You forgot ripping your hair out over "LIBS" and "DEMS." How does that figure into contentment?

Well, it helps me when I can remember that vengeance is the Lord's, Britty because I don't do very well with it. The same goes for glory because I would rather give it to the Lord because I really don't have need for it. Even if I can only remember ask please in the morning and thank you at night it makes a world of difference. You know, it has always been impossible for me to out give God.

Matthew 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

It is like my Lord is telling me to not sweat the small stuff and if there is a big problem it is okay, too because after all if he is God. I mean if he can create everything surely can handle something as insignificant as me.

Here is something to share about what God is doing in these days... God is great & mighty in His mercy...


God says, "I will Introduce Myself starting in WALL STREET and going through the STOCK EXCHANGE..."


Prophesied September 19, 2008 - Detroit, Michigan:


"I Gave a Generation So Much"

For the Spirit of the Lord says, "Even as you make declaration that I rule the earth, is it not an insult to the Creator to speak on His behalf and say, 'things are out of control'? My Son made these words known: I will build My Church, I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. I will build My Church."

For God said, "I gave a generation so much, unlocked the keys because of a revival that I sent in 1948. I gave keys and people condemned this revival and they said it was not of God because the people shook. They said it was not of God because the people fell. They said it was not of God because of what they did and the manifestations.

"And yet, because of that, keys were given and talents were given to a generation, and because of those talents, I brought this nation out of depression. I brought this nation out of war. I brought this nation to a place where Jesus was engraved upon the skins of young men and women. I brought this nation to the place where songs were birthed from groups that were once condemned as rock n' roll, and they sang about Jesus. It was called the 'Jesus movement.'

"This all came because some prayed together in 1948. And I sent these strange experiences and yet today, I must listen and be insulted," says the Lord, "when they who call themselves voices of God and would condemn and constantly bring judgment upon this nation." You have been through it, and God said, "My Church has arisen and has come to the fore every single time."

"I Will Introduce Myself Starting in Wall Street..."

"There is a great need at this hour, but do you really think that I am going to cause your economy to 'go to hell?'" For the Spirit of the Lord says, "What is happening today, what has happened today and what will happen tomorrow and on Monday," God said, "will shake the nation and they will say, 'is there any more hope for this nation, is there any more hope? Is there any more hope?'"

And God said, "Who rules the nations? Who is he that rules the nations? They will say, 'it's costing the government billions of dollars to erect what has fallen.'" But God said, "Do you not understand that sometimes these things happen because men have relied on filthy lucre, men have relied on their power and as their strong arm finances, silver and gold? They have relied upon oil, they have relied upon earth and soil. And this has been their strength.

"Now, once again, I will introduce Myself starting in Wall Street and going through the Stock Exchange and on the Northeast of America to the Midwest, down to the South I will introduce Myself as the strength of this nation again," says the Lord of Hosts!

"This will go from strength to strength and men who relied upon the rising of their funds, now they say, 'where do we go, where do we go?' Where can they go but to the Lord? For I have already determined it that My Church will not go under because I am building My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," says the Lord!

For God said, "They could not rely upon Greenspan, they could not rely upon men of great financial integrity. I will take even the wealthiest and the richest and the most powerful and I will cause them to say, 'we have nowhere to go.'" God said, "Do not concern yourselves, saints of the Most High God. For even as Daniel prospered in Babylon and Joseph prospered in Egypt, so shall ye prosper as you sing in the presence of those," God says.



Prophesied September 20, 2008 - Detroit, Michigan:

"I Am the One"

"Death, hell and the grave have no power. I am the resurrection and the life. I am He that holds the keys to death, hell and the grave. Death, where is your victory? Grave, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? I am the rider on the horse. I am the resurrection and the life. I hold the keys to death, hell and the grave. I am the One, I am the One; the resurrection and the life. I hold the keys to death, hell and the grave."

God says, "There's a stench coming from the grave, from the hearts of the people who come as enemies to this nation. There's a stench coming from the pit, coming from the pit of their beings saying, 'we will bring down the God of America.' But who do they think they are? I'm the One, I'm the One, I'm the One, the resurrection and the life!

"There's a stench coming from the people that have said, 'I will bring down the God of America.' Who do they think they are? I am the One that's on the horse, I am the King of kings, the resurrection and the life. Who do they think they are to say I am no longer the One? Who do they think they are who say I am obsolete, I am no longer living? Who do they think they are who say I have gone never to return? What do you think they are to say to Me, 'You are no longer the One'? I gave My life, I gave My song, I gave My heart. I gave My heart, I gave My song to the ones that crucified Me.

"There's a nation crying out for children. There's a nation crying out for children. They have taken the children of Mine, wanting them to be adults. There's a nation crying out for children that will cry to the Father. And this nation, America, will never, never look away from the holy child, from the holy child who will come. The restoration of this nation, and you'll be great again, America, you'll be great again. You'll be great again, America!

"Because the prayers of the fathers, they have not died. From sea to shining sea, they will bow their knee. You'll be great again, America! You'll stand again, America! You'll stand proud again, America, from sea to shining sea they'll bend their knee. They'll bow their knee to the One and only Son. You'll be great again, America. You'll stand tall again, America. You'll be proud to say, 'we are the nation, the brave, the free, those that bring liberty.' From sea to shining sea they will bend their knee."

"I Will Cause the Next Four Years to Be a Rulership Under Me"

This is the word of the Lord: "You have come to hear what I have set aside for this nation for the next four years. Can a man restore order? Can a man bring change? None of those that stand shall do anything that they say. They shall attempt, but without My presence and the acknowledgment of the Christ that was laid into the foundation, in the cornerstone of this nation, no man shall qualify to do anything."

God said, "Even as this night you remember these words and you have allowed My prophet to prophesy the deep mysteries of the Kingdom, for it shall be a massive and very strange happening, when they shall say, 'why are the Democrats and the Republicans suddenly joining forces with certain issues?' This shall be the working of the Lord. This shall be a presentation that shall shock and nullify those who have attempted to say, 'America will never stand united again.'"

For God said, "You shall have two very severe enemies suddenly rise up against you," and God said, "you will not go to another war, for I will prevent it. Because I will take certain things that shall be manifested and they shall begin to withdraw because of the great authority that shall come; because of the unity of this event that shall take place in the United States of America." For God says, "They shall say, 'we have no choice but to join hands, we have got to lay aside our differences.'" And the Spirit of the Lord said, "It shall be a marvelous thing. It shall confound your enemies."

For God said, "I will cause the next four years to be a rulership under Me and under the Lord God Almighty and under the banner of the Trinity, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Do not say, 'God has forsaken America.' I have just told you through My prophet that there shall be so many changes and America shall be known as great and they shall be proud for they have attempted to help and unite other nations."

But now God said, "There is discord amongst this nation. I will cause you to be surprised," for God said, "you will look and you will say, 'look, things have happened that we never dreamed would happen.' Therefore let Me rule, let Me reign. For the peace of God is about to rest upon this nation. Yeah, it shall be My will to speak goodness and goodness shall happen," says the Spirit of God!

Therefore God said, "Do not look back and say, 'oh, we have to go back a few years.'" God said, "You're not going back, for I have already got the inventions ready for you to have the energy that you need so that you can be self-sufficient. It's going to happen so quickly." And God said, "Even now, even at this time, during the Thanksgiving of this year, I shall unfold many many things in this order."

Therefore God said, "Look, prosperity is coming back to you. Do not look and say, 'Wall Street' and do not say, 'the Stock Market' and do not say, 'this or that.'" God said, "I have looked at you and you are the apple of My eye; and because you are the apple of My eye, I will come to you like I came to David and rescue you from the enemy that has tried to pull you down," says the Lord!

Kim Clement
Prophetic Image Expressions

Another good thought for today...


A Handful Of Thorns

READ: Psalm 105:1-6
Give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! —Psalm 107:21

Jeremy Taylor was a 17th-century English cleric who was severely persecuted for his faith. But though his house was plundered, his family left destitute, and his property confiscated, he continued to count the blessings he could not lose.

He wrote: “They have not taken away my merry countenance, my cheerful spirit, and a good conscience; they have still left me with the providence of God, and all His promises . . . my hopes of Heaven, and my charity to them, too, and still I sleep and digest, I eat and drink, I read and meditate. And he that hath so many causes of joy, and so great should never choose to sit down upon his little handful of thorns.”

Although we may not be afflicted with the grievous difficulties that Jeremy Taylor endured, all of us face trials and troubles. Are we grumbling? Or do we refuse to let our “little handful of thorns,” our troubles, obscure the overwhelming abundance of our blessings?

When we feel like complaining, let’s remember God’s faithfulness and “give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! . . . Remember His marvelous works which He has done!” (Ps. 105:1,5). — Vernon C. Grounds

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost;
Count your many blessings—name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. —Oatman


Spend your time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost;
Count your many blessings—name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. —Oatman


Spend your time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.


How true, QS. Good morning!!

Thank you so much for posting.

I got some reading to do later today.

Tonight I found out that Girl Scouts and Alcoholics Anonymous can coexist. I had opened up the church early because I wanted the coffee to be ready for the meeting. Then I was invaded by Girl Scouts. The Den mother said she didn't want to disturb us she said and apologized for the rowdy girls. She asked if it was okay for the girls to make paste for their posters for tomorrow's parade. I guess they had mistaken us for church members. I was wanting to tell the Den mother that we too have been know to get rowdy but my sponsor was with me. I did close the door between them though when they got rowdier because I didn't want their rowdiness to get mixed up with ours. It went pretty well because they cleaned up their mess and we cleaned up ours.

Hi Rainbow,

thank you for sharing that. I am glad you all had a good evening, going about your various
tasks.

Setback or Cutback?
Micca Monda Campbell (Encouragement for today)

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that is will be even more fruitful.”

John 15:2 (NIV)


Devotion:

My eldest son is a born leader. That’s a nice way of saying he’s strong-willed. I’ve often heard Dr. James Dobson, President of Focus on the Family, describe determined, strong-willed children this way: “They come into the world smoking a cigar and asking to speak to the administrator of the hospital to complain about the temperature of their room.”

That’s a good definition of my son. For example, in Jr. High, Mitch struggled in his relationship with his basketball coach. Why? Because he didn’t think he was a good coach. While Mitch never said so, his attitude reflected this mind-set, which in turn affected his game. The coach ultimately benched him, and his attitude. Devastated, Mitch couldn’t understand why the coach would bench one of his starting players.

We’ve all been there. You and I have experienced “setbacks” in our jobs, relationships, and even in ministry. These setbacks cause us to wonder, “What’s going on? Why is this happening?” If we’re like my son, you and I may not always see what God is doing behind the scenes. That’s where our key verse comes in.

God is more interested in our character than our comfort. He desires that we produce more spiritual fruit. Therefore, He’s always at work pruning the areas of our lives that don’t match His plans. So, when God allows our world to be turned upside down, we are not experiencing a “setback” but rather a “cutback.” In God’s economy, a cutback can be a good thing because it makes room for more good stuff to come.

However, sometimes the pruning process can feel like it’s going to kill us. I remember one fall when I was pruning my rose bush. My daughter, who loves flowers, was distraught when she saw what I had done to the bush.

“Why did you kill it?” she asked with horror in her voice. I reassured her that I didn’t kill the bush. I only cut it back so that next year it would produce larger and more beautiful roses.

Though it may feel like it at times, I assure you that God is not trying to kill us either. The Lord cuts us back in order to produce more—more Christ-like fruit in our words, attitudes, and deeds.


--------------

I often recollect that verse when I am in the garden attending the flowers and shrubs.

It is so true, the pruning doesnt always feel good
at the time, but we can rest in the knowledge that God works all things together for good..

It was a good night, Britty. My sponsor's wife who has 39 years in the program said something in the meeting that helped me in my job at work. She told me I didn't have to react to anger. I got so used to being reactive when I was actively using and drinking. I am glad the church lets us use the place likes it lets others use the place.

Principles for Profitable Bible Studies

In addition to a loving, faithful and obedient attitude toward God, there are five major principles that are essential to a correct understanding of Scripture. These vital keys must always be kept in mind when studying the Word of God. These important principles are:

"All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, KJV throughout).

Many who profess to study the Bible completely disregard this vital principle. Rather than seeking the truth of Scripture, they look for verses that appear to support their personal beliefs, but ignore those verses that clearly contradict their beliefs. This approach to study can never lead to understanding because it denies that every part of Scripture is inspired. Those who use this approach are exalting their own beliefs above the authority of Scripture.

When we study the Scriptures, we should always be careful to seek the true meaning of the words that were inspired by God. No study of the Scriptures should be designed to support time-honored church doctrine or to "prove" a personal interpretation of the Scriptures. If these motives are involved, for whatever reason, do we think that God overlooks such deceptive use of His Word? If we think that we can fool God, we are only deceiving ourselves.


"Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: " (Isaiah 28:9-10).

The book of Isaiah tells us that in order to understand doctrine, we must study the Scriptures line upon line and precept upon precept. This is exactly how we should study every doctrinal question. The New Testament confirms this approach to understanding the Word of God and establishing sound doctrine!

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).

In order to come to the knowledge of the Truth, we must always follow the Biblically outlined method of study--" straightly cutting" or "rightly dividing" the Word of God. Any other type of study is useless and all in vain!

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost [more accurately translated Holy Spirit] " (2 Peter 1:20-21).

In today’s world, we find many pseudo-teachers who are twisting the Scriptures and deceitfully using their own personal interpretations in order to persuade others to believe their false doctrines. To support their teachings, they may quote numerous Scriptures. To their listeners, their teachings sound very authoritative, but the way that they apply the Scriptures exposes their craftiness. They are using the same subtle methods of deception that Satan the devil uses.

The fact that a minister or teacher may continually quote the Scriptures does not guarantee that he is teaching the truth. Scripture that is quoted accurately is often misapplied to teach false doctrine! True servants of God do not use such deceitful tactics. Those who are truly serving God will not deceitfully use Scripture to promote their own ideas and personal interpretations. They will seek to understand and teach the true meaning of the words that God inspired by the power of His Holy Spirit.

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

The command to "prove all things" is a lifelong responsibility for every true believer. We must continually be testing every teaching that we read or hear by carefully studying the Scriptures. The Bereans were commended because they diligently searched the Scriptures:

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11).

The account in the book of Acts reveals that the Bereans were diligently studying the Scriptures to prove whether or not the things they had heard were true. They did not react with blind emotion and refuse to consider the teachings of Paul. Rather, they carefully examined the Scriptures and proved to themselves that Paul was, in fact, preaching the true message of God. We, like the Bereans, must diligently search and examine the Scriptures in order to discern true doctrine from false doctrine.

The final vital principle to remember when we study Scripture is that we must be led by the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is called the Word of Truth. Furthermore, it is the Spirit of Truth that teaches us all things. The Bible makes it clear that the Spirit of Truth works hand in hand with the Word of Truth to give us the understanding God wants us to have.

"But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit or Spirit of Truth], whom the Father will send in my name, he [it] shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26).

Regardless of how brilliant or how great the intellect may be, God's Truth is not understood through human wisdom and rationale. It is only through the Spirit of God that the Word of God can be understood.

Which Bible translation should we use?

Which version of the Bible we should use, especially for in-depth study? Numerous translations of the Scriptures are available to us today, and new versions continue to be published. The modern versions may be very attractive because they are easier to read than the older versions with their archaic words and expressions. However, these modern versions generally cannot be relied on for doctrinal study because they do not closely follow the original text. In some of these versions, thousands of words have been omitted. Despite repeated attempts to discredit the King James Version, it is still the most reliable translation of the Bible. While no version of the Bible has been published that is perfectly accurate in every respect, the translators of the King James Version took great care to follow the original text. For those who seek to understand the true teachings of Scripture, the King James Version is highly recommended as the safest and most reliable translation.

Rules for Profitable Bible Studies

If possible have a regular, private place for your Bible studies.

Before each study ask God to give you a spirit of humility while reading His word and guide your heart to comprehending, accepting and practicing His precious truth.

Start with Bible verses that are easy to understand when studying on a particular topic. Then, use these scriptures to understand harder, vaguer passages of God's word.

Let the Bible interpret and prove the Bible. Don't look for what you want to prove; look for what the Bible actually proves.

Seek to understand the general context of a particular Bible verse by reading the verses and chapters just before and after it. Does your understanding of a Bible passage harmonize with the rest of Scripture? Remember, the Bible does not contradict itself!

Study the original language (Hebrew or Greek) words and their meaning(s) behind a Bible verse. Remember, however, that although study aids like Strong's Exhaustive Concordance can be helpful, they should not be exclusively used to discover and prove what the Bible teaches.

Ask, what does the scripture you are studying clearly say?

Ask, what does the scripture you are studying not say?

Ask, to whom was the Bible book containing the scripture you are studying written to? Who wrote the book? Who is speaking the scripture(s) in question?

Seek to understand the general time frame in history when the Bible verses you are studying was written.

Remember that the Bible at times uses parables, allegories, symbols, poetry, metaphors and other figures of speech and literary techniques to reveal God's truth.

Don't bring your own personal assumptions and preconceived notions into your understanding or conclusions.

Base your study on scriptural knowledge that you already understand. What do you know up to this point in time?

Do not form conclusions based on partial facts or insufficient information, or the opinions and speculations of others.

Remember that your or anyone else's convictions, regardless of how strong they may be, don't necessarily count. God's word is your ultimate standard and guide.

Article content taken from Fourteen Rules for Bible Study by F. Coulter.

A Harvest of Fruit
Susanne Scheppmann
(Proverbs 31 ministries)


“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law,”

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)



Devotion:

Autumn harvests laden our table with fresh fruits and vegetables. We decorate our homes with a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket called a cornucopia, or the “Horn of Plenty.” Apples, oranges, bright gourds, and multi-colored Indian corn spill from the basket as reminders of the abundance of God’s blessings in our lives.

The apostle Paul speaks of another kind of fruit – the fruit of the Spirit. He writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).” We do not need to worry about over indulging this type of fruit. God desires us to be so full that we absolutely overflow with His Spirit.

However, in order to harvest the fruit of Spirit we must sow it in our lives. Galatians 5:25 gives us a tip on how to begin to reap this crop, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” As a farmer labors to produce his crop, so we must work hard, too. When we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, we choose to react in a godly manner when people annoy us and circumstances move beyond our control. We must determine to keep in step with and surrender to the Holy Spirit rather than allow our human nature to overtake us. Think about the following circumstances in which we could allow the Spirit to take control of our attitudes and emotions:

· A fight with our husband

· Parenting teens

· Neighbors who annoy us

· An unappreciative boss

· A fender-bender in a parking lot

· The dishwasher overflowing

· An uncaring doctor

What would you add to the list? Whatever creates irritability, impatience, or discontent could be added. Of course, the key to any type of adversity is to remember the words of Jesus, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7, NASB).” The Helper is the Holy Spirit. He will help us produce the fruit of the Spirit if we allow it. With the Spirit’s help, we can obtain an overflowing abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and of course, self-control.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Hi to all who stop by.

Words.

Encouraging words
smiles they bring

Words that hurt
feel the sting

Hurtful words
pierce like a spear

Promising words
we hold so dear

Words of hope
deliver good cheer

Words of despair
cause many tears

Complimentary words
spoken so gently

Word that bring heartache
voiced intently

Words of sadness
crush a spirit

Loving words
uplift souls

Words can be powerful
mouth them with more control

Kind-hearted words
pass the love with thoughtfulness

Not so hard to utter
instead of words that digress.

(written by: Ken Snyder)

Peaceful, Gentle & Kind!
• True love rests the heart from turmoil, finds the heart relaxed and happy and provides warmth and peace to the soul.

Humble
• True love is humbled love. Humble people make the best mates! Their own humility is the foundation for their ability to love.

Honest & Truthful!
• True love is wanting to be honest at all times! This is the only way true love survives. Honesty builds trust. Trust is the backbone to a good marriage! Without trust you cannot let yourself be yourself. If trust fails, everything can fall apart.

Unselfish
• True Love is a "giver". Each partner realizes the needs of one another, and wants to give it to each other. Unselfish partners know they must love each other just as Christ loved the church,.....with a servant attitude.

Enduring
• True loves pledges themself to one another for life! This is the only way God intended marriage. There is no excuse good enough to betray the "love" that God is blessing you with. Fidelity is the only way to strengthen the trust that is necessary to build a marriage year after year!

Encouraging!
• True love for another always wants what is best. Jealousy or envy does not enter into the heart because true love cares only to see the other be the best they can be!

Patient
• True love is never hurried, always takes the time to see through every situation. True love waits for each other, no matter what, for what ever, and........whenever.




www.geocities.com/Heartland/plains/8218/love.html

Good afternoon all.....



We Matter To God

As we come before you Lord
And worship at your feet
You pour out your blessings upon us
And meet us in our need

Whatever we are facing
We can leave it with you Lord
And walk away with confidence
Knowing you will bear it all

For you are God almighty
Our God in whom we trust
To unload us of our burdens
And shower us with love

Lord you are so wonderful
To care about our lives
Each small, insignificant detail
Each tear that we cry

For everything about us Lord
Is so important to you
You want to be involved in our lives
In everything we do

So I can't help but praise you
For the loving God you are
You care so much for every soul
And you're never very far

That we cannot touch your heart
Every time we come to pray
And we can come into your presence
Each and every day

That is so true Debs.

The Power of Encouraging Words
Renee Swope (Encouragement for today)


"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Devotion:
I hate open heights. I can't stand balconies and when driving across a bridge, you'll find me hugging the rail along the inside lane.

Some friends tried to help me conquer my fear of heights by inviting our family to an indoor rock-climbing center. My heart stopped as we entered the doors and I scanned the highest peak at 25 feet! The instructors assured me that a web of ropes and harnesses would hold me tight. Before I could say "no thank you," I was strapped in and signing an injury waiver.

Towards the end of the day, our friends John and Laura encouraged their eight-year-old son Steven to climb to the highest peak -- promising tokens and ice cream if he did it. Steven was afraid of heights, too, but he loved a dare. The promise of reward, mixed with the challenge and faith of his father evoked courage in him.

I watched with admiration as Steven started the climb with confidence. He made it to 10 feet, then 15, then 20. But as he inched past the next face of the wall, he saw how far he still had to go. In fear, he looked down with tears and claimed he couldn't do it. Then he cried out for his daddy's help.

By this time, Steven's dad was holding their very tired 3-year-old and his mom was feeding their hungry baby girl. I don't know where my brave husband was, but I quickly realized I was the only one standing there who could do something.

Suddenly courage and strength surged through my body and I called out, "Don't give up buddy. You can do it. I'll help you!"

In record time, I reached the 20-foot marker, crossed over the peak and up beside Steven to encourage him, reminding him of how far he'd come. I told him he could do it with God's strength and that it would be worth it if he'd persevere. With my words and my confidence in him, I helped Steven turn his thoughts towards a higher goal, an inner peak, a reward much greater than ice cream and game tokens -- the reward of getting to a place he had stopped believing he could reach.

Funny how I stopped thinking about my fears when I was focused on helping someone else overcome theirs. I realized that the same promises I had claimed for Steven were true for me, too. I could do it with God's strength and I did!

Each day we have the same opportunity. Like God did with Joshua in today's key verse and like He does with us, we can come alongside each other in some of life's hardest challenges and highest peaks and say, "Don't give up, you can do it. I'll be with you and help you."

When we take our eyes off our fears, our doubts, our struggles and focus on someone else's needs, we somehow forget our own, for a little while. In believing the power of God's promises for others, our confidence in His promises for us seems to grow as well. And that my friend is the power of encouraging words!

Hi, Iam new on here. Iam working on a picture to put on. But I love the lord ,hes help me so much. My husband passed away 4 years ago.And I only had one place to go, And that was to GOD!i WRITE POERTY TOO.
WHILE I WAS WALKING
DOWN MY SHADY ROAD
OVER TOP MY HEAD
ON A TREE BRANCH SAT A BIRD
SINGING AS IF TO SAY
WHAT KIND OF TROUBLES
ARE YOU HAVING TODAY?
WELL ITS MY LIFE
SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE
PEOPLES COMING AT
ME EVERYWHERE
THE BIRD CHIRPS ONE MORE TIME
AND SAYS, LOOK AROUND YOU,
WHAT WOULD GOD SAY?
SLOW YOUR LIFE DOWN TO A SLOWER PACE
MAKE TIME FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO WASTE
TAKE A WALK IN THE FIELD AND PICK
SOME FLOWERS
THROW YOUR HOOK IN THE POND
AND FISH AWHILE
READ YOUR BIBLE BEFORE YOU GO TO BED
IT WILL TAKE ALL THESE WORRYS RIGHT
OUT OF YOUR HEAD
BY CHARLOTTE

Hi, Iam new on here. Iam working on a picture to put on. But I love the lord ,hes help me so much. My husband passed away 4 years ago.And I only had one place to go, And that was to GOD!i WRITE POERTY TOO.
WHILE I WAS WALKING
DOWN MY SHADY ROAD
OVER TOP MY HEAD
ON A TREE BRANCH SAT A BIRD
SINGING AS IF TO SAY
WHAT KIND OF TROUBLES
ARE YOU HAVING TODAY?
WELL ITS MY LIFE
SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE
PEOPLES COMING AT
ME EVERYWHERE
THE BIRD CHIRPS ONE MORE TIME
AND SAYS, LOOK AROUND YOU,
WHAT WOULD GOD SAY?
SLOW YOUR LIFE DOWN TO A SLOWER PACE
MAKE TIME FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO WASTE
TAKE A WALK IN THE FIELD AND PICK
SOME FLOWERS
THROW YOUR HOOK IN THE POND
AND FISH AWHILE
READ YOUR BIBLE BEFORE YOU GO TO BED
IT WILL TAKE ALL THESE WORRYS RIGHT
OUT OF YOUR HEAD
BY CHARLOTTE

Hi Mendy2, welcome

I hope you have fun and make friends here.