PRAYER & FAITH

Psalm 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the Name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May He remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings. Selah
4 May He give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 We will shout for joy when You are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the Name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He answers him from His holy heaven
with the saving power of His right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 O LORD, save the king [and me]!
Answer us when we call!

Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Time to FLY]

BEARING FRUIT

Genesis 1:10-12 (NIV)
10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.


2 Kings 19:29-31 (NIV)
29 "This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.
31 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. [God even gets excited about it!]


Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age, [my age ;-)]
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him."

• sow and reap
• plant and eat
• take root and bear fruit [hey - they rhyme!]
• flourish like a palm
• grow like a cedar
• stay fresh and green [til death]

Seedtime and Harvest: God's plan woven through the entire Bible. Every aspect of the Christian walk is based on that connected theme.
Just like an apple tree bears apple fruit - it's who that tree is. It's the make-up of the tree that produces the fruit it bears. If we are connected to Christ [the Vine] - then bearing fruit should be who we are - not what we do!

Can you share one thing that God has taught you about a [fruit] seed you've planted - and how it is now who you are?

What harvest has come from the seeds God has planted within you over the last year? Did they flourish, grow, stay fresh and green?

Matthew 7:16-18
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
[Time to FLY]

Beth over at An Instrument 4 His Glory gave me this award today. Thank you, Beth, for honoring of me for this one. The Lord told me on the day my husband went home to glory - to "Make JESUS Shine". So this is precious to me. I'm probably breaking some kind of rule or something but I wish to present this to only one person and to let the beautiful icon speak for itself. I would like to present this award to: Elaine over at Click here: peace for the journey

SLAM DUNK

I love this picture! It was snowing outside last month when I took a few photos in the dark. I just love how one snowflake looks like a basketball going through the net [swish]! This verse: [Philippians 3:14] is very special to me because it was the very first verse I ever memorized when I was about 8 years old.

A neighborhood girlfriend invited me to a summer camp for a weekend. We had to learn this 'theme' verse . I did not receive Christ until I was 14 years old - so even at age 8 God was preparing the way for my life in Christ - as He says - He knew and loved me - even before I ever knew and loved Him. Isn't that so like God - yet so amazing? It's hard to wrap my mind around.

How about you? Have you seen God's Hand over your life?

Questions to ponder for this post:
Let God speak to your heart through the photo and the verse. What goals are you pressing toward? What mark are you aiming to hit? Are those goals included in God's high calling - for His kingdom purposes? In Christ?

Many years ago [1993 - I believe it was] my oldest daughter, Rebekah, wrote a speech as valedictorian of her Christian High School commencement program. It was entitled:

Only What's Done for Christ Will Last!

I have never forgotten those words and recently the LORD keeps reminding me of them each and every day. They help me to make better choices for the everyday things going on in my life as well as the big things that God is doing.

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
[Time to FLY]

CHILDLIKE FAITH

**********A CHILD'S CHAIR of FAITH ***********
Exodus 33 (selected)
15 Then Moses said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with Your people unless YYou go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" 17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing You have asked, because I am pleased with You and I know You by name."
18 Then Moses said, "Now show me Your glory."
19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the LORD, in Your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," He said, "you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live."
21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen." [Scripture emphasis added]

This is my very favorite Old Testement Passage of Scripture - and God knows that. I can't wait to see what else He is going to do! He's already done one huge miracle today in the new Prayer Room! I can barely breathe - bowing down in worship and praise to Him. You can read about it on the PRAYER WALK... in SHEPHERD'S WALK at Sweetbriar - in The PRAYER ROOM... when I can catch my breath from praising my Lord Jesus today.


Our God is the SAME God that Moses encountered!
Oh - How AWESOME IS HE!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Time to FLY]

And the WINNERS Are...

Thank you to all those who participated in the drawing for the 5-copy giveaway of the book entitled:

In a Pit With a LION On a Snowy Day

by Mark Batterson.

Celina drew the names of the 5 winners. And they are:
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Yolanda [Higher Grounds]
Kim Ecker [NJ]

Mary D. [NJ]

Beth H. [An Instrument for His Glory]

Stacy L. [NJ]

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Congratulations to the winners. Please send your mailing address to me so that I can get these books mailed out to you. You can send an email with that info through my profile e-Mail.

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For those who didn't win a free copy - please take the time to get one for yourself - at the library or the bookstore. Remember the question asked on the back of the book:

WHAT IF

THE LIFE YOU REALLY WANT,

AND THE FUTURE GOD WANTS FOR YOU,

IS HIDING RIGHT NOW

IN YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM,

YOUR WORST FAILURE...

YOUR GREATEST FEAR?
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Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Time to FLY]

God's COVENANT Love

Psalm 89 (selected)

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the LORD'S great love forever;

with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations.
2 I will declare that Your love stands firm forever,

that You established Your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3 You said, "I have made a covenant with My chosen one,

I have sworn to David ____________ [insert your name] My servant,
4 'I will establish your line forever

and make your throne firm through all generations.' "

Selah
5 The heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD,

Your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

11 The heavens are Yours, and Yours also the earth;

You founded the world and all that is in it.
12 You created the north and the south;

Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at Your name.
13 Your arm is endued with power;

Your hand is strong, Your right hand exalted.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

love and faithfulness go before You.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You,

who walk in the light of Your presence, O LORD.
16 They rejoice in Your name all day long;

they exult in Your righteousness.
17 For You are their glory and strength,

and by Your favor You exalt our horn.

20 I have found David [__________] my servant;

with My sacred oil I have anointed him.
21 My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

24 My faithful love will be with him,

and through My name his horn will be exalted.

34 I will not violate My covenant

or alter what My lips have uttered.

36 ...that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before Me like the sun;
37 it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky." Selah [all emphasis added]

About a year ago I wrote a song for my 2 year old grandson, Jyden. I wanted to teach him about God's covenant love for us. The moon and the sun and the rainbow declare - each as a faithful witness in the sky - the Covenant love that only God can make - and will not violate or rescind.

The Moon Song

The moon...

in the sky...

is a witness...

of God's...

covenant...

love!

We do hand motions too, and it is precious to my heart when he sings it with such enthusiasm. We do different hand motions for the sun and the rainbow - but it's all about the ending part - God's Covenant love! Simple words - simple gestures - profound meaning!

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Time to FLY]

******* LAST DAY FOR BOOK DRAWING ENTRY *******

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FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY Drawing On Friday, March 13th

'Comment' HERE - and ENTER to win one of five copies of

In A Pit With a LION On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

Click here: TRUTHSHARER: FREE BOOK [5] GIVEAWAY *********************************************************

God's UMBRELLA POLICY

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name.
15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him My salvation." [emphasis added]

In these uncertain times - are you considering additional "umbrella insurance" to cover what 'might' or what 'could' happen to you? Truthfully, we have no [zero, nada, zilch] control over anything in this world. Satan loves to 'tease our fears' with the 'what if' question. He scares us into thinking we need protection in every form - 'just in case'.

I lift up this Psalm to you instead. What facts are presented here? What is the LORD speaking to your heart? What response does He desire?

He is MORE than enough for us and HIS UMBRELLA POLICY has us completely INSURED
- vs. 9-10: If you make the Most High your dwelling— ...
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

It's another one of those IF - THEN passages.

IF WE...

• dwell in the shelter of the Most High
• trust Him
• love Him
• acknowledge His Name
• pray to Him

- THEN He will do His part.

HE WILL...

• give you rest
• save you
• cover you
• protect you from danger
• keep you from harm
• keep you and your family from disaster
• command His angels to guard you and lift you up
• give you victory against the foe
• rescue and protect
• answer you when you call to Him
• be with you through troubles
• deliver and honor you
• satisfy you with long life
• give you the ultimate - His salvation

I don't know about you but I don't think there's a better insurance policy out there on the market. I'd rather invest in this one! He's covered me with this policy for the 39 years of my spiritual life - He'll cover me faithfully for the rest of my days [and yours]. Let's trust Him for it!

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Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie [Time to FLY]

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FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR THE BOOK DRAWING

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY Drawing On Friday, March 13th

'Comment' HERE - and ENTER to win one of five copies of

In A Pit With a LION On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

Click here: TRUTHSHARER: FREE BOOK [5] GIVEAWAY

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EXPECTING SOMETHING

Genesis 15:5-7
5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then He said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
6 Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."

Luke 12:40
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him."

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

John 11:40
Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you [Martha] that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Luke 1:44-46
[Elizabeth speaking] As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Mary's Song
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord...

Philippians 1:19-21
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [all Scripture emphasis added]

For Christmas this past year, my oldest daughter gave me a special silver chain link bracelet with the words [twice]: EXPECT MIRACLES. I have worn it almost every day since.

Today I visited a new Thrift Shop in our area and came out with 3 large shopping bags of great items that I needed for very little money. When I got home and put everything away - I was folding up the last bag and - yep - you guessed it - I read the words on the bag. That's the photo that you are seeing in this post - it's a shopping bag. Can you read it?

I ask you, as you follow Christ today, what things are you expecting in your journey with Christ? Mark Batterson in his book In a Pit with a LION on a Snowy Day, puts it something like this [I'm paraphrasing]:

Are you going through life always wanting to see the 3-act play - neatly packaged when the final curtain comes down? OR - do you follow the Jesus who walked on the earth where he took the disciples to the IMPROV daily? Do you and I expect the unexpected?

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Are we looking for all the miracles that God does each and every day in our lives - the UNEXPECTED - I mean real miracles - like that of His Presence in your life when He shows you His glory- or when He whispers to your heart something [through the Spirit] that only you and God know about? Are we willing to follow - when Christ takes us down a path that may not make sense to everyone else around us?

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And then - how do you respond - even before it comes? Are you like Mary [Jesus' mother] who praised God before the promise was ever fulfilled? Does your Praise and Thanksgiving come first?

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Are you looking UPWARD and living at the Improv? The Jesus who walked this earth - walked an adventure of the unknown path.

We don't know the way - but HE does! Are you willing to go there with Him?

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Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
[Time to FLY]
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FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY Drawing On Friday, March 13th
'Comment' HERE - and ENTER to win one of five copies of
In A Pit With a LION On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Click here: TRUTHSHARER: FREE BOOK [5] GIVEAWAY **********************************************************

MY STRONG TOWER

1 Kings 8:54-62 (KJV)
54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.
57 The LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers: let Him not leave us, nor forsake us:
58 That He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh [near] unto the LORD our God day and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.
62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD. [emphasis added]

Notice the bodily position of Solomon while he was praying [kneeling - on his knees - to standing with his arms stretched open wide to heaven] when he arose before the LORD... and continued to BLESS the LORD. He then recalls and brings to remembrance all of God's faithfulness to him - to David - and his entire family line. Then he and all Israel offer a sacrifice [of thanks] before the LORD for being able to know Him and love Him with all of their hearts.

What are you thankful for concerning the LORD - Who He IS - and what He has done? What 'position' have you been in - what 'position' are you taking now and 'rising to take' as you read this? Do you know Him - I mean really KNOW HIM deeply and intimately from your heart - a place where your heart responds to the reading of His Word? What does the LORD require of you today? Will you bless the LORD today from your very heart and soul?

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Micah 6:8 [NIV]
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Time to FLY]

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FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY Drawing On Friday, March 13th
'Comment' HERE - and ENTER to win one of five copies of
In A Pit With a LION On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Click here: TRUTHSHARER: FREE BOOK [5] GIVEAWAY
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STUMBLING BLOCK

*********** CHLOE STUMBLED....

We got several inches of snow here [in New Jersey] yesterday. The girls took my dog, Chloe, outside to throw her ball because she loves the snow. Before I knew it, they came in and brought Chloe to me with a hurt paw. She couldn't put any weight on it and could barely walk. We think that she actually tripped on a large concrete stone block that had been left in the grass and was hidden under the snow where she could not see it. Now she is suffering... with being

• hurt / in pain / frustrated
• immobile / paralyzed / handicapped
• weak / broken / suffering
• unable to work or play
• down for the count

What stumbling block has you 'down for the count'? Or are you causing someone else to stumble by some hidden 'thing' in your life? Take a look at just a few Scripture passages to bring it into perspective.

Matthew 16:20-24
20 Then He warned His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to You!"
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Leviticus 19
13 " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.
" 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14 " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15 " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

1 Corinthians 8:9
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

I Peter 2 (selected)
The Living Stone
4 As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame."
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,"8 and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. [all Scripture emphasis added]

May we seek to be considerate of one another in our walk with the LORD - causing no one to stumble or fall. Let us live our lives so that Christ becomes the precious cornerstone to others - not a stumbling block.

Looking UPward and Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Time to FLY]
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FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY Drawing On Friday, March 13th
'Comment' HERE - and ENTER to win one of five copies of
In A Pit With a LION On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Click here: TRUTHSHARER: FREE BOOK [5] GIVEAWAY
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