The Lord's Strength

I started a series the other week on the various types of strength that we see throughout the Bible.  The first week I talked about Abraham needing strength to believe for the promise.  Last week I experienced vertigo for the first time in my life and was not able to post the second part of strength - strength to lead with Moses and Joshua.  (I hope to do that soon.)  This week I am still recovering from vertigo - thankful that the dizziness is all gone and now I just have a bit of wobbliness.  (Is that a word?) 

Anyways, "strength" is still very much part of my thoughts these days.  We all need it desperately, whether it is physically or spiritually.  I have needed it these past two weeks physically and the Lord is helping me daily.

I want to remind you that no matter what you are facing - be it physically or spiritually - that you can do so in our God!  He has all that you need daily or even minute by minute.  Psalms 71:16 says "I will go in the strength of the Lord God".  When I say that, I am saying that I have made up my mind and am not turning back.  I WILL GO!  It doesn't matter what I will face.  It doesn't matter what I will come against.  For I know that it is not my own strength that is taking me forward, but the strength of my God.

Let's pray.  Father, I thank You for the physical strength that You are helping me.  And I thank You for the spiritual strength that I so desperately need.  I pray for the person reading this that You will bless them today with Your strength to face things or come against things.  Thank You Father for all that You do!  We love You and praise You!  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

For more powerful Word Filled Wednesdays visit the Internet Cafe.






Blessings,

Thankful for the Harvest

This year we decided to plant a small garden.  It has been so exciting!  The other week we harvested our first squash.  Now my daughter and I don't like squash, but my husband and son like it.  My husband has fixed it several ways.  We have had quite a lot of squash which we have given to other people to enjoy.

Today, my husband harvested our first cucumbers, green pepper and tomatoes.  It was pretty exciting when he brought them into the house.  To think that these vegetables came out of our back yard! 

It took a lot of work to have these vegetables to eat.  We had to till the ground, make the rows, plant the seeds, water, pull weeds, water and more water, wait and wait and water some more.  And finally when the vegetables were just right, he was able to start picking them. 

This reminded me of the story in the Bible about the harvest.  Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Let's be among the workers!  What joy it will be to bring in the harvest!  It's not easy and it takes a lot of work and a lot of waiting.  Just as it was exciting for me to see the first vegetables from our small garden, so it will be for us workers in the harvest of souls!

On another note, this past Monday I spent several hours in the emergency room which I was diagnosed with vertigo, which is awful, just awful.  I had never experienced anything like it before.  I am still dealing with it, several days later, but it is getting much better.  I am thankful that it was not as bad as it could have been.  I am able to sit up.  I just can't bend my head.  I had been told that some people can't do anything - lie down or sit up without experiencing the dizziness. 

Let's pray.  Father, I thank You for the harvest we are receiving from our small garden and that we have been able to bless others with it as well.  I am also thankful that this vertigo that I have experienced the last several days is not as bad as it could have been.  I am thankful that each day it gets better and I thank You for Your healing touch on my life!  Father, I pray that we will be willing workers in the harvest of souls.  We bless Your name and give You all praise!  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the very best dad in the world - my husband, Terry Swiney! He is one extraordinary man and I am one lucky lady!  I am so grateful that God brought us together and blessed us with two awesome children!  Terry helps the kids with all sorts of things, including working with them on sports and going to all the away games (at least), homework, and so very much more.  But above that, he teaches them by words and actions how to love Jesus and how to live for Jesus.  Both my children are very mature spiritually for their age and have always been.  That doesn't just come from being a Pastor's kid, but by the example they see daily.  I am indeed blessed to have a God-fearing husband and father!

(Isn't great that we can all say that our dad or our husband is the best dad in the world?)

On Saturday, we drove up to Maryland to spend the day with my in-laws.  My mother and father in-law flew to Maryland to stay the weekend with my brother in-law and his wife.  We had a great time together.  The boys went golfing and the girls went shopping.  Afterwards we had dinner at Olive Garden, one of my favorite places.

My husband Terry, his dad, my brother in-law and my son Stephen

My father in-law, Stephen and Terry

On Sunday we had a great day at church and went out for lunch.  My husband does all the cooking so it was a treat for him not to have to cook.  I know girls, I am indeed blessed!  Later that evening we went to an outside Christian concert at a local theme park.  Although it rain a bit, we had a wonderful time!

Sarah, Terry and Stephen

My earthly father is in heaven now and miss him being with us.  He sure did love his children and his grandchildren.  He would have done anything for us.  We didn't always know it when we were growing up, but we did come to appreciate it before he passed away.

And we have a Heavenly Father who is always with us and has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  My earthly dad is no longer with me and my children have a great dad.  None can compare to our Heavenly Father.  He loves us with an everlasting love.  I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father! 


Blessings,

Revelation Song

This week's Word Filled Wednesday I shared a verse in Revelation. Check out Phillips, Craig and Dean singing the Revelation Song. I just love this worship song!







Blessings,

Alpha and Omega

We serve a God who is the Beginning and the End.  We serve a God who IS, and who WAS, and who IS TO COME!  There is none like our God.  Let's worship Him today (and everyday) and exalt His Holy Name!

Father, we exalt Your Name today!  We give you all honor and glory for who You are!  We proclaim that there is none like You!  God, You are great!  We bless Your Holy Name!

Blessings,

Strength to Believe for the Promise

Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV) 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 22:17-19 (NIV) 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring [a] all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Abraham was called by God to leave his country and go to a land he did not know. By faith he obeyed and started his journey, even though he did not know where God would take him. As the days passed and then years, He needed strength to believe the promise of God.

He and Sarah waited a very long time for the promise of a son. Throughout his journey, he tried to bring forth the promise of God on his own. But that did not work.

God told Abraham “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore”. What a promise! I can only imagine the waiting for the promise to come to pass.

We have been at our church for almost five years. During that time, God has spoken to me, my husband and others specifically about the church. So far, we have not seen anything come to pass. I confess that it has been hard at times, trying to believe for the promise. I have wondered if it will ever happen. Then the Lord will remind me of the promise(s) and strengthen me to continue believing. This happened the other Sunday during worship. I was thinking about the promises that have been given and I looked around (in the natural) and wondered if they would ever come to pass. We started singing a song about trusting God and the Lord began to minister to me and strengthen me. I began to pray over and over with conviction “God, I trust You. I trust in Your Name. I trust in Your Word. I trust in Your Word spoken to us.”

I still don’t see the promise coming to pass – in the natural - but I trust God to do so. I believe that God will continue to strengthen me to believe for the promise, just as He strengthened Abraham.

What about you? Are you believing for promises God has given you? How is your strength in the waiting holding up? Allow God to minister strength to you as you believe for your promises.

Let’s pray. Father, we thank you for the promises You have spoken to us. You know that our strength runs low while we are believing for those promises. We ask You Father to strengthen us to continue believing. I pray now for those reading this that are believing for promises, no matter what they are. I ask that You minister to them right where they are at in a special way and that their strength will be renewed. Father, we trust You to bring all the promises You have spoken to us to pass. We thank You and give You all praise! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Last Day and Struggles

Psalm 57:9 (The Message)  I'm thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,

singing your praises in town and country.

Today is the last day of school for my kids.  I am thankful for another great school year and for all the teachers that touched their lives and made a difference.  Sarah is now a sophmore (!) and Stephen is now a 7th grader.  They are so ready for summer!

Sarah has struggled in math for several years now.  This year she continued to struggle and was actually failing math.  She did great in all her other subjects, which we were thankful for.  She would get so frustrated with the difficulty she was having.  She would do great with the homework but not so great on the test and quizzes.  The last month or so she buckled down and went to tutoring twice a week.  The teacher gave opportunity for extra credit by doing a project.  Sarah chose to do math in design since she is wanting to become an interior design.  Through the research she discovered how much math was needed in this field.  Sarah is very creative and did an excellent job on the project.  She received a "97" on it, which we were thankful.  I found out yesterday that she made a "B" on her final!  Wow!  I was so excited for her!  This is the best she has done on a test all year.  Needless to say she was excited as well.  Plus, she passed the class!  She didn't get anything by osmosis.  No, she was able to do so by going to tutoring, doing the project for extra credit and doing really well on her final.  I am very thankful that she passed math and I am thankful for God's help in her life.

What about you?  Are you struggling in math?  Or are you struggling in something else?  Take heart today.  You can be an overcomer!  You may have to take some actions, like Sarah did with math, but you can do it!  Our scripture from yesterday found in Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do everything through Jesus who strengthens us. 

Let's Pray.  Father, I'm thanking you today for a great school year for the kids and for helping Sarah to pass math.  She could not do it on her own, she needed Your help.  And You gave it in abundance!  I pray for those reading this that may be struggling, whether it is math or something else.  I pray Father that You will strengthen them and help them to be an overcomer.  Thank You Father for your goodness to us!  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Through Him

God's strength.  On Monday, I started a discussion on the strength of God and will be talking about different men and women in the Bible who needed strength for specific things.  I hope you will join me on Mondays for this series. 

Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do everything/anything through Jesus who strengthens us.  Wow!  What a powerful message.  I don't know what you are facing today, but I want to encourage you and remind you that God is with you every step of the way and He has strength for you!  It doesn't matter what you need strength for, He has it for you - in abundance.  It will never ever run out.  You cannot do everything in yourself.  It is only through Jesus and His strength.

Take a moment today to thank God for His strength in you.  You can do anything through Jesus who strengthens you!

For more powerful Word Filled Wednesdays visit the Internet Cafe.

Blessings,

We All Need Strength

Strength.  It is something we all need in various forms.  I spoke at our Mother's Day Banquet last month.  In praying about what God wanted me to share, He gave me several things to remind the ladies.  One of the things He wanted me to remind the ladies was that He is our strength!

As I thought about the ladies in my church and the things they are facing, I thought about how they needed strength in their lives - God's strength, not their own.  I thought about my own life and how I needed God's strength desperately. 

I began to think about different people in the Bible and how they needed God's strength in different ways.  Over the next weeks, I will be talking about the different men and women in the Bible and how they needed strength.

Let's begin with a definition of strength which comes from Webster's online dictionary:
the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance; power to resist force; power of resisting attack.

In Psalms we find the word strength used many, many times.  These are just a few.

• Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."
• Psalm 29:11 "The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace."
• Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
• Psalm 84:5 "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage."
• Psalm 105:4 "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

Proverbs 31:25 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."  Maybe that last phrase "she can laugh at the days to come" is speaking prophetically to you.  Maybe you need to hear that things my be horrific now, but in the days to come you will laugh.  Grab hold of that and cling to it until it happens!

There are several references in Isaiah that I like.

• Isaiah 12:2 "Sure God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
• Isaiah 40:29 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
• Isaiah 40:30-31 "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
• Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Take hold of these verses and be reminded today that God is your strength!  Come back next Monday and we will continue with our discussion about the men and women in the Bible who needed strength.  We will start with Abraham.

Let's pray.  Father, we thank you for reminding us today that You are our strength!  We can depend on You.  We can lean on You.  We can trust You.  Father, there are many times when I desperately need your strength to get through the situtation, get through the day, get through the moment.  I know that You are there and You are helping me and strengthening me.  Thank You Father, for Your strength in my life.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Blessings,

God's Home is Our Home

Psalm 23:6 (NIV) … and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.


John 14:2-3 (NIV) 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Today we are looking at the last chapter of "Quiet Confidence for a Woman's Heart" by Elizabeth George. This is a study of Psalm 23. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and have gleamed so much about our Great Shepherd, Jehovah-Rohi.

Let’s see what the final verse has to say.

In this verse, David turns our focus upward to heaven.

The author says “God’s care, and His promise to continue caring for us all the days of our lives on earth can be seen like fireworks – thrilling, exciting and brilliant. But a home in heaven? An eternal home? A place in the house of the LORD forever? Now that’s like looking at the blazing heavens after the flashes of fireworks fade away. God’s promises of a forever home for us is His most dazzling promise of all!”

David is considered a man after God’s own heart and a worshipper. It’s no wonder he would end this psalm talking about eternal worship in the house of the LORD forever.

David’s “passion is for God. His focus is on God. And his gaze is ever upward. … Where is your gaze fixed, friend? And what is your focus producing?”

Not only will we have eternal worship in the house of the LORD, we will have an eternal home. It is a “forever fellowship with Jehovah beyond the grave.”

In this eternal home, there is an eternal presence – God! “We too long to be in God’s eternal presence in the house of the LORD…forever. … Our hearts hunger for the fulfillment of the promise of heaven too. We long to worship the LORD … forever, …”

Let’s join with David “who yearned for his promised home.” Let’s fix our gaze upward as David did.

I long to worship God, to have a lifestyle of worship – in all that I do and say. When we reach our eternal home and be in the eternal presence of God, there will be eternal worship. Join with me in living a lifestyle of worship now, while on earth.

In the closing of the book, the author says the following – and it is my prayer for you as well:

“May you know full well and acknowledge with full confidence ‘the LORD is my Shepherd.’” Amen!

Blessings,

Word Filled Wednesday

Just want to remind you today that God loves you with an everlasting love!

For more powerful Word Filled Wednesdays visit the Internet Cafe.

Blessings,