There's Purpose in the Pain

The past few months have been hard for my family and I. Two deaths of family members that were loved and now missed deeply have captured our attention and seared our hearts. We have shed tears when we thought we had run dry, were surprised that our bodies could operate with such little sleep and that we finally had no more words to speak and strength to comfort as we had previously.

Death has a way of doing this to anyone. It stops you in your tracks, takes your breath away and causes you to stop and think, re-evaluate, remember and sometimes shed regrets you had not idea would exist. You wonder what purpose could there possibly be in this pain?

So what do you do with these thoughts, emotions, heartache and pain? In I Peter 5:7, we are told to "Cast our burdens on the Lord for He cares for us." Just think for a moment, the Creator of this world is interested in YOU and all that concerns YOU. God is aware of what you are going through and does not want YOU to endure it alone. Jesus Christ can give you the strength you need, the comfort you seek and the peace that passes all understanding.

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world (You, His creation), that He sent His only begotten Son (God came into the world as Jesus Christ), so that whosoever would believe (you and me) in Him (Jesus Christ, God's Son), would not perish (die spiritually as well as physically) but have everlasting life (to be in the presence of God forever). This scripture offers the FREE gift of salvation that all of mankind need. Everyone needs a Savior and Jesus Christ came that you might have life and have it it abundantly!

Know this...there is purpose in your pain. God does not miss a single tear or is unaware of the pain you are going through. You are the apple of God's eye and He loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you, and Jesus willingly gave up His life for sinners like you and me. Nothing we ever do will be good enough to earn our way into heaven. There is no fire insurance beyond believing that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you and that Jesus did spill his blood that you would not have to. We are not saved by good works, but by believing in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Give yourself to the Lord, surrender your life, believe and be saved. Allow the purpose of your pain to lead you into a lasting relationship Jesus Christ. It will be the best decision you ever make in your entire life. Find a non-denominational church that will disciple you, teach you God's word and read it for yourself. Meet with other believers and hear the wonderful testimony's of what awesome things God does in the lives of those who believe in Him, love Him and follow Him.

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.

Living a Victorious Life

I attend one of the most on fire, radical life-changing, uplifting the spirit and soothing the soul churches anyone could ever hope to go to and yesterday was one of the MOST endearing services I have been to.

The topic was a prayer model to follow, the chosen lead scripture was Matthew 11:28, ironically the same exact one that a sweet adopted daughter of mine gave me just this past week. The concept, A.C.T.S.

Pastor Dan was explaining how we all find ways to escape our greatest struggles, failures and obsessions. God instructs us to come to Him because only He can give us rest, true rest. And what do we do, we go to everything else for a fake calm before the next storm of life blindsides us. We turn to other people to make us happy, shopping to anesthetize us to the realization we don't have it all, to substances for numbing against the pain, to busy-ness so that we don't have to face rejection, to job security so we don't have to trust a Being we cannot grasp a hold of with our human hands, and even to denial so we won't believe we need God.

What's up with us frail humans? We think we have it altogether when our lives are falling apart. When we become desperate, it is then we might finally turn to our loving Father and beg for His help. Pastor Dan likened this to his daughter who calls out to Him for a hug and eventual popsicle, being perfectly content with the popsicle. I liken it to partying our lives away and when we get caught up in our troubles it is then we need bailed out; now God is there to help us with open arms and a smile on His face. In a way this may be true as He says He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), but what God desires of His children and those who have not yet accepted Him, is for us to come to Him anytime, every time, all the time. With whatever spoils we have to lay at his feet, He can turn them into precious gems of infinite value, if we will only come....as we are.

The model of A.C.T.S. is a wonderful foundation we should all adopt on a daily basis. One in which will bring glory to God, support for our overburdened souls, strength in our spirits and rest for our weary bodies and minds. God expanded on this concept with me and made it quite simple.

A- adoration; adoration for our God, adoring Him above everything and everyone else in our life

C- confession; confession to our Lord; confessing those things we say, do and think that are displeasing to God

T- thanksgiving; thanksgiving for Jesus Christ; always being thankful for the One Who gave us eternal life

S- supplication; supplication from on high; receiving our daily supply of what we need from almighty God, precious Jesus and the ever comforting Holy Spirit

Wow! Concepts to change my life, give me strength, draw me closer to Jesus, provide rest for my body, mind and soul, help me grow in the ways of the Lord, give me hope, support others, pray with power, share the love of Jesus with all who cross my path, be humble before my Lord, loosen all power the enemy could have over me, and to give me abundant life on this earth.

Okay, am I missing something here. Hmmmm, turn to imperfect people for help or trust a most perfect God; spend money on things that will perish one day or savor time with someone Who can provide me with what I truly need not want; use and abuse substances that will alter my thought processes or remember God says I have a sound mind and He can heal my pain; remain too busy to hear from God or seek His plans and purposes for me to further His kingdom and glorify Him; find my security in a job that I can lose at any given moment or have my security in the Creator of all heaven and earth; believe in myself and deny I even have issues at all or know Jesus is worth believing in and trusting for every detail of my life, let's see which do I chose to live by?

HA! Who are we actually kidding?! When the world says, "Look to yourself", know that God says He is always near and waiting with open arms for you to rest in His care, His love, His peace, His salvation, His support, His protection, His comfort, His knowledge, His grace and mercy.



* Supporting scriptures are listed below to look up and concentrate on, contemplate their meanings and apply to your life. Believe and be blessed!


Adoration: I Chronicles 29:10-13, 29:20
Confession: I John 1:9, Psalm 32:1-5, James 5:16
Thanksgiving: Psalm 13:5-6, 69:30, 95:2, Philippians 4:6-7
Supplication: Philippians 4:6, Matthew 6:8, 7:7-11, I John 5:14-15, Ephesians 3:20-21

* To take part online in the wonderful service I commented on, go to
www.pureheart.org and listen to Sunday August 1st service under the column Items of Interest, Sermon downloads and sit back with a cup of coffee, tea or bottled water and enter into rest, rest that will change your life.

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.

The Marriage Code

My husband and I have been reading The Marriage Code by Bill and Pam Farrel and wanted to share a few things we thought might interest all who are married, and those who might be one day.

Discovering our own secret love languages has imperical value these days. We can find this language through understanding the secret code in marriages. Living in a world that uses codes has its advantages. We have usernames and passwords that get us into our email, facebook, twitter, eBay, blogspot, myspace, craigs list, amazon accounts, why would we not think there might be a code to delve inside the best parts of our relationships? Well there is. Taken right from Bill and Pam's book are a few tidbits to get yo thinking.

* It is obvious when the code is in place because your relationship works well.

* It is just as obvious when the code is not in place because almost everything is out of sync.

* Entering the marriage code into your relationship is a daily exercise. In the same way that you need to enter a username and password into your computer each time you start it up, your love relationship needs an access code every day.

* The marriage code is based on the most common needs that men and women have.


Relationships are not as simplistic as you may have well found out by now. Men and women have different needs at the core of their very beings. These core needs shape how life is approached and how relationships are interacted within. Bill and Pam believe every person has these two core needs within them; the need for security and success. Security being the belief it is safe to be who we are. Success being the belief that our lives are workable.

Read more each day to find out what makes The Marriage Code such a life changing book every married couple should be reading!Whether you have figured out the marriage code in your own relationship or not, this book will give you keen insight to help other married couples. It can also be a valuable tool used in premarital counseling to give engaged couples an edge on their lifetime commitment of marriage.