoms went away. I am praising God. The evil one tries to break us but God has overcome evil and is always victorious!

Fear not and trust!

I lost my wallet yesterday and looking for it was driving me nuts! I looked high and low including places that my wallet wouldn’t ever have been. Like the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets where are plates and cups are stored. The thought was to leave no stone unturned therefore I could say that I looked everywhere. My wife ended up without any work that day and God bless her, offered to drive me all the places that I needed to go. I had prayed for God to help find my wallet but did so as I was fretting and searching for it. My wife stopped my search and said, “Let’s take a minute and pray baby.” Even while she was praying, my mind was still racing, thinking of all the places that I need to be looking. After 3/4s of the day had passed my mind had given up on the search and handed my worries to our Heavenly Father. God had me focus on other things that needed to be done before coming home. As my worries and fears had left me God told me to go to our bedroom and look on the bed. I’m not a bed maker because when I go to sleep, I want the covers to be just how I left them in the morning. There, amongst the disheveled sheet and comforter was my lost item. The joy that came out of finding it was incredible to say the least. Trusting in God can be difficult at times because being in control, even though we aren’t feels like second nature to us. Stepping out and letting God take over should be our number one. It’s funny how I place all our finances and physical well being in God along with so many other things but when my wallet came up missing the devil slipped in and played soccer with my mind. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

The Disease Of Sin?

COVID -Cancer, ALS and so many other devastating diseases, how painful and cruel you are. Sometimes you come on as a surprise but many times you come on very slowly and progress in different stages. You break the hearts of friends and family members. You aggravate fear in the hearts of all of us living in this imperfect world.There is an even greater affliction that not only destroys the here and now but our eternity. Wow, I’ve been hooked and at first the evil one makes so much sense and as it was with Eve, it tastes so delicious at first. Sin begins so innocent but this disease out does any other disease because it ends in eternal loss.

I personally have been a victim of a deadly disease. It seemed so much fun at the beginning. My Bible study, prayer and family took second place to all the fun things I was experiencing. I was putting things like snow and water skiing, my job, movies and other fun things, ahead of my relationship with God. I also suffered with the disease of self centeredness, criticism, jealousy, gossip, anger, bitterness and much more.

Dear Heavenly Father forgive me🙏

Woohoo!!! I am excited and am praising God that He came and rescued me and keeps rescuing me through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to get busy with fun things, even the Lord’s work or other important activities, that spending time with God becomes second or third place.
Praise God, He has given us a prescription for this disease. “If My people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways. I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”
Ezekiel 36:26, 27 is a promise I claim many times, even in one day because I need it so desperately. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you will keep my judgements and do them.”
Blessings,
Joyce MulliganDirector, Prayer and Women’s Ministries

How many of us have also been lured by the evil one’s deception? It is so easy to fall into his trap and find yourself not as close to God as you once had been. This is a wake-up call for me. Thank you, Joyce, for sharing what God laid on your heart. Praise God he will rescue us if we put Him first in our life. 🙏