…and he was named Jesus. Luke 2:21

Merry Christmas to you and your families and thank you for stopping by for a moment for the conclusion but not the end to “What is in a name.” I’m sure you’re already comfy and cozy  so grab your favorite Christmas morning beverage and enjoy the savoring presence of Jesus; there is no other name. 

Often times when we hear a name there’s always an association or picture we form in our minds. Especially a famous name; for instance when you see or hear the name Walt Disney what do you picture? Of course, Disneyland and all the wonderful moments you spent riding every theme ride in the park.  And how about Tom Cruise, of course I think of all the Mission Impossible movies.

Now don’t get me wrong I’m not comparing these people to Jesus, but you see how quick your thoughts and images come to mind when you speak a name.

We concluded yesterday with the first two names; Wonderful and Counselor and now for the remaining three. My prayer is that each name as you speak them out loud will bring a sense of hope and empowerment that as you do speak His name you have a greater understanding of why His name is called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

So here we go; that name Mighty God means that Jesus has unlimited power for us. What does Mighty mean to you?

As we encounter the demands of life it can seem overwhelming and we at times feel defeat and weakened by the days end, but when we know He resides within us when we call upon His name as Mighty God His power for us is just that; unlimited!

I think it is impossible to be a Christian apart from the help of the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that the name Mighty God is there for us to give us strength to do what He wants us to. Next, He is called the Everlasting Father. Christ came to die on the cross and pay for our sins He rose again from the dead, in that, means we have an Everlasting Father, One who will be with us forever. He will never forget about us and He will always be there to guide and help us in every aspect of life. We then must allow Him to do so. Yes we must give Him permission to do so because He’s not going to override or overrule our will.

Oh how I love this particular name. This name gives me such great comfort when I’m in need of harmony and the next name Isaiah called Him is the Prince of Peace. Certainly we live in frightening times and how we all are in need of peace in our lives.

 If you look at the unsettledness of these times our minds can lead us to fear quite the opposite of peace. John 14:27 encourages us “My Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God will bring peace to the mind of all those who call on His name. What a powerful name “Prince of Peace!”

What's in a name? That all depends on whose name it is. Jesus can be your Prince of Peace. He can be your Counselor. He can be your Mighty God. He can be your Everlasting Father. You can experience life to the fullest because His name is Wonderful.

If it had not been for the manger there certainly would not have been the need of the cross. This Jesus who was born in a manger, who walked this earth, who was crucified, and who rose again, is not some mere historical figure, although He was that. He is alive, and He is still changing lives, today. That’s the reason He came: to put us in touch with God and to give our lives purpose and meaning. 

God’s riches blessings to you on this sweet day and remember you don’t have to wait till next year to speak His name for every day is the greatest opportunity to speak His name!!

Merry Christmas

Love Debbie

What is in a name?

I love the smell and the sweet savoring scents of Christmas. I know many of you will be scurrying around getting those last minute gifts or even Stocking Stuffers, so thank you for taking a moment out of your busy schedule to join me. Let us take a look into the character of a name. 

When we as women become pregnant, usually the very first thing we, and everybody else, want to know is what the gender is. The excitement sometimes is more than we can contain, although back in my day, that was not an option. Isn’t today’s technology amazing? The ability to find out whether we’re having a boy or girl is so available and for the most part when we do find out, we start the hunt for a name. Yet, for some, they want to wait and see the baby before they pronounce their given name.

We can find ourselves inundated with so much information about a name. We can buy books; we can Google a name and even search for the meaning and the origin of where and how that name came about. More and more we are discovering new names from those who like to make up names; and there are those who still love those good old-fashion names.

There are traditional names that have been passed down from generation to generation and what a treasure that little one is that carries such a precious name.

No matter what your name may be, it has been chosen especially for you! Yes, there is something about your name that identifies who you are. Now if you were to call me by a different name, you would get no response. Why? Well, the answer is simple: because you didn’t call me by my given name. When you mention a person’s name, don’t you think of them and their personality? Their name depicts who they are and how you know them!! Your name describes…just that… who you are!

There is a name that is above all names, the name of Jesus. The prophet Isaiah tells us some important things, not only about the name of the Messiah that was to come, but also about His character:

For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Each of these descriptions gives us a different aspect of the work that God wants to do in our lives. His name is Wonderful, which means “a sense of awe,” and He wants to bring a sense of awe and wonder to our lives.  Next is Counselor; He wants to give us His personal counsel and direction.  Psalm 73:24.  No longer do we have to be perplexed by our problems because with Jesus as our counselor we can know He will reveal His will to us.

Oh, how awesome are these two names given to Him that we might find peace in them.

I’m not going to leave you hanging with just these two names! Join me tomorrow on this special day for the remaining names of Jesus: Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.

Continue to make His name personal this Christmas and remember, keep Him close to your heart!

His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Love Debbie

In that that we might be qualified to carry out His love

Nevertheless…. above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Colossians 3:12-16  

We’re definitely into the Christmas season...lights everywhere you look…songs being played... even the smell of Christmas penetrates many stores of cinnamon and spices.

And certainly we can get enveloped in all the events and occasions that are taking place.

The traffic always seems to be heavier....I can’t understand where all these people come from and where they hide all year long… it can be a bit nerve-racking….well in all honestly it’s crazy out there. We often find ourselves in such a hurry traveling from one store to the next to get the best deals…waving people to get out of our way… yes….a bit extreme I know,  but you get my point.

 During the Christmas Season far too many are searching, needing someone or something to fulfill them…. many feel very lonely….. and broken…. they turn to many devices that fill their void.

This brings me to my point of not just celebrating Christmas just on Christmas Day but to be the example of Christ in Christmas, every day!

I'd like to leave you a small gift about His great love and how it can be activated through you in the days ahead. My hope is that it will be encouraging and remind us to take our eyes off ourselves for that one brief moment and speak a word of;

                                  Love    Hope    Joy    Peace

And in this alone knowing that our opportunities are vast to the many we will come in contact with today and in the days ahead.

God always provides the grace and empowerment so that we might be enabled to carry out His love to others regardless of where they've been or who they are. He looks beyond those barriers that many of us put into place. With God’s wisdom present in this way the ethical and moral demands of Christian love can be lived out in every part of our lives, even during the Christmas season.

Let Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and to the many He leads your way!!

So I leave you with a token from my heart to yours in that you and I might be qualified to carry out His love that as a person who acts in the ways of Christ imitating  Him and allowing His unconditional love to permeate my attitude, that this should invade my motives….my thoughts…. my words and  my actions.  So my gift to you is as shown in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. 

"Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Thanks for stopping by "Today's Word of Purpose" 

Love Debbie

The abundance of "Thanks"giving

“rooted and build up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7

Just a few short hours I will be thinking of the many families that will gather together and the countless hours spent in the kitchen preparing that perfect "Thanks"giving dinner finishing up the last minute assembling of each special dish. 

The table will be set in slender and with name tags where each person is to sit in anticipation of their "Thanks”giving dinner. Good Morning and thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to join me for a brief moment on this  "Thanks" giving Day, I so appreciate our time spent together and I’m confidence that your Thanksgiving is going to be wonderful. 

It brings me great joy to see my family embracing the aroma as they step into the kitchen peeking in a pan or peering into the oven with anticipating tummies. Seeing the joyfulness of my children and grandchildren who helped to prepare it brings such satisfaction to a mother’s heart.  A fire will be built, games will be played and a time of sweet reflection of our Thankful hearts and yes with full bellies will be told throughout the day.

I know my heart will sing…Praise God from whom all blessings flow… so many things to be thankful for today and as you join your family whether big or just a few;  take time for a  hug and tell each other how “Thankful” you are for them and then give the reason why you’re “thankful!”

Make it a great day….as I know ours will be filled with lots of Turkey….naps and football.. oh yes and we’ll leave some room for Pumpkin Pie! 

See the abundance of His great love in each other and let thankfulness pour out of your  heart as you share with a “Thank~ful Note” of gratitude to one another. 

SO much to be thankful for... take nothing for granted!!!

And thank you to each one of you that has poured into my life...have a sweet savoring Thanksgiving from my thankful heart to yours.

Love, Debbie

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

Imperfect, weak and needy...really?

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 2 Samuel 22:31

Aren’t you glad that God certainly has our steps ordered and established; and our only part in this is to learn to walk it out,  learn to listen before we move. So often don’t we move before we hear? The wise hear them and grow in wisdom; those with understanding gain guidance. Proverbs 1:5

There are days when discouragement rears its ugly head, days when all I want to do is pull the covers up over my head and enter back into peaceful sleep, days when I’m not sure my brain will last until afternoon, let alone the end of the day! And today was one of those days. Discouragement reared its ugly head. As my feet hit the floor, the immediacy of my need for supernatural strength became overwhelmingly clear. “Lord, I need you!”

You may be asking yourself “where on earth is she going with this?”  Well...we’ve had  inquires as of late regarding the process of our daughter and how’s she’s doing. I know this one thing that had we listened to the doctors a long time ago, discouragement and our faith would have been immersed by the enemy.  So I thought I’d answer by way of faith today, if you don’t mind; so stay with me!

The Hall of faith is certainly an arena I love to visit often.

While walking in that Hall of Faith we cannot let discouragement be in control, yet "in ourselves" when faced with circumstances, discouragement can certainly walk pretty loud!

Many times we act upon our reaction of the circumstances we see in our flesh and of course that can be a natural response especially for any parent, or for that matter, anyone who may be suffering or dealing with unexpected pain of life.

Yes, our faith can be stirred, moved and questioned and at times be discouraging, yet when faced with these challenges, my heart will always be moved to the “Hall of Faith ”Hebrews 11.  What an encouraging passage of scriptures to go to where one can truly experience reassurance...inspiration and reinforcement of God's promises to us.

These believers of the Old Testament were imperfect, weak and needy, wow did you see that...imperfect, weak and needy. Yet God, in His great mercy, revealed Himself and His strength despite their imperfectness...weaknesses and neediness in order to demonstrate His power at a time in their greatest need of Him.
In the same way, God does not require our strength in order to work, why? because we have no strength in ourselves. He delights in us just being that pot of clay in order to mold us for our own good, for His purpose and His glory. He is a God of mercy, grace and compassion.

Although her diagnosis has not changed, in fact, her recent test revealed further damage to both her legs Yes each day brings incredible pain to our daughter and times she suffers with great difficulties and challenges. BUT God, He definitely has used her pain coupled with all our faith to reach the lives of so many to evoke hope when life seemed hopeless, to trust when no one else trusted and to have faith when faced with discouraging news when all else failed, yes, even when man has failed.

He is perpetual in His word; He is the same “Yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 
His promises are everlasting, never fail or cause discouragement.  She knows there’s no denying He loves her like no other!! 

Yes, we are going to have those days of discouragement and days we feel our faith is weak but we have this great confidence…

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…For when I am weak, then I am strong". 2 Corinthians 12:9-11  

So, today whatever you maybe experience or walking through I pray that you will exchange your discouragement for encouragement.  Just as those who had to also walk out their faith in their greatest time of discouragement;  in that let your faith be released to know your faith will let you face your tomorrows.
Let me leave you with a song we sang many years ago it still rings an anthem of praise for our today's and yes even for our tomorrows;

 "Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know He holds my future and life is worth the living just because HE lives."  What a promising hope!!

Make it a purposeful weekend and remember...keep Him close to your heart!!

Love Debbie

As painfully simple as this seems

The sun stood still as Joshua led Israel to victory over its enemies...even the wise men were led by a sign in the sky….the star…to Jesus!

Many believe and sense there’s a transformation taking place….that something is about to happen. Yet those who walk in darkness have no idea except that something big is about to be declared!!!

Even creation cries out!!  Romans 8:19-27

Joel 2:31 and Acts 2:20 “the sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord ” The word here signifies “before” the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.  

 Many are buzzing in regards to this last Blood Moon...quote from Pastor John Hagee, "Yes for 4 blood moons to appear so closely is extremely rare. A blood moon is when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, the sun is shining through the atmosphere of the Earth and casts up on the moon a red shadow. And so the moon appears to be red. If there ever was a time for Christians to stiffen their spine and stand up and speak up, it’s now.” 

I’d like to ask…. How are we aligning ourselves in Him? 

As the earth aligns itself  tonight between the moon and sun,  this has a symbolic meaning to me....am I where I need to be in Him? Am I doing my own thing but with a little bit of Jesus....I’m I mediocre in serving Jesus where others are going to see that reflection of Christ from within me, that radiates from around me?

Today, take time to evaluate (to gauge)  examine (inspect your relationship) of where you are in Him… we must put His preferences above our own... cover ourselves with His word ….align ourselves in Him…as painfully simple as this seems it carries a profound truth.

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose”...keep Him close to your heart....and pray for Israel!!! 

Love Deb

Oh "NO" not another roadblock!?

……”looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Have you ever found yourself at a roadblock in life? I can answer that with an out-and-out yes...and sometimes it's been many roadblocks as I'm asking ..seeking.... praying..."Lord,  not again, now which way do I turn and where do I go from here?"

How many times have you been so headstrong that you plowed ahead ignoring all the visible signs to stop? God will sometimes position roadblocks in front of us that call for our immediate decision to stop...go no further!! And when He does He's pretty emphatic about you turning around and heading into another direction. 

Sound familiar?

God desired for the children of Israel to leave Egypt after years of captivity. Instead of God taking Israel the shortest way possible, He took them through the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land. 

You ask "So why would God lead them by way of the Red Sea, instead of the quickest way to the Promised Land?"   For God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt, roadblock?   Exodus 13:17-18

When things aren’t working according to our plans, we  must believe God has put the roadblock up for our own protection and the detours to be used temporarily instead of the main route.

When you come to a roadblock take the detour. A detour could be an expressway to your hopes and dreams. 

Detours...although it may look like you are going in the wrong direction certainly you're not if you're paying attention. And yes it can be confusing, just take a look in the natural our own freeways that are under-construction. One needs to be watchful..ready at any given moment to make a lane change...stop or get off the freeway!! Many time we follow the crowd only to find we're in a bigger mess, instead of relying on our instincts. Just as a spiritual roadblock or detour we must rely on the Holy Spirit to take us to a better place.

Friend, let us not be anxious when God takes us on His detours  for He's already mapped it out for us.  

Philippians 4:6 tells us to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, WITH thanksgiving, let your request be made known.  

 We need to choose to pray for direction according to the will of God  in order  that we  don't become anxious in the presence of a roadblock just because we  want to proceed forward...  it's then we need to seek clarity  in order to continue in the direction He has for us.

Sometimes the signs are clearly marked for us to follow, and sometimes  well sometimes it's not... it is then we truly need to be still so He can direct us. I don't know about you but I don't do to well in reaping what I sow in disobedience!! 

Remember roadblocks/detours are not the end of the road; it’s just a bend in the road.

Don't become irritated with God when you hit a roadblock, be reminded, it's God way in keeping you safe and on the right path.

He is not there to hinder you; He is there to assist you in knowing what avenue to take.

So, the next time you’re faced with a roadblock, turn to your personal GPS, "God Protective Service", and He will direct you on the rest of your journey, by way of the Holy Spirit.

Let's pray:

Father, please help me see any barriers that might be blocking my ability to see You and Your plans clearly. Give me the wisdom and strength when I do see a roadblock that I will be able to see the detour  that I will  be able to do what it takes to be still not to cross over any roadblocks so that I can continue on the path You have marked out for me. Help me to keep my eyes on You, trusting that You will show me what I need to do to keep running forward in this race of life..."for you are the author and finisher of our faith!"  Amen.

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose” and remember to keep Him close to your heart <3 Deb

A sweet symphony of praise

....speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19

Our lives are like a symphony...a symphony of praise. We are like a beautiful song to Him…as a creator of a masterpiece…each word that has been written...each composing note….yes note by note that has been written... it's a song of the redeemed... and our lives are like a sweet symphony.

All our thoughts and endeavors lay before Him like a note on a page. With each line that has been written....our tears....our failures....our triumphs  each chord that is sung we make it significant to Him...for there's a transformation that takes place when we begin to sing those melodies of praise unto the Lord...for in your praise joy and gladness will be found!  He then turns them all into a glorious symphony that will be sung for eternity. 

Seek Him in the quietness... in the stillness of the morning and He will fill our hearts with a divine melody from the Throne. 

Let the strings of our hearts be touched throughout our day...so that the sweet melody of His voice lingers like a sweet perfume…and when others hear your melody of heart they too will be drawn to Him... as in a rhapsody of praise.

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 40:3

He is our composer...we are His masterpiece... we are His symphony….a  sweet symphony of praise!

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose” make it a day of sweet harmony...together! 

Love Deb

Just think… it’s a “win~win” situation!

You'll really never know the strength and reality of your faith until you’ve experience battles in life. Sometimes we can be blinded to the truth when we are in the trenches.  

Allow God to enable your eyes to see His army of faithfulness around you instead of only seeing the army of doubt and unbelief that surrounds you!

 Sometimes the battles in our lives give our faith opportunity to be proven. Boy oh boy do I understand that statement; standing on the front line feeling like a target when the arrows come flying, I begin to feel the dent’s in my armor as I’m being hit…. However….. I know that I know that I know... when I go to Him first He will hear my battle cry and yes there have been many times that I praised Him while in my battle ....He will step in and bring victory!! 

It is only when we are tested in battle that we become skilled warriors. 

        Know His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Yes...God allows battles to develop around our lives to give our faith opportunity to be proven. Hook up your shield of faith with someone whose faith  HAS been proven when you're in need of reinforcements and encouragement, they'll understand and help you march through it!!! 

I love the word in 2 Chronicles 20: 15-23 I’m taking just a snippet, however please read in full for yourself. 

Great danger and distress was just about to emerge upon the kingdom of which Jehoshaphat reigned and Jehoshaphat received the Word of God:

Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O (slip in your name right here) Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Just think… it’s a “win~win” situation! Oh to know that you never go in it alone...never...ever!!!!!

Jehoshaphat stood and said to his people, “Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”  And then he appointed (dispatched not soldiers but singers) those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

             “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.”

                                

Our faith is demonstrated in Life’s battles when we put our complete trust in God...And praise wins the victory over our enemy...without the battles we'd never experience the victories...stand strong in the power of His might!!!
                  

"...let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." Romans 13:12

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose”…and remember to keep Him close to your heart!!

Love Debbie

Rendered null and void

The many purchases we buy for bettering our lives always comes with an "Owner’s Manual" have been for as long as I can remember…. just about everything that is purchased has its very own... up close and personal "Owner’s Manual." 

A good question to ask oneself is, “How many times have you turned to your "Owner’s Manual" AFTER which you tried to do it yourself and found yourself so frustrated that you just wanted to pitch the thing that you were working on right out the door or window,  all because you didn't read your very own up close and personal “Owner's Manual?”

Who likes instruction’s, anyway? And for that matter...Who reads them? 

Honestly, I try to …but most often don’t. We feel we can figure it all out for ourselves…in some instances many can…if it’s "Pictorial Instructions!"

We recently purchased an item that required us to read the "Owner’s/User’s Manual" notice the word user…in order for it to work properly and for the warranty to be valid, we had to follow the instructions, thoroughly. The manual was over 21 pages…..it didn't seem long however, because “we..ummm..he” was in a hurry, I'm not pointing fingers just calling it as I see it or in this case as I'm reading it, he just wanted to get it done, so I needed to read "Quick", oh I think I saw something in the packaging!!

Yes I did, in fact, in furthering my investigation I came across a “Quick Setup Guide” instructions, simple to use, so it said... one must be leary when one see's the word "Quick" at least for us it never seems to work!!

Yes in life we sometimes choose to do the QUICK SETUPS  we feel the satisfaction of it running smoothly and seemingly efficiently…UNTIL…to our surprise, we come across a problem in which we skipped…..and at that point  we have to return to the “REAL” manual to get it right. Some manuals will say  “If product has been tampered with by not following manual instructions you cannot return  the product, the warranty is null and void!”

This so reminded me of our eternal Owner’s Manual it’s called His Word, the Bible, it teaches us….. it instructs us… it even cares for us in the most difficult moments of our lives. 

His Word fully equips us with every facet of our lives, that is, “If” we follow the instructions that have been given to us… it’s so simple… not hard at all,  although we can certainly make it harder than it is by not following through and relying on the "Quick SetUps"in our lives!

Many times when our appliances are acting up we run to the "Owner's Manual" in reference to the problem;  now comparing it to God's word when life seems difficult and we can't seem to figure it out...we need to run to His Word there we will find  peace, comfort, and fullness of joy; all that He requires of you is to  pick it up,  read it and then apply it, as simple as that!!

Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” 

So   in other words, His instructions to us today comes with the confidence and hope of faithfulness and His great love towards us of His Word working in us in the manner as it should be, why?

 Because we've read the "Owner's’ Manual" and have followed  His instructions…for our own good!

                         God left nothing to be rendered null and void!  

Read the Owner/User Manual carefully, "God’s Word" and use it for further reference in every detail of your life, for His Word is guaranteed..... for life!

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose”

Love

Debbie

What has God "Set" in you?

I love to tell this story on myself, although this took place several years ago my prayer is that you'll see the value in the talent He has "Set" in you.

I'd been wanting a new cell phone so my husband and I went out and bought one. I was ecstatic about the great offer more minutes for the same amount of money I had been paying for my previous service, and no roaming charges! What a deal! However I had no idea when I walked out of the cellular store celebrating in my purchase, bag full of manuals, brochures and terms of contract in tote, that this new phone had many more capabilities than the I previously owned.

Not fully having total understanding on how this new phone operated  I set the phone on my desk, unable to take time at that point to go over the extensive directions. I figured I would just leave it there and wait until Rod and I could revel in my celebration, together! When I finally activated the phone and set up my voicemail and ringtones, I found myself at a crossroads. Should I brave the textbook-sized user manual? After all, my phone was turned on and functioning. I knew how to send and receive calls. What more did I need? I was good to go.

However, the salesman’s pitch about the numerous features my phone had still rang in my ears: “You've got caller ID, call waiting, free phone calls to other people in our network and so on” 

So, I peeled back the shrink-wrap from the owner’s manual and began to skim it. At first I was in awe. “Wow,” I thought. “I can send an email from my phone! And would you look at that, I can access the Internet…hmmm, it even has voice-activated dialing. I wonder what else this compact wonder can do?”

Soon, however, I was overwhelmed by the thought of trying to implement all the special functions. “Where would I begin?” I wondered. “I don't have a lot of time to fool around with all these settings, and I'm not very good at high-tech stuff.”  Feeling discouraged I gave up “I’m not going to be able to figure this out. I can just use the phone for normal calls and not worry about all this other stuff better yet have I’ll have Rod figure it out and then give me instructions.”

For several days I walked around in cell-phone ignorance, just moving my phone in and out of my purse, plugging it into the wall to recharge, answering and initiating calls. 

One day, on my way home from work, I realized  the way I was handling my cell phone is the way many Christians handle the gifts and talents God has given them. He invests so many “features” in us yet, like me with my cell phone, we don't take the time out to find out what they are and cultivate what He has placed in us.

Instead, we go in with a lack of knowledge, using only the features that are more obvious and easy to access. We fail to inquire all the “settings” that God has preset into us;  not only to bless Him but also to bless others.

Confession time:  I saw that I had left areas untouched because of fear of failure or busyness or just plain laziness. Like the man Jesus described who hid the talent his master gave him Matthew 25:18,26, 28, I too, had buried His investment in me rather than using it wisely so that it would bring Him a return.

Needless to say, this changed my way of thinking. I don’t want to receive the same response from God that the servant received from his master. The master called the man a “’wicked and lazy servant’” and took away the one talent he had given him.

Today I do have a new IPhone and I'm still finding new features available to me! May it be so in all our lives that we hunger after the Lord and truly seek to develop the gifts He has placed in us!

What has He "Set" in you?

My prayer is you will be determined for God to reveal the gifts He has set in you and pray for opportunities to develop and use them. Ask Him to help you resist settling for the norm and to instill in you a desire to dig into His reservoir of possibilities for your life. 

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose” … and keep Him close to your heart!

Love Deb

Feathers, Feathers…and more Feathers!

When you picture a flying bird, it's not usually a chicken that comes to mind,  or is it? I've never seen a chicken described in flight....lots of eagles, but no chickens. 

We find in Isaiah 40:31 that scripture tells us..."they shall mount up with wings like eagles." There is a difference between being on His wings and being under His wings.

We also find in Psalm 91:4 it's not describing the flying wing but the sheltering wing. One indicates strength, while the other signifies protection. Can you imagine the warmth of a nest and the security of being under the wings of the nurturing love of a mother hen with chicks, it paints a clear picture of the sheltering wing of God's protection.
Let me ask this question, "Is everyone protected under the wings?" Psalm 91:4 says, "He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge."  It certainly sounds like it to me, although it's up to us to make that decision! We can seek refuge under His wings if we choose to. Imagine that..we have a choice!

There's a story that's been told that gives us a picture of what it means to seek refuge under His wings. The story goes like this:

A mother hen hatched a brood of baby chickens. One afternoon when they were scattered all over the yard, suddenly there was the shadow of a hawk overhead. The mother hen did not run to those little chicks and jump on top of them to try to cover them with her wings. Of course not....within her she knew the position she had to take in order to protect and secure the safety of her little chicks.

Instead, she squatted down, spread out her wings and began to cluck. And those little chickens, from every direction, came running to her to get under those outstretched wings. She then pulled her wings down tight, tucking every little chick safely under her. To get to those babies, the hawk would have to go through the mother.

Wait an amazing picture  we can see...likened as our Heavenly Father and His protection from harms way, towards us.

When I think of those baby chicks running to their mother, I realize it is under His wings that we  seek refuge….but we have to run to Him, first. "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall seek refuge." Those two little words will & shall  are strong words! It certainly is up to us! All that mother hen did was cluck and expand her wings to tell her chicks where to come.

Scripture also shows the maternal hovering side to His protection. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem … how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling," Matt. 23:37.NASB

Notice the contrast between God's willingness and our unwillingness: His wanting and our not willing to … His would against our would not. 

What an amazing analogy to show us that He offers protection that we don't accept!

It is interesting that Jesus uses the correlation of maternal love to demonstrate His attachment to us. There is certain fierceness to motherly love we cannot overlook. God is deeply committed to us…yet at the same time, we can reject His outstretched arms if we so choose. 

God's not running all over the place trying to cover us.Psalm 71:1 "I have made protection possible. You run to Me!"  And when we run to Him in faith, the enemy then has to go through God to get to us!  Wow…what a comforting scripture.

I'd like to leave you with yet another illustration that I read recently of God's protection: There was a man who  hijacked a car. The woman who was driving the car had been studying Psalm 91 at church, but in the trauma of the moment, she only remembered there was something about being under the protection of His wings, so she began to holler, 

"Feathers, Feathers!!"

 The assailant was so stunned by her reaction that he stopped in his tracks, turned on his heels, and fled for his life.

So the question we ask ourselves is how do we put this promise to work? Since we can't physically run to God, how do we seek His protection? As was illustrated by the analogy to the mother hen and her precious little chicks, how can we put this promise into practice in our own life, daily?  

We must first run to God, with our prayer life, by speaking to Him; we must run to God with our hearts to seek Him in His word; we must run to God with our faith....like those little chicks it was instinctive... they ran back to their mother to take cover under those feathers. 

When you feel the enemy soaring all around you...run...run fast towards your Heavenly Father who truly keeps His eyes on you.... no matter how far you may be...He will cover you under His feathers.... when you run to Him!

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Thanks for stopping by ‘Today’s Word of Purpose”.... and remember to keep Him close to your heart.

Love Deb

But remember this is not about me!

But remember this is not about me!

Today I fashioned in my heart that I was going to start “My Prayer Walk” and yes I’m going all by myself. I can’t wait to get going and have some very special time with the Lord. Oh and I’m sure He too is anxious to hear from me as well!  So I fashion myself with all my gid-up And then question myself should I wash my hair…or just put a hat on…are my hats clean…what if someone I know rounds the corner and recognizes that it’s me and I look like I just crawled out of bed…well…

But remember it’s not about me!

 It’s  amazing how many excuses you can come up with when you're doing something all by yourself.

I thought I don’t need to go outside when its cold; I can walk around my house and pray I don’t need to go for an actual walk, do I?  I mean what so different about going outside and walking when I can just do it right in the comfort of my own home…you think… really!? As I started with such great intentions I clearly found how distracted I became. I was not able to focus… not one bit...

But remember this is not about me!

I would walk from one room to the next with good intentions of just pressing through but then I would notice something that needed my attention, so of course you do what is automatic, you pick up clothes, put back grand kids toys, you tidy the bed, you see laundry you go out to the laundry room and you take out and you put in… now remember I’m praying…isn’t that why they call it, “A Prayer Walk?”

I walk out of one room into another and as I cross the threshold, really I’m praying…. Hardly recalling what I’m supposed to be praying about……and how hard can it be…. You’re just going in one room walking around and coming right back out….I answered my own question….it is hard… I get distracted?

But remember this is not about me!

I had to laugh at myself because I’m thinking well this didn’t accomplish much prayer except my house is clean and my laundry’s done....yes Lord I know that there’s a need to be prayed about…ok I’ll get out and start walking ..that’s it…I’m going…hang on I need to take my phone in case there’s an Emergency….what if my husband needs me or if my kids call or a friend…..then I contemplate should I put my earpiece on and hold my cell phone so as I’m walking and talking to the Lord flaying my arms and shaking my head,  I can only imagine what that might look like from a distance, it would look as if I’m on my cell phone?

But remember this is not about me!

This went on for a good 40 mins and I finally figured this is not going to work. My point is this, how am on concentrating on praying to the Lord?  Why is my concentration so bad?  Why couldn't I have just got up put on all my gizmo’s and head out the door?  Why have I allowed myself to be so distracted? Pretty simple questions wouldn't you say.

Then the thought interrupted me, boy is this how I communicate with my family?

Do I say to them I've got this really interesting story or thought and I want to share it with you and before I can even consider finishing a sentence or for that matter finish eating my dinner I'm off doing something else.

But remember it’s not about me.

How long to you suppose it would take till they said… “Whelp there she goes, is she coming back” …… “where did she go?”…. ”she was here a minute ago…..what she had to say seemed important, but I only got a portion of what she was saying...did it makes sense to you?”

Then you realize, opps, I just left my family, my friends, just hanging and scratching their heads. They've become accustomed to my behavior, of starting a statement and not finishing it because I’m up attending to this or that.

I have a friend who says to me “Aren't you supposed to be Mary? But your acting like Martha…stop it…you're so out of character”... we both laugh and  then, off I go!

I'm really trying hard to take off the Martha hat…busy busy busy…what am I so busy about? Not that Martha’s all that bad....there’s just a time and place for Martha.... I'm working on it!!

But remember it’s NOT about me!

I had 2 dogs, they were small Dachshunds, brothers Spankie and Stymie.  They love to be with me every waking moment. (Mind you mine were human; at least they thought they were) They'd sit by me, on my lap, lay by me, every move I’d make that’s where they wanted to be.

They would follow me everywhere I go, whether I’m in the house or outside they were right under my feet. Poor little guys they were just as busy as me!!!

There are times I would look around to see where they were in my busyness. I’d see Spankie right next to me trotting right along, then I realize Stymie had stopped dead in his tracks,  yet he still had his eye on me, he was good at waiting, waiting till I come back by, then he’d pick up where he left off.

                               Have I painted a picture for you today?

How busy are you? Are you busy but not accomplishing what you set out to do?

Do you find that you start out with the rightful desires and good intentions; yet you end up feeling like you've run a marathon with no end in sight?  And then you ask what am I accomplishing?

Did you tell the Lord… “Today is the day, I’m gonna make a change, I’m gonna let you be in charge. “I’m gonna start that project that you have been asking of me, “I’m gonna volunteer in the areas that you have been asking me to fulfill.”  And the list goes on….

But remember it’s not about me!

The Lord beckons us everyday to seek Him to have a relationship with Him to spend quiet time with Him, so we can hear His heart and do what is required of us.

Isaiah 50:4b says “He awakens Me morning by morning He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. The Lord has opened My ear and I was not rebellious Nor did I turn away.”

We need to lay aside all the stuff that seems so important to us to focus and rid ourselves of our distractions so He can give us His thoughts, pour out His love in us to allow Him to speak truths… to give us wisdom…. to give us power and strength so we are able  to share with others that we come across… in a day.

It so reminded me, today, that when I was about my business He was like my little Stymie, my dash hound, who I’m sure if he could have talked would have said “mommy when you’re done I’ll be here when you come back by, then I'll take up my position and move on with you.”

Don’t be so busy that when you look back you see and you realize your walking all alone, you've left Him sitting there just waiting till you return to pick up where you left off…..with Him!

How awesome is our God... how great is His love for us that even when we are doing our own thing, He always has His eyes on you and me.

Psalm 143:8  says….Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness’ in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.  

Remember, it’s not just about me!

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose”and remember to keep Him close to your heart!
Love  Deb

"Oh come on....let me hear you holler, cry or maybe even a little shout "

This morning as I was spending some quiet time with no worries of answering  the phone or my many messages...I was truly in a place of quietness when out of nowhere this song came to me…”Shout to God with a voice of triumph.”

So I stopped my quietness found the scripture and felt compelled to expound… so here goes.

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! Psalm 47:1

Clap: To strike the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound, as in applauding.

We use our hands for various activities like applauding with one’s hands, shaking someones hand in a gesture of welcoming, or as an expression of delight, as seen in this scripture.  However the hands here are referring to in this scripture  that symbolizes predominantly power and strength.

Jesus used His hands often bringing healing and blessing and ultimately….. for redemption...no greater joy in this that you and I should…clap our hands! So clap with all your might. 

Shout:  The use of uttered sounds for auditory communication.

“Jubilate Deo”- from a Latin word meaning "shout for joy" or "Rejoice in the Lord."

We shout at games, at our children, hopefully in a good way, with a loud cry of joy for something they have done well.  We shout with excitement at wonderful events or at times of great distress.

Scripture often speaks of praise in terms of shouting, reflecting both the joy of the speaker and the greatness of God. The term shout has several synonyms, so if one of these fit...then be my guest…lift your voice!

Cry, call, yell, scream, holler, squall, utter and even let loose and I like this one… roar. You may even come up with your own way of expressing the word shout!

Also a person’s voice expresses a person’s character, thoughts and emotions, and attracts attention by its tone and volume so the sound of your voice should be a familiar voice to your family, husband, wife and friends yet it’s possible that it can be mistaken for someone else’s……However make no mistake… God knows your voice... He knows your name and even knows the very hairs on your head…..so go ahead…shout for joy!!!

Oh the sound of sweet victory that is heard from every camp that has won a battle. It means just this...you have accomplished something that you’ve been battling that has come against you and He has given you the power to overcome and to conquer it.Yes my friend... It’s time to celebrate!

And the children of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho and with a great shout; the wall of the city fell down flat. Joshua 6... yes I would say there was clapping and shouting going on in the camp of Joshua …So go ahead clap and shout! As my grandchildren say… “I double dog dare you!”

There was a medieval law requiring that all citizens shout as to “make an outcry”; within earshot, that would give chase to a fleeing criminal.

It is also said back in wartime troops would shout as they attacked their enemy. Boy sure reminds me of times that I have literally shouted to the enemy and his troops to flee.

If you're facing a battle know that as you release the clapping and the lifting of your voice to your creator ...it is guaranteed that victory is yours, at every hand!

So go ahead….express yourself as if you were attending a game or better yet in a game and your team has just won! For the Word says in Hebrews 12:1-3…we are in a race running to receive our crowns …so get your pep cheer going for He loves to witness your joy, love and praise to Him!

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,Revelation 19:1

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! Psalm 47:1....

..... and be encouraged to clap and shout it’s your time of victory... not defeat… even if you don't feel like it...go ahead, do it anyway you just may be surprised at what might happen next…. Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose”and remember to keep Him close to your heart.

 Love Deb

From Pain to Purpose

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" James 1:2-5

Yes I would call that verse… character building!!

God often allows pain to ignite purpose in our lives. And frankly sometimes without motivation, many of us would never fulfill the purposes  which God created us for. Often times  I call it… a mugging invasion…which attacks our life and creates a depth of pain….and in that… all we know to do is press into God with all our being.

Sometimes, our impulse at first is to alleviate the pain…praying, "Lord how fast can I get out from underneath this pain and this process."  

And we then find that we're heading into a second phase. 

And boy, when this happens we quickly find ourselves on our knees before Him not asking for relief but for endurance to make it to the end.  And thus, through this it begins to move us to a new and deeper relationship with God....with purpose.

It's amazing  how we then can discover things about ourselves that  never would have been discovered without this determination; and amazingly about God as well. Slowly, our heart changes from pain to loving obedience because there is a transitioning going on in our hearts and then to our minds. 

No longer do we seek God for deliverance from the pain; we seek His face.... and not His hand.

We then find ourselves moving into a new purpose and destiny for our lives because God separates us from the old life in this process. 

Many examples of  process with a purpose is shown to us in His word.  No doubt Joseph and Peter felt the pain of their individual crises. However, later they realized God's purposes in and through their crisis. Like Joseph, we are able to say, "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."  Genesis 50:20

Jesus found Himself in that secret place and there He, too, experienced His own soul being trouble yet His very words to His Father was…”But for this purpose I came to this hour”. We can't imagine the pain that Jesus was pertaining to, however when He spoke these very words,  He knew He had a purpose…a purpose destined for you and me.  John 12:27

It’s in that secret place…. that place that you may need to find yourself alone…shut ~in…with God that He may show you His purpose in your pain and your process!! 

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long however they produce for us a glory that hugely outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Corinthians 4:17

Today, let God move you from that…”place of pain”… to His…”place of purpose”...lacking nothing!

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose” may your heart be encouraged that your joy WILL come in the morning…. and remember… to keep Him close to your heart!!

Love Deb

I felt a nudge in my heart....in that listening moment!

“Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him." 1 Samuel 15:22

Consider this……Doing a gesture out of love allows the ability of your gift to grow stronger in them…. than in you.

So many times we ignore that still small voice that speaks to us when we're being asked to do something….hear me now…not told to do.... but asked to do…there’s a difference…. If a word is spoken; are we hearing or are we just listening?

Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing-impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences; listening leads to understanding. And sometimes that in itself can be challenging at least for me...be honest!!

Most people tend to be "hard of listening" rather than "hard of hearing." A good question to ask yourself; How are you hearing so that you can listen?

We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking. Listening is an absolute necessary skill that reaches our hearts.

Many time’s I have missed the listening part of hearing and failed to be obedient...however I believe we all at one time or another are given many chances to redeem ourselves, so to speak.

Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around us and focus on our thoughts, no matter where we maybe in life or in a situation, on Him.

Sometime ago I was in the check out line at my local grocery store and in front of me was a young woman with her small children and as the checker pass each item through the scanner I observed this woman keeping an eye on the dollar amount that was questionable she would then interrupt the checker and quietly ask..." could you please remove that item and continue?"Her children seeing this, spoke up in a voice where she could hear them...”Mommy we need those items!” She simply answered  again softly…. “its ok we'll get it next time”, as not to bring any further commotion. 

She wasn't speaking in a loud obnoxious voice to gain attention in fact it was about as low as a whisper could be; yet with my supersonic ears… I could hear.  Oh I tried to look busy while thumbing through a magazine… looking at the candy bars on one shelf and at all the gum on the other, however I kept a watchful eye on her. 

After it was all said and done  in that listening  moment I felt a nudge in my heart to pay for her remaining items. You ask,  why  didn't I just pay for the items while she was still in the store…simply put, that was not God’s intentions! 

I believe He wanted to see if I was hearing or listening!  Immediately after the woman left, I told the checker please ring up her remaining order..quickly.. and send the box person out to give her her food she had forgotten. When the box boy came back in, he said she was surprised and told him, "I didn't pay for these".... and he answered her "I know but someone already paid the price, for you!!"

You see it’s was all about the listening and hearing..not about who did what for whom!!

Whether it’s paying it forward…..at a drive~thru…cleaning someone’s home unexpectedly…. taking out the neighbors garbage cans …making dinner for someone …or even baking a cake….it doesn't always have to be monetary things…..it’s all about… the difference between listening and hearing….and above all  the motive of our hearts.... oh that Christ may be revealed.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

He is much more interested in your listening to Him than in your offering the fat of rams....Obedience is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22

Will you be a carrier of His presence?  Remember it’s not just about the hearing …but it’s also in the listening... as well.

Thanks for stopping by “Today’s Word of Purpose”..and remember to keep Him close to your heart!! 

 Love Deb