Burned - But NOT

Late yesterday I was badly burned [after heating something 3X hotter than the instructions called for]. It splattered on both of my hands but my right hand was the worst on my palm and side of that hand.

I called [more like screamed] out to the LORD who is my HELP. [I had been studying all day - Psalm 124 - a Psalm about God's HELP]. I was in so much pain that when I took the ice off of it I felt like I would pass out - yet in the midst of all of it - I felt God's peace, calm and HIS HELP. He talked me through what I should do.

As I went to bed with my hand all bandaged - the throbbing pain was non-stop. It was hard to find a comfortable place to rest it. But as I read my nightly Bible readings (with my left hand) - praying continually - I felt God's HELP. I finished reading - turned off the light and fell asleep. When I woke this morning - there was no pain - none. The LORD knew I was teaching a class this morning and had to drive (stick shift with my right hand) forty minutes to a different church.

I just now removed the bandage for the first time. My hand is a little wrinkly and there are a few small blisters - but so far nothing major. I burned my hand 20 years ago and it took 3 weeks for the pain to leave and the skin to heal.

The Pastor preached from these verses [below] today at the church where I was teaching a ladies class. God's Word is alive! The [above] were my circumstances - but the Word [below] - is WHO MY GOD IS and what God does ! He spoke personally to me today and this was just one of the many passages in which He revealed Himself.

Isaiah 43 [selected verses]
Israel's Only Savior
1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
He who created you, O Jacob,
He who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; [Stephanie means 'Crown'] you are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me
and understand that I am He.
Before Me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after Me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from Me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. [emphasis mine]

PRAISING HIM ETERNALLY!

Choosing GREAT JOY,

Stephanie
[Trusting God's Heart]

WAITING with PATIENCE...

In my morning prayer time with the LORD each day I've been reading the Psalms along with a new book called The Treasury of God's Virtues. God found it for me at a festival in Townbank last Saturday in the book fair section. It cost me one dollar... now one of the most valuable books I own! This morning I was reading all about PATIENCE. Over and over God has been showing me that "waiting" is connected to my "faith" (I read about FAITH yesterday) AND that in waiting - God desires to build character in us - His character. He is also teaching me that in waiting (patiently) He is preparing me for what I will become. Since we live by faith - we live in the hope of our future - with enough manna and grace for today. It's no wonder He is teaching and preparing me to live out - what I will become. I used to jump in and say, "I see it, LORD, [what He's holding out in front] I'm ready, let's go, let's do it." But now... I see that some things I am not yet ready to take hold of because I must grow into those positions or places that He has for me. He must build character in me first. And with me - that may take a while. How about you?

Romans 5:3-4 NLT
Faith Brings Joy
1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance [patience]. 4 And endurance [patience] develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

Then we can say with Job: "Though He slay me, yet will I wait for [trust] Him."

Choosing JOY,


Stephanie
[Trusting God's Heart]

I Stand in AWE and LISTEN

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
Stand in Awe of God
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.
Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools,
who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. [emphasis mine]

I have been studying the Psalms for over a year now - also just finished reading through Proverbs. Now I'm on to Ecclesiastes in progression as I have combined those two books with the reading of the Psalms. I only take one chapter per day in Ecclesiastes right now - but I was stuck on this short - but profound passage from yesterday's reading in Chapter 5.

"LISTEN" has been a theme that God has been whispering, shouting and hammering home to me over the last 10 months especially. The closer I get to the LORD the more clearly I hear His voice - just as His voice was heard by Samuel, Moses, Abraham, Jacob, David, Paul, John and Peter - just to name a few. It was not unusual for them to hear God's voice - because they knew it was Him when He spoke.

Do WE? Do we know His Voice when He speaks to us? More importantly - do we respond with radical obedience - as Samuel did when he said, "Speak LORD, for Your servant is listening?" [1 Samuel 3:10]

Oh, LORD, make Your Presence and Your Voice known to those who love you!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Trusting God's Heart]

It Begins and Ends with LOVE

1 Corinthians 13 [J.B. Phillips NT]

Christian love - the highest and best gift
1-3 - If I speak with the eloquence of men and of angels, but have no love, I become no more than blaring brass or crashing cymbal. If I have the gift of foretelling the future and hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but the very secrets of God, and if I also have that absolute faith which can move mountains, but have no love, I amount to nothing at all. If I dispose of all that I possess, yes, even if I give my own body to be burned, but have no love, I achieve precisely nothing.
4 - This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience - it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.
5-6 - Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
7-8a - Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. [emphasis mine]

We are COMMUNITY...
We must show love to community not hide ourselves from it!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Trusting God's Heart]

LAMININ

Colossians 1:15-20
The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the CROSS. [emphasis mine]

Someone sent me the e-M about LAMININ this week and when I saw the picture from the textbooks that have always been there (unknown to me) - then seeing the actual photo of it under a microscope - just blew me away like it does everyone else who sees it!

What is LAMININ, you ask? It's the GLUE that holds our bodies together.

This is the forth day since my "discovery" of it. God put it there in Creation - always was - always is - and always will be... the fingerprint of the CROSS inside each human being ever formed by our Creator - even those who don't know Christ - have His potential saving blood/cross inside of them - waiting to be discovered, embraced and received!

What an awesome God Who loves us so much.

If you have the potential go download the video by Louie Giglio on LAMININ - please prepare yourself for the explosion of faith that will result: Louie Giglio - Laminin

If you can't download it (like me) click on the link to view the science book versions: http://myworldatlarge.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/laminin.gif

Both will grab your heart for a lifetime - letting the result bring endless PRAISE to our GOD!

May it bless your heart knowing that the very GLUE that holds us together is none other than the blood of the CROSS!!!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Trusting God's Heart]

Never Let Me Let Go

For a few months now I have drawn so close to the LORD that I don't ever want that to change. I know that God will never let go of my hand (or my life) as His promises are sure.

Joshua 1:5, 9
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." [emphasis mine]

I am not afraid of God letting go of me - I'm afraid that somewhere down the road I'll let go of Him. For about two weeks now I've been begging Him saying, "Never let me - let go of You, Lord."
Today the LORD responded to me and now it is settled! Here are the passages I came to early this morning in my study time.

Luke 10:38-42
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." [emphasis mine]


See both translations of the same verse below...

Psalm 27:8 [New Living Translation]
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Psalm 27:8 [Amplified Bible]
You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]. .....[as written]

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Trusting His Heart]

Graze in Peace

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He restores my soul. [emphasis mine]

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on His law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. [emphasis mine]

Jeremiah 17: 7-8
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in Him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." [emphasis mine]

Isaiah 61:3
They [we] will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of His splendor. [emphasis mine]

Let the LORD take you to His green pastures to feed on His Word - to rest in His arms - to know who you are - and most importantly - to know Who He Is!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie
[Listening in Silence - Ends Today]