THE WHISPER OF GOD

Experiencing God speaking to me is not how I thought it would be. I expected a huge booming voice, like that of a Dad correcting his children! What actually happened to me was something quite different. It came in the form of a “whisper”.  It was a very private and very personal moment that I began to cry. Not out of fear, of course, just out of emotion. My Mother had been very ill and the angels had come for to take her home. In my darkest hour, He whispered to me, “It is ok”!

Throughout the past couple of years, I have learned that I would never have heard that “whisper” unless I gave Him the respect He deserved. You see, I thought I was a Christian. You know, taught Sunday School, went to church, blessed our food, etc. then, I REALLY became a Christian!

I realized that I needed to give God more of me! I never gave him the opportunity to speak to me. I never allowed myself the luxury of the “quite” time. God does not like to speak over the TV, or while I’m playing a silly game on Facebook!  No, He wanted all of me!

I owed him a quiet, receptive mind. I owed him my heart.

 I found out that if you are serious about experiencing God, you have to give him opportunities to speak to you.  I began by really studying Scripture. The more I studied, the more I understood. The more I understood, the more I prayed. The more I prayed, the more I surrendered myself to him. The more I surrendered myself to Him, the more He moved in my life.  

I had invited Him into my heart so many times before, but what I did not realize is that the door was locked! I was giving him "left-overs"!

It was not until I established a meaningful relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, did I finally hear “the whisper”!

God uses each of us as his instruments, which is a common theme in the Bible. Throughout my life, God has used others to help me, encourage me, and draw me closer to him.  I just didn’t realize it was going on!

When it happens, and it will happen, you will know it. You will know, without a doubt, that it was not your imagination or some odd coincidence. You will be stunned at the depth of God’s love for you, and your life will never, ever be the same. It can’t be forced, it takes patience.

When Does God Whisper?

He speaks when you’re quiet – so be quite and listen.

He speaks when you are still- so be still.

He speaks when you are ready - be ready and anticipate Him.

Lord Jesus, You’ve promised that You live with us and in us. Help me to hear and respond to Your voice. I choose to stay so close that You only have to whisper. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Is God calling you? Listen, it may only be a whisper!

God Bless!

Kelly

A PRAYER FOR THE MILITARY

Psalm 91 (New Living Translation)

 ¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
      will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 

² This I declare about the Lord:
   He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
 

³ For he will rescue you from every trap
      and protect you from deadly disease.
 

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
      nor the arrow that flies in the day. 

⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you,  these evils will not touch you.

⁸ Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.

 ⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,

¹⁰ no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
 

¹¹ For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.

¹² They will hold you up with their hands
       so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
      you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
      I will protect those who trust in my name.

¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
      I will be with them in trouble.
      I will rescue and honor them.
 

¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
      and give them my salvation.”

DEDICATED TO MY COUSIN ANUNDA ~LOVE YOU~

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

The signs of spring are everywhere here in the south!  From the budding of the trees to the new birth of every flower blossom, new sprigs of grass and even the hibernating animals are coming out of their dens to catch the warmth of that sunshine.

Spring – one of the most beautiful seasons of all. Spring can bring us rain that can be as extreme as a drizzle to a downburst, it usually brings thunderstorms with or without lightning. Spring has been known to bring tornados, which at one time were prominent in the south, but now seem to occur at any location. Sometimes we even get the effects of the dreaded hurricanes. That all may seem so gloom and doom, but what about the beauty of Spring?

The dictionary describes Spring as “an early or flourishing stage of development”. This development could mean spiritually, mentally, physically or all the above.

Spring officially arrived at our house when I experienced the first butterfly of the year.

It reminded me of the beautiful song, “This Is My Father’s World”. Spring is indeed a celebration!

How can you celebrate Spring? Here are just a few suggestions:

·     Learn about flowers – Did you know that Daffodils are the first flowers of Spring. It is the first flower to lead the way through the cold snowy ground to scream out "It's Spring”!  Brilliant yellow blooms of all kinds symbolize friendship, a new beginning, and happiness. Plant some wild flower mix and see what blooms. This is a favorite of mine! I love the smell of the freshly turned soil of the earth.

·     Get outside and light up that Grill! There are some great and easy recipes all over the internet. Cooking on the grill keeps me out of the kitchen and enjoying the longer hours of daylight and taking full advantage of the nice weather.  It surprises me how much we use our grill!

·     Invite friends over! Don’t worry about the inside of your house, keep everyone outside. They make some really pretty paper products so you won’t even have to do the dishes! Call it a “Spring Fling” to shake off those winter blues.

·     Begin preparing for Easter, again, spiritually, mentally, and physically. What better place to sit and meditate or have quite time with the Lord than outdoors? It’s an opportunity to daily renew your commitment to Him and to seek His guidance. John 4:23 reminds us that the Lord Himself desires your fellowship and delights in your worship. He longs for that one on one time with His child just as any parent would (Amplified Bible Version).

·     Get back to nature! Take a field trip to the nearest botanical gardens, go to the park, take a hike, ride a bike, be creative in order to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. There are all kinds of charity “fun runs” this time of year! Not only are you becoming healthier while participating, you are also helping an organization of your choice.

·     If you have the space, plant a garden! Some may ask, what is gardening!! Gardening is described as the art of growing plants with the goal of crafting a purposeful landscape. Might even save you a few bucks on your grocery bill.

·    Go to an outdoor baseball game, whether it is professional ball or little league. We have grandsons playing little league and love cheering them on!

·    And for me, I am beginning my walking routine! It is so much easier to walk a mile, or two, or three outside as opposed to the indoor treadmill!

The birth of Spring reminds me that no matter where we are in life, no matter what we are going through, if we trust in God and lean on Him, He will restore our hearts, bring back the newness and we will once again enjoy the Springtime of our faith in Him and in our lives.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that when we accept Christ, we become a new creature in Him, and that old things are passed away (Amplified Bible Version). 

Spring fills the earth with color. 

Can’t we all use a little “color” in our lives?

If you would like to read some great blogs with a great variety of topice, click here and go the "A Wise Woman Builds Her Home". You might want to link your blog there also.

God....... why? Written by Tracie Miles

I turned on the television last week, just like any regular day, expecting to see the normal morning news, but instead, I was immediately horrified.

As I watched the apocalyptic scenes taking place in Japan, with waves of destruction eating up what was left of the earthquake shaken city, my first thought was...... why?

Why did this happen? Why do these natural disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis, keep occuring?

Why does God allow so much pain, death and devastation? And does He allow them, or cause them?

These are questions that likely every human being is grappling with. Although we do not intend to question God, or His goodness, we cannot help but wonder why, as we hear of the tens of thousands of lives lost, and see the human suffering taking place right before our eyes.

It is easy to understand the logistics of why natural disasters occur, because of weather patterns, storms over the sea, or tectonic plates bumping together, but why does God allow it?

But then again, why does God allow anything bad to happen?

The answer is simply found when we go back to the basics of our beliefs ----- we live in a fallen world, a sinful world, and that is why Jesus came to save us.

GotQuestions.org explained it this way: "In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation.

Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit. Everything in creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.” Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering."

Knowing the character of God as it is described in the Bible, I have to trust that God's heart is breaking as He looks down on Japan and sees people suffering, just as His heart breaks when we sin, or suffer in daily circumstances.

But one thing is for sure - when things like this happen, we are forced to think about one question - "would we be ready?" Not would we be disaster-ready, with bottled water and food stored away, but would we be heart-ready, for eternity.

It causes us to examine our own foundation of beliefs, our faith and our future.

I have read that after such natural disasters, churches are filled with people who do not normally attend. People who have become acutely aware of the fact that life can end in an instant. People who are shaken up enough emotionally to see their need for a sovereign God.

Also, when we are faced with a life threatening situation, we are often compelled to realign our priorities. Our eyes are opened, and we suddenly acknowledge that the unimportant things of life have been taking precedence over the things that really matter.

We may realize that we have been taking our blessings for granted, and feel God calling us to pour out gratitude and thankfulness for who He is and all He has done for us.

Countless numbers of people are led to fervently pray for strangers they have never met, and will probably never meet.

People all over the world, of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds, come together to help raise funds to help those in need.

Christian ministries are given wide open doors to share faith like never before.

If you really think about it, the world actually seems to become much smaller, when we universally have one focus of love and hope.

Regardless of whether or not we ever know the answers to our "why's", we must hang onto to the truth that no matter what - God is good.

No matter what, God has a plan for everyone, as we are told in Jeremiah 29:11

No matter what, God has a purpose for everything, as we are reminded in Romans 8:28.

No matter what, God is love, as we are told in 1 John 4:8.

And Psalm 56:8 reminds us of God's goodness and compassion, as He catches every tear, "You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book." The Message

Despite the heartbreak that I feel for Japan, and the heartbreak and fear that I can physically see in the eyes of the survivors, I have to trust that God does have a reason, a purpose, and a plan for this disaster, and for all the people involved.

I hope and pray that many of the people who lost their lives in this disaster, are now sitting at the feet of Jesus, and that those who are left, may be led to meet Him here on earth for the very first time.

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY TRACIE MILES OF PROVERBS 31.  THANK YOU TRACIE FOR BEING THE VESSEL THAT YOU ARE FOR GOD'S WORD.

SHE SPEAKS - SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The best and most rewarding career anyone could have is with God, and with a Godly career, the rewards last forever!

She Speaks – Why would I like to be considered for a Scholarship to attend the conference?  I want to make a difference, one person at a time, hopefully for me, one child in poverty at a time! I have recently become an Advocate for Compassion International, and trust me; the work does not stop there. There is training to complete, events to work, and the passion to make a change in some child's life.

Last year I attended "She Speaks" as a novice! I was able to sell cookbooks to raise money in order to attend. Imagine that! I felt like it was truly a calling from God. When I left the conference I still did not know where my calling was. Was it in writing, speaking, leading ministry?

As I drove the 7 hours home, God spoke to me. Compasssion International! God wanted me to focus on Compassion International. It finally seemed so clear to me, after all I had been sponsoring a little girl from the Philippines for over a year and I am on the Compassion web site every chance I get! As a matter of fact, the last night at She Speaks we watched a Compassion video and packets of children in poverty were spread out all over the tables. I had become quite close to two of the girls there and my testimony about why I chose Compassion and what I had experienced with Kris Ann (the litle girl I sponsor) was enough for both of them to choose a child to sponsor! They have loved every minute of it, just like I have.

This is the year I want to take that step in faith and speak to every Church, every organization, every person I see about Compassion. I would love to be considered for a scholarship due to the fact I want coaching, training, modeling, and encouragement. I want to be equipt to stand up and speak! All these I can receive at She Speaks!

I thank God every day that He led me to Proverbs 31. I am devoted to reading the daily devotions, as well as clicking on each of their blogs, praying about it and acting upon it. This group of women has changed my direction in life. I want to share with the world the Godly behavior I have become to live and soon the world will realize it is the only way to live!

I consider myself to be a “Godly” older woman at the age of 57. I try everyday to present myself to the Lord by living life the way He wants me to according to the Bible. I believe every teacher must live what they teach.  Their walk must speak louder than their talk! I believe a “speaker for the Lord” must be a woman whose character is noticed and prompts other people to examine their own lives and seek to emulate her joy, her peace, her walk in the Spirit in evident and practical ways.

Getting the experience to attend “She Speaks” again will bring me closer to allowing me the opportunity to begin fulfilling my dream.  I have a good life, intimately, emotionally, and spiritually, but the desire is there to do more. More of Him, less of Me!

I have the desire to open the eyes and ears of the need to sponsor, adopt, nurture, children in poverty. Our life here in the United States is royalty compared to what these children that live in poverty. It is all about the choices and the way we choose to live our life. My long-term goal is geared towards being useful to God.

"She Speaks" is a wonderful learning experience with the best Christian speakers and authors to be found. I am subscribed to the “Next Step Speaker Services” and I am continually learning. When God calls me to step out in faith, I want to be ready!

Thank you for this opportunity and God Bless!

If you are interested in the opportunity to win a scholarship to attend "She Speaks", click here and go to Renee Swope's page where she is allowing us the opportunity to win the registration fee for this wonderful conference! Good Luck to all!!

Kelly

A "GIRLY BIBLE" INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S BIBLE - BOOK REVIEW

I had the pleasure of reviewing this International Children’s Bible® by Thomas Nelson as part of their Booksneeze program. This is a fun sparkly and shiny Bible for little girls with a sturdy cloth cover, embellished with sequins…Cute to carry and easy to read!

The cover will invite other girls to ask “what kind of Bible is that?” and your daughter, granddaughter, niece, whoever the proud owner is, can show her sparkly shiny Bible, thus sharing the “light” of Jesus.

What appealed to me the most was that the language is modern and easy to apply to a child's level.  And this Bible contains the entire Bible...the full texts of the Old and New Testaments, as well as, a dictionary/concordance in the back. There are even maps in the back for reference.

I also loved the section at the back called, “What God Promises About…”, and “Memory Verses For My Life”. I believe these two sections of the Bible can be used for any little girl as life surrounds us daily with questions. What better place to go for answers?

I think the design and language of this Bible is perfect for the age of 6-12. I give this Bible 5 stars.  It is well made, cute, and as girly as it can be. 

The Bible would make a wonderful, Christmas, Easter, or baptism gift!

I received this book free from Booksneeze as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."