My Thoughts - My Journey

Lovin' the sights, sounds, and smells of this gorgeous  Saturday morning. There is a slight chill with a gentle breeze  blowing, a beautiful crystal blue sky, birds singing, sun  shining, and a gentle fragrance of Fall floating in the air .  What  a treasured gift and blessing this day is. To Him be the  glory  today and forever. Praying that each of you will enjoy  the wonders of this day and perhaps.....just for today, we can  l ay aside thoughts of life's struggles and allow His love,  peace, and comfort to wrap us all in joy.  Always looking  upward! 

May our gracious and loving heavenly Father be especially sensitive, comforting, and ever present in the lives of those who are struggling sickness and loss of loved ones during this time of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The holidays, for many, will open a little wider the painful wounds of sorrow and loss for those who are without their loved one for the first time.  Only through Him can we find peace when our hurt is so strong, our loss is so real, and our longing is so intens e. May the precious, treasured memories of times gone by bring joy, and even laughter during this time of year.  As Christians, we can take comfort in knowing that passing into eternity is not the end, but a new beginning that we will soon join our loved ones in. I will daily lift these hurting souls before our Father and pray that He will fill their void with the knowledge of His everlasting love.

Lovin' the sights, sounds, and smells of this gorgeous Saturday morning. There is a slight chill with a gentle breeze blowing, a beautiful crystal blue sky, birds singing, sun shining, and a gentle fragrance of Fall floating in the air. The leaves are whirling and twirling with a  magnificent  bounce to and fro as they are lifted into the air.....then laid gently on the ground.  What a treasured gift and blessing this day is. To Him be the glory today and forever. Praying that each of you will enjoy the wonders of this day and perhaps.....just for today, we can lay aside thoughts of life's struggles and allow His love, peace, and comfort to wrap us all in joy. Always looking upward! 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Love is a blend of affection, devotion and loyalty. It is part emotion and part commitment. Real love....unconditional love....is hope blended into the reality of life. When God is the leader of our lives, He asks us to deny ourselves and follow Him. That means resisting the way we want to react and instead choosing to respond the way God wants us to respond.

There are times, for all of us, that we do not feel the presence of God as being close to us; however, His eyes are always watching over us. He gives us strength, peace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and His bountiful grace. Maybe IF we do not feel Him near, it is because our hearts are NOT fully committed to Him...... IF someone leaves the relationship, it will never be our Father. He longs to walk with each of us daily as we follow the footsteps of His Son.  Rejoice in your journey.....always looking upward! “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9

What is a God story? A God story is something that happens to you that is so profound it confirms your belief in the existence of a Divine Power. It is when you receive personal proof that God exists. Do you have a God Story? If you have a God Story I would like to hear about it. The story you submit must be something that happened to you (not a friend or family member) and it must be true. How  to submit your story: Please give a brief description of your story. If your story is chosen to be considered I will contact you by email to set up an interview. Please include your email address, full name, and telephone number with your submission. You can write your summary within the body of an email or, better yet, attach it as a written document to the email. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at the email below. Thank you for sharing your story. PLEASE EMAIL YOUR STORY TO: godlyencounters@gmail.com FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GodlyEncounte

Those who have never experienced encounters, visions, visual dreams, etc. quickly denounce there reality.....and that is not hard to understand as the experiences lack common reasoning. They are beyond our natural world and concrete way of thinking. I have several experiences that others have shared with me. Although God gives us examples in the Scriptures, I would have never taken it literally for today's modern world until it happened in my family. Then, it became very real. It has been my experience that most you attempt to share your story with go into a blank stare, seem confused, then show disbelief.....and that is that.  https://www.facebook.com/GodlyEncountersHeavenlyTouches

Was it random occurrences or was it Divine encounters? That is the question I asked myself for the first time twenty years ago. They didn’t happen often or with any regularity; however, I quickly realized that they were guided, on-point, perfectly timed events and instances. I reluctantly shared some of my stories, only to find out that I wasn’t alone in this experience. There were many who had  similar stories that had kept them close…fearing if shared, others might look at them a little strange or maybe even with disbelief. These are honest, sincere, heartfelt stories which will hopefully validate – for the skeptics or non-believers – that God does answer prayers, gives us signs, and blesses us with unexpected gifts from Him that have no other logically explanation. I have collected several stories for consideration in a book I am writing. They are stories proven, only by faith, that God was in control of circumstances that otherwise had no concrete basis. These powerful, encou

God understands our heart's burdens—even self-inflicted ones. That is why the Lord sent Peter a message to let him know that he was not condemned, and the Messiah who loved him was waiting in Galilee. All believers should personalize the truth that there is no condemnation in Christ. The truth is that believers are not condemned for iniquity, no matter how terrible or habitual their transgression may be (Rom. 8:1). Condemnation is reserved for the unbeliever who is declared g uilty of sin and punished (John 3:36). "Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.' " Mark 16:5-7

As I said my first prayer of the day, as I arose this morning, I was struck with the Awesomeness of Whose Presence I was in....We might take prayer for granted...We might actually forget Who we are REALLY talking to. WOW! God-our Father-our Creator allows and even welcomes the wretched sinner that I am to talk to Him. It's because of ME that His Only Begotten Son died, yet He longs to hear from ME! I am over-whelmed!

You make your schedule, and you can change it. Pray about your day, your week, and your life goals to find out what God wants you to do, and what He doesn't want you to do. "But this thing I did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you. ~ Jeremiah 7:23

Every decision from our past shapes our future. Decisions build the framework of our days.....our lives.  Every decision matters. The right direction tomorrow begins with the right decision today. It's time for a fresh start!

God continues to work on those who have walked away  from everything in this life....even when they have turned  from Him....even after we lose hope that change will ever  come. If one will empty their pride, their self-will and allow  Him to take control....amazing things can happen. He can  mend the broken! Where there is life, there is always hope.

"This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."  1 Timothy 1:18-20 God gave every person a conscience, which is like a radar system meant to send warnings when a behavior or decision might be harmful. This makes it possible for people to distinguish between what is morally right and morally wrong, especially as it applies to their own lives. We ignore the conscience at our own peril. In a believer, the conscience is a tool of the Holy Spirit. He programs it with principles from God’s Word and sharpens it to respond quickly. Even so, our radar’s sole purpose is to send a signal; what happens next is up to us. Either we ignore the warni

We have bathed, shaved, made our faces up, fixed our hair and dressed in our best.  We  are off to church.  As soon as we leave our driveway, we start turning off certain private  home and personal behavior switches.  We start flipping on the church ones.  We fuss less  along the way.  If we fuss, it is in quieter tones.  Our arguments usually stop at the  parking lot of the church.  Too often, we turn off the switches that would reveal our sins,  burdens, trials, disappointments) pain, personal problems, and our deepest worries.  Our  most intimate secrets are seldom shared with anyone.   Our mates may  not even know  what private pain or guilt we bear, let alone our church family.  Many of us do not even  have mates to share them with.  But, we feel compelled out of conscience, or law, to meet  at least the minimum requirements of church membership.  Due to fear and/or  disaffection, we feel no compulsion to open our hearts to others.  Nor, do we want others  t

God has no ego problem! He does not reveal His glory for His good. We need to witness it for ours. We need a strong hand to pull us into a "safe boat" and, once aboard, our priority should be to promote God. We should be shouting to everyone to come and join us on the "life boat!" If we boast at all, we "boast in the Lord." ~ 2 Corinthians 10:17 ~ Even the breath you took as you are reading this post was given to you for one reason, that you might for another moment "reflect the Lord's glory." ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 ~ "God made all things, and everything continues through Him and for Him. To Him be the glory forever." ~ Romans 11:36 ~ "There is only on God, the Father, who created everything, and we exist for Him." ~ 1 Corinthians 8:6 Why does the Earth spin? For Him Why do you have talents and abilities? For Him Why do you have money or poverty? For Him Strength or Struggles? For Him Everythin

No matter how dark a place is, the light from a small match will overcome the darkness. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. In Him there is no darkness. But there is darkness all around us and in us many a times! So then question is how much we yield to His light to flow into us, through us and from us. The more yielded we are to God, willing to seek and do only the will of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, the more His light shines. Let's be light bearers!  …walk humbly with your God -  Micah 6:8   There is nothing greater than walking with Jesus everyday. One who desires to have an intimate friendship with God must make it a habit to keep to the things of God. 1) Prayer :  Prayer is the way to the heart and mind of Jesus. A gentle heart and a new spirit are received only in prayer. We ought to become like Jesus and in prayer the Holy Spirit transforms us. Men always ought to pray and not lose heart –  Luke 18:1 2) Read the Bible :  The word of God is a

I believe we need God's compassionate grace in all aspects of our life. If we are honest, meek, and humble...we will realize our imperfections. We will acknowledge that we do NOT know everything and we certainly do not have an accurate, nor perfect, understanding of everything. We must rely on His grace to cover us when we make mistakes and say things that might not be exactly right.  It is OKAY to not be perfect because He doesn't expect that from us. He knows we can't be and we need to acknowledge the same. If we realize that we are equal - no higher than anyone else - maybe we would also give grace rather than demand conformity to our mind-set....(which some mistakenly believe is the same mind-set as God.)

Only God assesses accurate judgments. We impose punishments too slight or severe. God dispenses perfect justice. Vengeance is his job....Leave your enemies in God's hands. You're not endorsing their misbehavior when you do. You can hate what someone did without letting hatred consume you. Forgiveness is not excusing. Your enemies still figure into God's plan. Their pulse is proof: God hasn't given up on them. They may be out of God's will, but not out of his reach. You honor God when you see them, not as his failures, but as his projects. God occupies the only seat on the supreme court of heaven. He wears the robe and refuses to share the gavel. For this reason Paul wrote, "Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. 'I'll do the judging,' says God. 'I'll take care of it.' " ~ Rom. 12:19  Give grace, but, if need be, keep your distance. You don't excuse him, endorse her, or embrace them. You just rou

QUESTION: How many times are enough to forgive someone so we can say, "Okay, you have met your limit of wrongs toward me...'No More Forgiveness' for you?" ~ Maybe we can find our answer this way ~ How many times can I be forgiven if I do you wrong...do I get 10 mistakes, 100 mistakes, 500 mistakes...Do we ever want to be told, "There is no more forgiveness for you!"? Forgive as He Forgives!  Let me add...Make sure your forgiveness is "for real" and not just idle words. We remember to guard our hearts, but that does not mean there are no second chances.... But don't you love that washing of peace over you when you do FINALLY and TOTALLY give it to Him. Forgive and put the burden completely on the one who did you wrong...even when they don't ask for forgiveness. Our giving the gift of forgiveness is not based on another's asking for it. We forgive and set ourselves free...What an awesome feeling...FREE!! ....Because YOU know they did

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3 Many times we don't want to do or think about what needs to be done today, so we put it off until tomorrow. Then tomorrow gets pushed back until the next tomorrow. When we finally do what we have put off, we are stressed out, rushed, and in a bad mood....We feel like a failure! God gave us 24 hours in each day. How I use them is up to me. I may not be able to complete every task assigned to me in a single day. But to continue to put off important things that need doing is not being a good steward of the time and tasks God has given us. Instead of wasting precious time, let's start spending it in prayer, asking God to show us what tasks He'd like us to complete today. We should pray for strength and perseverance to accomplish what He gives us.  We need to decide  to start making today our tomorrow. "And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—a

Baptism is a humbling experience...going down into the water-relying on someone else to lift you up....I love these lyrics..."Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day, Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!" …. In baptism, you cross your arms over your chest and lean back into whoever is holding you...Totally at the other's mercy, you go down. For a moment you are underwater, separated from the oxygen of human life as a symbol of dying to self, and then lifted up out of the water in newness of life, cleansed from your sins by the blood of Jesus.... It is a miraculous lifting of our sins from deep in our soul...liberating us and setting us FREE!

Life is a struggle and sometimes a daily one. We know and are assured that Jesus arms are always out-stretched to give us embrace...His love is always flowing...He feels our pain and He hurts for us... Sometimes the pain of life is so strong, it dulls our senses to what He has offered us. It is hard for us to let go and let God and He knows that because He created us...He understands! Close Your Eyes - Imagine willingly letting yourself fall back - trusting that He will catch you and heal your hurt. Doesn't that feel awesome! He will catch us - Everytime! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. —Romans 15:13 

You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God—and he listens. He listens to the painful plea of the elderly in the rest home. He listens to the gruff confession of the death-row inmate. When the alcoholic begs for mercy, when the spouse seeks guidance, when the businessman steps off the street into the chapel, God listens. Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord. “The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God.” Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God. Then, the angel “filled the incense pan with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth” (Rev. 8:5). One call

2 Cor. 12:9  ~  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. John 1:17 ~ John taught: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The first New Testament reference that gives real information about grace is found in Acts, chapter 15. Circumcision as a required practice ended with the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was through this atonement that we are saved, not through the act of circumcision, which had been intended to remind men of God’s covenant with Abraham. Therefore, we learn that grace comes through Jesus Christ, and that it is only through Him that we can be saved. In Romans, 3:23-25 ~  Paul is again coping with disagreements over circumcision. He reminds them that all men are sinners and that circumcision is not going to save anyone from his sins. Justification means to be resto

Genesis 25:29-34 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright. ” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. When we read the story of Jacob and Esau, we can't imagine selling our birthright for a bowl of soup. That would be a foolish thing to do. But, is there anything of true or great value that you are trading for something of a lesser worth? So, what is your "bowl of soup"? Have you pursued a career or maybe sought after wealth at the expense of family? Perhaps you have all

In Matthew 22:36-40 we read: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” From the love we have for our heavenly Father and for those around us will come the desire to do what many call "commands." God has not given us a "check-list" that are to be done without emotion. He loves His children and desires a relationship with each of us. It's all about our heart. If our hearts are filled with love, we will serve the poor and needy, we will assemble as a Christian body of believers, we will want to take the Holy Communion often, we will speak to Him daily, we will sing because of our joy and we will praise Him because of our thankfulness, and we will crave more time in the text. Keepi