Thankful for Peonies

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 35:18 (NIV)
I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.


I love flowers! If I could, I would have a large flower garden with a gardener to take care of it -- of course! Instead, I have four rose bushes, a rose tree and a hydrangea. All six flowers are very special to me. For instance, one rose bush, my first, was bought in remembrance of my dad who passed away. Several flowers were given to me for Mother’s Day. I treasure them all!

For several years, I have wanted a peony. My mother-in-law had several plants. When they moved to Florida she was going to give me some. I don’t remember what happened, but I didn’t get any. My husband has gone out at times to look for them but could never find any. I think peonies are beautiful and have such a wonderful fragrance.

A couple of months ago, I was talking to a lady at work. Somehow her having peonies came up. I shared with her how much I love peonies and have always wanted one. She told me she had several and would be dividing them up in the fall. I was to remind her about them. Immediately I put it on my task for late September. I was so excited!

One day she came by my desk and told me she had a large trash bag of peonies to give me and later brought them to me. I didn't even have to remind her. I know I already said I was excited, but I really was! She gave me an abundance of peony flowers. I was able to give some to my mom and two other ladies plus kept several for myself.

I was overly abundantly blessed! I didn’t just get one peony flower, but I was given several. These peonies will always be special to me just like my other flowers.

I am thankful for my peony flowers and to Marianne who gave them to me.

This is an example of how much God loves us. Not only does He meet our needs, but He also gives us our desires as we delight in Him.

Thank you Father for my peonies and thank you for using Marianne to provide them!

Blessings,

Seek to Make a New Friend

Today's devotion was written by Mary Davis, a woman in my church. She is a friend to all!


"The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense." Proverbs 27:9

Friends are a gift from God. He knew we would need them on this journey from earth to heaven.
Our very best friend, Jesus, is a prime example of how to make new friends and how to treat them in order to keep their friendship.

Most of us have at least one friend we can turn to no matter what. Someone we can share our innermost secrets and desires with. Someone who let's us be who we are, loving us anyway.

Then there are the less intimate friends, but friends nontheless.

We all need friends to laugh with, make small talk with, shop with, enjoy a meal, a cup of tea or coffee with.

Potential friends are everywhere. God always knows where you and I are going to be at any given moment.

Where people are, a friend can be found.

Heavenly Father, friends are one of the many treasurers You have blessed us with. Give us wisdom to never take them for granted, always loving and appreciating the person You created them to be. And Father, teach us not to be so hurried in life, that we miss an opportunity to make new friends, whether it's long term, short term, or just a friend for a day. Thank you Father, amen.

Submitted by Mary Davis.

Choking Part 2

Recently we talked about “choking” when God asks us to do something. I shared about the book I have been reading titled “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God” by Lysa Terkeurst.

When we say yes to God completely, we choose not to choke.

What causes us to choke, to not say Yes to God. We have talked about fear and I used Peter walking on the water as an example of fear. I think we can all attest that fear hinders us in so many ways. The fear of failure. The fear of the unknown. The fear of getting out of my comfort zone.

Another cause of choking is cost. What will it cost me to say yes completely?

· If I say yes, I might miss my favorite show.
· If I say yes, I might miss my Sunday afternoon nap.
· If I say yes, I might miss my exercise class.
· If I say yes, my house might get messed up.

The list could go on. Let me ask a question. In the scheme of life and death, is all of this really important? Immediately our answer would be “no”. But how we live our life is the real answer to the question.

In order to say Yes to God and not choke, we need to hear the voice of God speaking to us. We need to be so in tuned to the voice of God that we hear Him speak to us in any kind of way. We learn to hear His voice more clearly by spending time in His presence. Mothers know the voice of their child in a room filled with other children. Mothers also learn the different cries of their baby. This is because they spend lots of time with their child. If we are in a room filled with people and distractions, we should be able to hear God when He calls out to us.

Not only do we need to hear the voice of God, but we also need to have quick obedience. Quick obedience combats choking. Often times we actually argue with God when He calls us to do something – God, you know I can’t do that or God, I don’t have time to do that, or are You sure You want me to do this and so on. This is the start of choking. When we learn or we have quick obedience, we move as soon as we hear the voice of God speaking to us. There is no room for fear, no room for doubt, no room to choke.

May we hear the voice of God speak to us and may we act upon His call with quick obedience!

Let’s pray. Father, I long to hear Your voice speaking to me and then act with quick obedience, doing away with fear or doubt, not worrying about what it will cost me to act on Your call. Help me to not worry about how I will look or what others may say. Help me to only be concerned with pleasing You. I ask that You also help others who are reading this today and yearn to hear Your voice and act with quick obedience. Thank You Father for using me, using us, to do Your bidding! In Jesus’ Name Amen.

Blessings,

Choke

Have you ever choked? I sure have many times. No, not physically, but spiritually.

Recently I heard a little bit of a preacher talking about how God asks us to do something but we “choke” and don’t do it. Just that little bit and I started thinking of the times at church or situations where I have choked.

I was talking to a lady the other day and she was sharing how she felt God wanted her to do something in her Bible study class. But she got afraid and did not do anything. She choked.

There are times when we have opportunities, open doors, to say something, to speak up, to testify. We might start out okay, but before we can finish, we choke. We stop. We don’t complete what we set out to do.

Part of it is fear. Like the time Peter was in a boat and asked Jesus to bid him to come where He was – out on the water. Jesus bid Peter to come. And Peter started walking on water. That took great faith. Of course Peter wasn’t doing it in his own strength. But after a while Peter choked. He got afraid and started sinking. And Jesus rescued him. What would have happened if Peter had not choked? How far would he have gone?

It is the same with us. What would happen if we did not choke? There is a song that says we are His body. We are His hands and feet. If we are His body, His hands, His feet and we choke, the world is missing out on what God wants to do for them through us.

I have started reading a book by Lysa TerKeurst titled “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.” (I love her!) As I was reading the first chapter, the author tells a story about the first time she gave her Bible away. She felt God nudging her to do so. After hesitating for a brief moment, she said yes to God. That one act of obedience has had extraordinary results. But what if Lysa had choked and not given her Bible away? The countless lives would not have been touched in a spectacular way.

Let’s say yes to God – completely – all the way to the finish. Fear has no place. Let’s step out and lean hard on God and allow Him to use us to touch the world around us.

Let’s pray.
Father, help us not to choke. We desire to be women who say yes! Help us not to be afraid, but rather step out boldly and be Your body, Your hands, Your feet. Help us to touch those around us. Thank you Father for working in our lives and using us for Your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Be Whole!

Mark 5:25-34:
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Recently my husband taught on this passage of scripture and it really spoke to my heart. He said some things that I hadn’t really thought of.

I have talked about our prayers being answered completely. Today I want to talk to you about how we can be complete, whole.

In this story, we see a woman who has been sick a very long time. The Bible says that she spent all that she had and was no better (verse 26). This verse tells us so much. It tells us that she was desperate; that she probably went to see doctor after doctor for a cure; that she felt hopeless; that she was probably living in poverty now; that she was ridiculed, made fun of; she was isolated, probably had mind battles and so, so much more. Think about other ways she might have been feeling.

In verse 34 Jesus tells her that her faith has made her well, whole. When He tells her to be well, He brought salvation to her. When He tells her to be healed (whole in the KJV), He brings complete healing. He tells her to go in peace. This is not the same as wholeness of affliction. This is peace of what she is dealing with in life. So many times as we read this story, we only think about how Jesus healed her physically. But as we look more closely, we see that His words also spoke of healing her mind and her emotions. Jesus is interested in our emotional healing.

This is one example that God does care about our whole person. He cares that we are afflicted in some way. But He also cares about how that affliction affects us. God desires for us to be completely whole, not just part of the way, but completely.

Where are you at today? Are you suffering physically? Does that suffering affect you mentally or emotionally? Or are you suffering in some way emotionally? Or mentally? Know today that God cares about your whole person. He is there, ready to move on your behalf and speak to your whole being. Receive His words today: "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague." (Mark 5:34 The Message) Receive healing of your mind and your emotions, as well as physically! Receive peace from what you are dealing with through your affliction. Be whole completely!

Blessings,

Donna

Seek to Love as God Loves

Today's devotion was written by Mary Davis, a woman in my church. I believe that she truly seeks to love as God loves. When we first started pastoring New Life, she reached out to me in love, and in doing so, I felt the love of God.


"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16


Persis, a member of the early church, whose name means "one who takes by storm", "labored much in the Lord". Her labor was borne out of a heart of love for her Lord.


"Labored" in the above text means to feel fatigue by working intensely, and implies pain and weariness. This love is an action love, a love that transcends all other kinds of love and expresses the kind of love God is. Coupled with emotion and will, this love is the motivating force that breaks all barriers of complacency, birthing in the Christian a laboring love for our Lord.


This beautiful love knows no bounds, and sees only as God sees - the needs of the world.


Heavenly Father, may our love be a "laboring in love" like that of Persis. Father teach us to seek love's noble properties, practicing them in and among one another. Thank you Father, amen.



Submitted by Mary Davis.

Complete

The Bible tells us we are complete in Him, God. With that statement, so much can be said. Today I want to focus on our prayers.

This hit me one day while reading an email from a friend. Her dad had been very sick and in the hospital. We had been praying with her about several things with her dad. He was on medicine that made him hallucinate. He had several health issues that needed God's intervention. And he was going to move to a nursing home for rehab. This particular day her email was rejoicing and listing the many things God had done, had answered her prayer about her dad. As I read it, rejoicing with her, I realized that God took care of everything in our prayer – not just one item, or two, but all of it! He completed our prayer.

Last week I was talking to another lady, rejoicing with her about an answered prayer. Now this prayer, like the other one just discussed included many things. It was a tough situation . One item in her prayer was that the truth would come out. As I listened, I realized that God answered everything in that prayer – not just one item, or two, but all of it! He completed our prayer.

I began pondering all of this. I think that we sometimes are thankful if God does one item in our prayer. I can picture God ready to move on our behalf to answer everything in our prayer. So what happens? Do we give up?

The first lady prayed a week and seen the results. The second lady had been praying about the situation for just under a year. Yes, a year. She stood strong and continued praying and believing. This past week, she seen every item answered, every item.

These ladies received a full answered prayer, not half way.

I don’t know what you are praying for today. But I encourage you to not lose faith. God can and wants to answer your prayer completely. Continue to stand firm, believing, and you will see it all come to pass. Not just one item of our prayer, but all of it. And don’t settle for just one item answered. Continue until everything is answered.

Blessings,

Donna