Life is a Journey

Life is a journey of turns, obstacles, dead ends and sometimes U-turns! Even change-overs. Most importantly Yield Each day to Jesus Christ!

Growth Spurts Can Be Painful

I remember as a child my legs would hurt and my mom and grandmother would say "Aw, that's just growing pains." At first I believed them and had aspirations of being TALL and being able to play basketball! I really did! I would day dream of being tall and slim and moving through the air like warm metal slicing through butter! Well, needless to say my dreams didn't come true. I am 5 foot 2 and have been since the seventh grade! Even though maybe mom and mawmaw were believing that my pains were growing pains or just pacifying me, they were real. They really did hurt! And I have come to realize that most of them were just that growing pain. While some were just exhaustion from over doing myself during the day or some were from a little accident or mistake I had done that day and strained a muscle. Needless to say Pain is Pain and it hurts flesh! We deal with it and move on!
Well,Pain is real physically and mentally as well. As Christians we sing that hymnal "Trials dark on every hand and we cannot understand." This is true! Trials come through our life while some are unexplainable at first, some really are growing pains! Spiritually we go through some pain. Attacks from Satan and really take its tole on us. Persecution causes us to suffering and confusion. The pain in our hearts and pain from worry or stress of it all is real. You knowGod does allow many of the trials in our Lives to grow us in Him. Do they hurt? Yeah!!!
But once you press on in Faith and Worship and you are through it, you can look back and see how God has grown you, How He has lead you and ministered to you. It is amazing! And If you stay connected with Him through each Trial through devotions, prayer and reading His Word. You will see How He places His Word in Your heart and mind and how it brings you relief. A Word of the Lord in season is like little Peace Droplets in your heart that bursts open and spreads through your whole being. I can take a deep breathe and the air feel cooler and moister bring me a moment of relief in His Spirit! The funny thing is each growth spurt can last as long as years or as little as a day! I know for certain that God will take You through, each being a test of faith. Trust in God and He will see You through. Be open to His leadership and not only will He give you strength, He will heal your heart like the trial never happened! I can't explain it, the memory is there but the pain is gone! Only God, Our God Can work such a miracle! And you will be able to look back and thank GOD for the many things you've learned about Him and yourself through this trial. You will Praise Him for taking down the strongholds that needed to be removed for new growth in Him; in the spiritual realm and in the physical realm. God will Grow You, stay focus on Him. Don't look to the left nor to the Right keep Your focus on Him and His Word. Be strong in Him in faith. Never Give up. Oh! It's okay to cry. Crying is showing God your humbled heart and need for Him. And shows those watchng you, you are human! And When God is Done and His Light is Shining through the work He has done in You, He Will Recieve the Glory for Everything! When Everything falls apart, God has your heart, and He will see and carry You through. He will pick up the pieces and when His light shines through You, it will be like sunlight shining through a Stain glass window. His Glory Will outshine the the pain of the trials you have been through.


So Take notes if you must, Get your Bible Open, get prayed Up and Saddle Up in Faith, because you never know if your next growth spurt could be around the next corner. OH!! Recently, God revealed to me through my pastor's message that these growth spurts are making room for expansion! Look, at Job's! How God blessed Him at the end of his trial and doubled everything he had lost. God is amazing Being and His ways are supernatural. Trusting in Him will certainly bring about the Peace that surpasses all understanding and will provide the strengh we need to press on in pain while placing Hope in our hearts that our Joy is coming in the morning!

A Prayer

Good Morning God!
Thankyou for the Sun that has risen this morning without delay, and Thankyou God for Your Mercy that is new every morning and with out delay Your Faithfulness is longsuffering! Oh, God thankyou for Your Son Jesus, Who willingingly died for me and my sins, so that I could have eternal life with You through my faith in Him. I thankyou that you offer Your Salvation to any and all who believe! Thankyou God for Your Word that is the Truth and a guideline to living a life that is pleasing to YOU. Father, thankYOU for Christian Friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, who pray for each other and lift each up when something tries knock us down. Jesus thankYOU for never leaving us, nor forsaking us, You keep Your Word and Promises and I know that You are near. And Father, I ask that You send Your Angels around all of our military service men and women, protecting them this day with Your Hand and Army of Angels! Camoflouge them from Evil! Father , bless my friends with the things that they need and cover them with Your hand and protect them. Protect our Schools where our children sit innocently and watch over them protecting from EVIL and HARM. Place Your Angels at every school protecting our children. Father, watch over our families, who scatter from here to there throughout the day, place Your hand of protection upon them, may they see YOUR Love cover them today in a special way, and May their hearts always desire to seek you with sincereity! Praise You God for Who You are, Praise You for Your Love You freely give each day. IN Jesus Name, Amen.

Devine Design

It is so important for children to know that God created them, God showed me one day as I was teaching a room of young children, that we are all of a Devine Design, Hand Crafted by a Heavenly Father, that places value on our lives! He began investing into our lives from creation. In Jeremiah 1, He says that He knew me before He formed me in My Mother's womb. That means He had plans for me. Later in Jeremiah, He tells me He does have plans and they are to prosper me (us)! God's investment in each of us from the get go is more valuable than Gold or Silver! When we recognize our Value in God, and what it cost for our Redeemtion and Freedom, we are Free. And our hearts are overwhelmed with Love and Gratitude for Our Heavenly Father. Our lives are changed. Our perspectives are changed. Our self worth becomes more treasured as we see what it cost Christ for us to Live. The children I was teaching that night, hung on to every word as I spoke to them. I really believed as I was speaking to them that this was a message for a very specific child in a very specific situation. And there were a few who came up to me personally and thanked me, no explainations, none needed, God Knew what they needed to hear. It's awesome How God will use us to speak a word for someone else and it ministers to our hearts at the same time! Praise You Lord!

The Master Artist

6:24 am
I look towards the eastern sky and the most beautiful thing I have seen today is Your Sunrise!
Blinding light piercing through my eyes, and I have trouble focusing on anything for awhile, due to my eyes trying to adjust to brightness of the Light, I stand in Awe of how beautiful the Light is, How Majestic, and To Know Father it is Your Master Piece. And the Over Whelming feeling of knowing that tomorrow morning, You'll do it again. Your hand will Rise up the sun, each and everyday, until You call us Home where Your Light Shines Brighter that any other Light we have ever known. For now, I'll enjoy Your Beautiful Art Gallery right outside my Front door, Your sunrise, reminding me daily that Your Son is Risen, and in His power I am forgiven, I am made whole, I am made strong, and I can Enjoy Life to day, in Your Grace and Power!
Written in Awe by;
Angel Smith
Journal 4/1/2006

CUP OF HOT COCOA AND A SCOOP OF TRUTH

Nothing compares to cuddling up with God early in the morning with a cup of Hot cocoa (with mashmellows) and His Word of Truth. God's Holy pesence can make everything in the world seem to fade away and get lost in its own existance. Just as the Cocoa warms my flesh His Word warms my heart and Refreshes my mind, body and soul. When You make God your personal God, Your Daddy, you can go to Him with anything, lay it down before Him verbally and Say Father, Help me. For Me it was this morning, Comfort me, He heals my broken heart in so many ways. Not only does He sooth the pain, He replaces the pain with Hope. Hope in His Mercy, Love and Grace. My destiny is in His hands, I am secure in His Peace, not peace as the world gives me, But as His Living Water refreshes me I am reminded My Salvation is secure in His Hands and I Find my Peace there. Thankyou Lord, for sitting with me this morning, refreshing my heart , cleansing me with You forgiveness and restoring to me the Joy of my salvation! Praise You Jesus! Praise You Jesus!
~angel~

Psalm 51:
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise

Take Time to Rest

Today is Sunday;We call it the Lord's Day.
We rush, rush rush all week long, to meet
deadlines and get everywhere on time,
Sunday's should be a day of REST -
(WOW what and idea, I wonder Who first thought of that) lol!

A day of reflection of what we need to change within ourselves for next week's challenges. I see more and more in people with the need to have control, instead of just relaxing, smile, pray, SING and Enjoy more out lof life. Everone wans to be number 1.
Constant challenges and competitions. Where did our generations go wrong? Did it start with Adam and Eve, or is a time thing that over the years, we have tried to clutter more and more into our lives. The earth is still revolving at the same speed it did when God placed it here, but here we are, are we trying to out run the earth's rotation! A Day of rest, what constitutes a day of rest?
Is a day of total do nothing all day, is a day of rest in your mind, in away forgetting that the rest of your life exists for one day, and worry about it tomorrow when it all begins again?
When The Psalmnist wrote, Lead me beside still waters,
( say that again softly, LEAD ME BESIDE STILL WATERS)
was he just talking about once! OR a daily occurance! I believe we have that opportunity each day, to take a deep breathe, look at the sunrise and thank the Lord, for His mercies! Sit still with Him, and let Him see your heart as you present yourself in prayer to Him.

So I have come to conslusion, that Sunday is God's day, and a family day, where we wake up and focus on His Glory maybe more than we do all week for some, but we place our weary minds in His capable hands and focus on His throne of Grace, and we sit and refuel ourselves in His Worship and spend the rest of our day resting with our family's and allow our minds and bodies to take refuge in His Beautiful Grace. So why can't we do this everyday? Take a break! Sit in a park and breathe some clean air, Walk through a garden and meditate on a scripture,
Sit in the morning during the sunrise and just think how amazing our God is! Jesus took breaks, He went alone to the Mountain side to talk with the Father. Take a break with Jesus!

Praying for peace and abundance of joy in each of you this day, and that we all learn to accept that we are children of a Heavenly Father, who desires for us to be at peace without worry, who desires for us to have Joy without conditions and to share His love with others through a warm smile, a caring heart and inviting Spirit!