Make a difference in a disadvantaged child's life this holiday season!

This is great for those who want to give to a child in need, a most worthy cause, yet don't have the time to shop for the gift. If you want to be a part of putting a smile on a disadvantaged child's face and to bless his/her heart this holiday season go to this site and give a gift of love Christmas. It is the least we can do as God has blessed us so much with His unconditional love for us through the tiny babe of the nativity (Jesus Christ) and His unselfish death for all mankind's sins. Jesus truly is the reason for the season!

Had to share this w/ all my family, friends and anyone else that feels led to be a part of this great opportunity to bless a child in need. It breaks my son and daughter-n-law's heart's knowing there are children who won't receive a gift of love this holiday season, so they're going to make it happen for as many children as they can with our help through this tax deductible charitable event. Check out this site and make a difference in a child's life!

Thank you Doug and Jessica for organizing this wonderful event!

Whispers of Hope - week 3

Last week we learned about why we need hope. When life comes crashing down on you and you are taken by surprise or aggressively shaken beyond description hope carries you on when you want to give up. You can be filled with hope, rejoice in hope and live fearless lives trusting in an almighty God who wants to give us a reason to be hopeful.

During this journey towards hope, you have read in Psalm 139 how important you are to the living God. He adores you, knew you before you were even born and places such value on your very life. You have purpose and a reason to go on. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, your plans for a bright future begin the day you give your life to the Lord. As you surrender every area of your life, Jesus begins to formulate a plan for good, to give you a hopeful future. Enter into that plan today if you have not already, and taste and see that the Lord is good and can remove the pain in your life that has stolen your hope, squashed your joy and left you wanting to end your journey.


Everyone needs hope
Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, you need hope. Hope imparts strength at times when you are weak and ready to throw the towel in. Putting on a face of joy when your very soul is aching and bleeding does you no good. Allowing God to heal and renew areas of your life that have been so broken and bruised, battered creates new life within you. Life worth living, worth waking up for, worth carrying on. Jesus died because people needed a Savior. Placing your trust in Jesus gives you hope. God fills you with hope so you can rest on eagles wings and soar to new heights. You do not need to remain hopeless, no matter what your situation looks like. God is in the business of making miracles happen.


Blessed beyond Hope
To be blessed by God is one of the most endearing things you can have happen in your life. Knowing God has placed His hand on you, you specifically, and sent His love and care your way, can instill a hope that cannot be shaken. When situations are disturbing, devastating or sorrowful, who do you put your trust in? Is it yourself, friends, family? Perhaps you don't trust anyone because so many you have trusted in the past have let you down. God is worthy of your trust. People are mere humans trying to do the best with whatever gifts, talents, wisdom and education they have been born with or acquired. Jesus is the only One Who always has it together. He can take care of you in ways you will never be able to care for yourself. Let Jesus be the lifter of your head, the encourager of your soul, the very reason you have hope. He won't let you down.


Shifting your focus
Keeping eternal benefits in the forefront of your mind will do much to alleviate the anxiety, worry and fear that so often overwhelms you and paralyzes your plans. In the storms is where our very characters are built up, tested and made stronger. These storms are temporary and will pass. Having faith enables you to see past your circumstances to better days. Seeing that which is not visible requires attention, focus and diligence. Through faith you can view any circumstance, no matter how shameful or intense, although it feels so unforgiving as the waves of doubt and fear wash over your body and rock your spirit. God will bless you in the midst of your suffering. As your eyes turn to Him for protection, for comfort, for answers, He will lift you out of the mire and the clay and place you upon a foundation that is built on rock rather than shifting sand. Real hope and blessings comes from God who has an eternal plan for your life. With Jesus as your guide and your focus becomes eternal, day to day trials and tribulations will seem less intense, less devastating and more manageable. Peace can flood your soul, if you will only ask for it to.


Today, take a moment to bring your cares and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Box them up as you learned during week 1 of this study, and leave them with Jesus, don't take them back. Ask God to show you how to think eternally and focus on things that last more than a lifetime. Ask Him to give you a thankful heart for whatever situation you are in. God has good plans for you, plans to prosper you and give you hope. Let's be mindful of Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in Him always, again I say rejoice!"



APPLICATION

1. Begin a thankful journal. You can purchase a journal from the store or one you can make yourself. A notebook with paper will work as well. Label it, "I am thankful for..." Each day, jot down atleast one thing you are thankful for. It can be an event, a person or something you were given, etc.

2. Write a short note or make a phone call to someone you have been meaning to thank. Tell the person what you are grateful for.

3. Ask the Lord to give you a new perspective on how you see things, people, your situation. Be ready to receive a new game plan or strategy for tackling a trial you are going through.

4. Wake each morning rejoicing in who you are.Remember, if you have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are a child of almighty God. If you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart, consider asking Him today. Today is the day of salvation as no one is promised tomorrow.

5. Find 3 scriptures speaking of faith or trust in God. You can use your Bible, online resources such as Biblegateway or a book you have read in the past. Write them down on a 3 X 5 card and place them on your refrigerator or mirror in your bathroom. Read them daily.

Whispers of Hope ~ Week 2

Last week we learned what is the purpose of hope. Looking forward to and believing in something, hope keeps us going when we want to give up, give in and call it quits. Because God reminds us in Jeremiah 29:11, He knows the plans He has for us and they are not for harm but for our good. These plans are meant to give us hope and a bright future. Looking forward to what the Lord wants to share with us and believing what He says to be truth and for our good, let's look into the life of a man who experienced his share of trials yet remained hopeful in His God.

David was a man of much joy and many sorrows. His heart was said to be close to God's and the Lord's hand rested heavy upon David in victory and in defeat. Psalm 42:5 tells of when David's soul was downcast and disturbed. Can you relate? Are you depressed, feel defeated or restless within your body and mind? David puts his hope in God and praises Him. Can you do that when the world around you is falling apart? I know when I am depressed, feel defeated and my soul is restless, praising God has not always been my first response, but I am learning to make it my first response. It seems peace floods my spirit when I begin to put my hope in Jesus to calm the fierce waves that are smashing my dreams and drowning my desire to persevere.


When Hope is Needed

Hope is needed when you feel you can't goon, don't want to live another day nor care to see a new tomorrow. If you are engulfed in depression, despair, feel any kind of improvement in your situation is utterly impossible and are desperately wanting to just stop breathing...do not fear, have hope.

Often small troubles turn into massive trials that seem to last forever. I have family and friends right now battling for their very lives against the evil disease of cancer.I can feel their helplessness in a fight that does not belong to them, but to the Lord of heaven and earth. The despair in their voices yanks at my spirit and I shake my fist at satan and tell him he has no authority over these precious ones that belong to almighty God. As I pray diligently for them, my hope lies in our God to comfort those I am battling for. I pray for them to be filled with hope that only God can give them. I pray they have joy in the midst of the sorrow and peace during their storm. The Lord tells us in Romans 12:12, to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and earnestly pray. We have hope if we place our trust in Jesus. He can put joy in our hearts, patience in our souls and give us the strength and the desire to pray earnestly over our present circumstances.


Hopeful for Joy

Although not one of my favorite verses in the Bible, James 1:2 gives the gentle reminder, “Count it pure joy when you face trials of many kids, because the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Oh my how we need perseverance when being tested, especially when everything seems so hopeless. How in the world might we be joyful during our trials when we lack hope? That's a very good question, but I believe the answer lies in Who we put our hope in rather than what we put our hope in. I Timothy tells us to put our hope in the living God Who is the Savior of all humans, especially those who believe. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in His Son Jesus Christ? Do you believe that God sent the Holy Spirit to give us peace, to comfort us and to teach us?

John 3:16 & 17 says, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. God did not come into this world to condemn the world but to save the world through Jesus' death on the cross.” We have hope that we can be assured we will have eternal life if we truly believe that God loves us and Jesus Christ died for our sins, taking all our sins upon Himself, paying the price of punishment with His own blood, so that we could be washed clean. God sees us no more as sinful people, but righteous through Jesus' death on the cross. Accepting this free gift of salvation buys you the right to have eternal life once you leave this world.


Your Journey Towards Hope

As you place your hope in Jesus, begin giving Him the areas of your life that seem hopeless. Imagine placing them in a box, wrapping them up as a gift and laying them at the feet of Jesus. Go ahead, take each area and wrap up your multitude of tears and your basketful of sorrows, the intense pain and deep anguish you feel, and one by one, place each one in the box. Beautifully wrap them and hand them to Jesus. Let them go, and walk away. God sincerely cares for you and wants you to give him all your burdens.

The ways you did things in the past are over with. Don't look back except to ensure you don't repeat past mistakes or useless attempts on your own to remain hopeful for seemingly impossible situations, relationships or outcomes in your life or in others lives. Ask God to forgive you for trying to handle life on your own, without His help, His Spirit and presence in your life. Thank Him for His wonderful gift of eternal salvation if you have believed in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. Tell someone you gave your life to the Lord and surrender your life to the leading and control of your God, the Creator of all life.

I pray you accept God's peace and joy that He so faithfully pours out onto His sons and daughters. In the midst of your storms, you can have peace, the peace that passes understanding. You can have joy and have it flood your soul. You can be so filled with hope from God that it overflows onto others. In Jesus' precious name, amen. Your journey towards hope continues today!


~ Application ~

Read Psalm 139:1-24. Read it aloud as if God Himself were reading to you. Soak it all in, know that you are valuable, were created for a purpose and are priceless to Jesus. Choose a scripture out of this passage that directly speaks to your heart, or a favorite that brought a tear to your eyes. Write it on 3 index cards and place them in different places of your home where you spend a few minutes a day. Re-read them daily and memorize this scripture.

If you believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ, tell someone today that you accepted Jesus as you Lord and Savior! Today is a day to celebrate for you made the single most important decision you will ever make your entire life. Share it with someone, seek out a non-denominational church to attend and get plugged in with a body of fellow believers so that you may grow in your knowledge of God, and in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Make a list of all the areas of your life you have given to the Lord today. Then, as they come to mind, list any specific things in the areas you have surrendered. Write each one down on a piece of paper, put them in a cardboard box, and throw the box away. Do not take the box back, leave it in the garbage where it belongs.

Look in a Bible or online at Biblegateway.com for a scripture concerning hope, joy and peace. Mark these in your Bible and reflect on them throughout this next week.

As you accept your importance to God and begin to see yourself as a person of worth, thank God for giving you life, for loving you so unconditionally and giving you the freedom to read your Bible, study His word and have hope in a living God Who cares so deeply about you.

Whispers of Hope - Week 1

For all those going through various trials and tribulations, you know what it is like to feel hopeless. It's that deep, down feeling that nothing is going to get better. You are gripped with the fear that things will only get worse. There is no light at the end of the tunnel nor is there is any reason to believe there should be. Hopelessness paralyzes you where you are and living becomes a chore you'd prefer avoiding altogether.

Webster describes hopelessness this way. It is having no expectation of good or success - despairing; not susceptible to remedy or cure; incapable of redemption or improvement; giving no ground for hope- desperation; incapable of a solution, management or accomplishment - impossible. Despairing, you bet you are, desperate most definitely, impossible, that is exactly how you feel about your situation, that's how you feel about your life.


The Purpose of Hope

The purpose of hope is to give us something to look forward to, something to believe in, something to keep us going when we just want to give up. I love the scripture in Jeremiah 29:11, it reads, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Each and every person alive has a purpose, provided by almighty God to give them hope for a brighter future.

Our expectations when we are hopeless are those of despair, pain, sorrow, anguish, disgust, desiring to give up completely, aimlessly existing with nothing to look forward to beyond our present circumstances. God wants so much more for His people. He wants us to expect the best even when trials come our way. He wants us to realize He can use our pain, sorrow and suffering for better purposes when we hope in Him. Psalms 42:5 reminds us to put our hope in God when we are in despair, downcast and disturbed.


What Hope Can Do for You

Hope can make you stronger, allowing you to rise about your current circumstances and look to a higher power for answers. Hope can sustain you when all seems futile. Because we live in a fallen world, sin-filled and corrupt, we will encounter pain and sorrow, suffering and our share of problems. But hope gives you the perseverance you need to go on, to wake in the morning, to get out of bed and be thankful you are alive. Hope inspires endurance that can take you farther than any other experience in life. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint."


What Hopelessness Does for You

Hopelessness steals your joy and brings you sorrow. It can make you upset and feel frustrated enough to just stop trying. Hopelessness is debilitating and makes room for fear, anxiety, and depression to control your life. When you are hopeless, life seems unbearable. Without hope we feel insecure, lacking confidence and are unsteady in all our ways. Low self-esteem surrounds us and the spiritual battle begins.


Where Do You Turn for Hope?

When trials come and you are engulfed in the waves of panic, where do you turn and who do you turn to? The Bible tells us in Proverbs 13:12 that "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." We all need hope, the essence of greater things in life. The purpose of hope is to bring us joy in troubled times, strengthen us when we are weak, give us endurance to run the race and finish successfully and to give us something to believe in, to look forward to.

I pray that God fills you with the hope of joy and peace as you look to Him, so you may overflow with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit that instills life, love and liberty to your very soul. Your journey towards hope begins today!


1. What areas of your life seem hopeless right now?

2. What have you done in the past to remain hopeful that has not worked?

3. Who can you put your hope in that can give you joy and peace despite the storms you face today?

4. What advantages are there to feeling hopeful rather than feeling hopeless in any situation?

5. What step can you take today to feel hopeful about the areas in your life that seem hopeless?

Whispers of Hope

Today I begin a new journey, one in which I hope will bless and inspire you along the way. I will be sharing on the topic of hope, a four letter word that can throw someone into a tailspin without it, or lift one to new heights with it.

Catherine Marshall says, "God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope." I must completely agree, and by the end of this interactive course, I trust you will too.

Because God cares about what you go through in life, He also cares about the most intricate things that shake you, rock you and sometimes cause you to fall. Your faith may be tested in ways you never thought possible. Your beliefs though strong and sure, may be questioned in ways that could cause you to doubt them. Your very life could be threatened because of your belief in God and faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, with hope, no matter how dark the journey gets, how fatal the threats seem or how hard you fall, hope can carry you on the wings of an eagle flying high above the clouds.

Living in the valley of the sun in beautiful Phoenix Arizona, I am reminded that as long as we stay connected to the Son, Jesus, however cold, wet, dreary and dark the skies get when it rains, the sunshine will always reappear to warm our freezing body, dry our drenched hair and brighten the heavens above us chasing out all signs of despair, hopelessness, disappointment or sorrow. Because Jesus is our hope, with Him, all things are possible, Philippians 4:13.

Whispers of hope radiate from the mouth of God and Jesus lovingly picks us up out of the mire and carries us to safety once again. He is our night and shining armor, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our rescuer, our guide, the One in Whom we can always trust.

Are you in a valley of trouble where you so desperately seek a door of hope? Join me for the next several weeks in rebuilding your faith, deepening your trust and being filled with the hope that can take you from the valley of trouble through the door of hope on an exciting new journey.

Easter!!! A Time to Remember - A Time to Reflect - A Time to Be So Thankful

What do we think of when we let the words of 'Easter'gently roll off our lips?
Decorating eggs? Family reunions? The Easter bunny? Perhaps it's just another over-commercialized holiday like so many others.

What should it be?
A day to remember. The day Jesus rose from death after 3 days of a journey like no other man has ever or will ever experience.

A time to reflect. Jesus chose to take upon Himself your sin, my sin, and our children's sin's of the past, the present and the future.

A time to be so thankful. Had Jesus Christ, (the Son of almighty God and Creator of everything) decided not to be punished and whipped for our sins, wearing a crown of thorns and carrying our burdens amongst His entire body, being nailed to the cross and scorned, ridiculed and beaten, what hope would there would have been no hope for you, me, our children or our future generations to receive eternal life.

So what does this mean to you?
I don't know, but it means the world to me.

Today, take a moment to remember...to reflect...the be so thankful for the blood Jesus shed for YOU, to know that God loves YOU so much He gave up His one and only Son Jesus for YOU so that if you believe on Jesus Christ died for YOUR sins, you can be saved and have eternal life.

If you realize you are a sinful being in need of a Savior, pray these words from your heart.
"Lord Jesus, I confess my sins to you and ask for Your forgiveness. I repent, turn away from desiring the things in my life not pleasing to You. I believe You sent Your Son Jesus to die for me. I accept Your forgiveness and free gift of salvation. Come into my life and make me new. Give me the strength to let go of past sins, the wisdom to walk in Your path now, hope for a better future and change my heart as I grow closer to You each day. Thank You for saving me. I am now Yours and surrender my life to Your will. Guide me in Your ways and truth, from this day forward.In Jesus name, Amen."

Congratulations! You've just made the most decision of your life!

Wait! It doesn't doesn't stop there!
To help you learn about your new life in Jesus you need to begin reading the Bible. If you don't already have one, email me at created2blessothers@yahoo.com and I will send you one, FREE of charge.
To help you grow as a new believer, begin attending a church that supports your belief in Jesus Christ ans Lord and Savior. If you need help finding a church family in your area, email me and I can help get you connected with those on the same journey as you.
To get prayer, receive words of wisdom from those going through similar events as you perhaps, and to deepen your relationship with others in the faith look into home groups that may be offered through your church.

Most of all, enjoy your new found journey of purpose, hope and peace!
Some of my favorite scriptures in the Bible - John 3:16, Philippians 4:13, John 1:9, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Philippians 4:4, Psalms 150:6, Romans 8:28.

Trusting God in Uncertainty

This morning my hubby told me he had an interview with an employer in Arizona. It went well and he was offered a job with good pay, good insurance, nice place to work and a pleasant boss at that. I was excited but heard a sense of hesitancy in my husband's voice. He was not so sure we could find a place to live after having been through this year's trials. The outcome has not been pretty.

Uncertainty visits us all, especially in these times of economic trouble.
God reminds us to "Trust in the Lord always and lean not on our own understanding", Proverbs 3:5 Gods ways are so much higher than mine so why should I lean on whatever understanding I have of any situation? Trusting in God leads to peace, God's will, assurance and security. Leaning on my own understanding usually gets me nowhere.

My family has had to trust God so much this past year and I must admit it has stretched us in so many different directions, but always closer to Him. We have not understand why my husband lost his job in January, our home at this present time, and our grown children have been scattered throughout three different states. We still don't know what His plans are for us, but we have chosen to lean not on our understanding because it is vain. Trusting God is the most logical, obedient and safest thing to do right now.

His plans for us are good, not to harm us but to give us a hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11. Why should we worry when God is for us? Who then could possibly be against us? Trusting God is the right thing to d;, it's the only thing to do.

Branden's Turning 21 Today!!!

I can't believe it! My baby is turning 21 today. At 4:15 pm he I will have given birth to him 21 years ago. Where in the world has the time gone?

I feel like it was just last night I was walking the culdesac we lived on in Phoenix, AZ trying to increase the contractions. I was so excited about finally having him, what he would look like, and how he would serve God with his life.

Branden was an unexpected baby but so wanted and loved when I found out he was to be. I had a great pregnancy and felt healthy yet I was a bit unsure whether or not I could raise four children these days, but God knew what he was doing, so in Him I put my trust. God had given me so many verses reminding me to trust Him, to not be afraid and that this baby would bring peace to our family. Something we needed desperately. At four months along, a pastor prophesied over my belly and told me this son born to us would be a prophet, a peaceful child and one which leads quietly. During this pregnancy I encountered a miracle of healing for several of my teeth, and knew God was with me and this child. This could have never been more truth in the years to come.

The birth was as easy as could be. 3 1/2 hours of hard labor and he was out and exploring the world. Alert and calm, he nursed peacefully and the peace within his soul drew others to him. Satan saw the mark on this child and immediately began his appointments to take him. From illness to injury, Branden roughed it through them all. God's protection was hard at work and He never let Branden slip too far from His grasp of help. Stitches here and there, a concussion and double pneumonia, croup and bent bones, God was faithful to limit satan on what was allowed and what was not. Many times we almost lost Branden, but never was he out of God's reach.

One night when he had double pneumonia and croup, the doctors told us to take him home and stay with him, for he was weak and may not live. The elders and friends of the church we attended at the time, came at the midnight hour and prayed over Branden. When they left, I spent the night rocking my dear little boy, so frail and sickly, breathing so shallow he closed his eyes with his mom's tears resting gently upon his cheeks form time to time. I battled before God not to take my baby boy, and He set me upon a rock, upon a mountain with an alter a foot in front of me. I labored to think what He was going to ask of me, yet through hours of intense turmoil and shattered hope, God met me where I was and gently asked me to let him go. To give him back, reluctantly I did and laid him in his crib, fully expecting to see a lifeless little body in that crib when I woke in the next few hours.

I had cried to the point there were no more tears, and I quietly slipped myself into bed and heard God simply say, fear not. But I did, yet I knew whether He took my baby boy or not, the will of God was most important and that if it meant for Branden to go home with Him, so be it. I fell off to sleep weary and worn but a God had placed a glimpse of hope within my heart.

Upon waking just hours later, I slowly headed down the hallway, the same hallway to Branden's room that normally I would hear him talking to someone, playing quietly awaiting his mom's presence and smile yet I heard nothing but stillness. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard, yet dropped not a tear as I turned the corner and peered towards his bed. As I moved closer, I saw he was not moving from the looks of his little leg, but when I got to the edge of the crib, his face was beaming, the biggest smile I had ever seen and he quickly raised his hands to me and said, "Mama."
I reached down and grabbed him, held him to my chest and cried sweet tears of thankfulness. Not only had God spared his life, God has completely healed my little boy of all infirmity! He was as healthy as the day he was born.

God spoke to me and said, because I gave up his life, God gave him back to me....for a time....to raise Branden as the man God intended him to be, and this I have wholeheartedly and joyfully done. What a blessing to know God provided the perfect sacrifice for my sins, my son's sins and the world's sins. Jesus took Branden's place so that Branden might live and have everlasting life. That Branden could have abundant life while on this earth, doing the work of His heavenly Father.

What a wonderful son Branden has grown to be. Thank you God for giving us another chance with this prophet of yours. Thank you for giving Branden life as He chooses to follow after You with his whole heart and soul. Thank you God, for this precious son you allowed me to carry, birth, raise and take part in his life with You.

Matthew 16:25 Whoever desires to save his life (or in this case, Branden's), will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake (or give's up as in Branden's life), will find it.

What a wonderful God we serve!