A remarkable woman of FAITH~ St Josephine's story~

 I read this and her story and faith and how she was lead through her life.....


Saint Josephine Bakhita

I originally posted this homily two years ago. The message of Saint Josephine Bakhita is so compelling that I decided to post it again on the occasion of her liturgical memorial.
We celebrate today the memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita as well as the sixty-second anniversary of her death. Born in Sudan, Africa in 1869, Madre Josephine died in Italy in 1947, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000. Her memorial, endowed with a magnificent new Collect, was inserted into the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal published in 2002.
The Holy Spirit Interceding for Us in the Liturgy
I have had occasion to say this many times before, but it bears repetition: the Collect prescribed by the liturgy on any given day is a pure distillation of the Church's prayer. The Collect of the day is nothing less than the Holy Spirit "helping us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rom 8:26). The Collect of the day is the Church articulating for us those "sighs too deep for words" (Rom 8:26) by which the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us, filling us with the prayer of Christ.
Every line of the Collect for Saint Bakhita merits attention; every phrase needs to be repeated in meditation.

O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita
from abject slavery
to the dignity of being your daughter and the bride of Christ,
give us, we beseech you, by her example,
to follow after Jesus the Crucified Lord with unremitting love
and, in charity, to persevere in a ready mercy.

Called by a New Name

As a result of the trauma she endured when she was kidnapped and sold into slavery as a little girl, Saint Josephine Bakhita could not remember the name her parents had given her. Her captors called her Bakhita, meaning "fortunate" or "lucky." "thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. And thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God" (Is 62:2-3). Years later, at her baptism, Bakhita received the name Giuseppina or Josephine.

A Saint Sold and Resold

Bakhita's life was marked by indescribable emotional, moral, and physical suffering. After her kidnapping, she was sold and resold in the slave markets of El Obeidh and Khartoum. In the capital of Sudan, Bakhita was bought -- yes, bought -- by the Italian Consul, one Callisto Legnani. Bakhita was surprised that her new owner didn't use the lash on her when giving orders; he treated her with kindness and affection. When the political situation obliged him to return to Italy, he took Bakhita with him. There Bakhita entered the service of another family. These good people, in turn, entrusted Bakhita to the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice.

Daughter of God
Bakhita became a catechumen and was baptized on January 9th, 1890. From then on, she would kiss the baptismal font, saying, "Here I became a daughter of God." The Collect echoes this: O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter. . . .
Christ, the Gentle Master

Protected by Italian law, Bakhita chose to remain among the Canossians. The psalmist expresses her choice: "Better is one day in thy courts above thousands. I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners" (Ps 83:10). She who had been bought and sold by a series of human masters discovered the tender love of Christ, the gentle Master. Sweet paradox. Bakhita called God, "Master."
 
La Madre Moretta

On December 8th, 1896, Bakhita was consecrated forever to God as a Canossian Daughter of Charity, becoming Mother Josephine. The local people and school children called her affectionately la Madre Moretta, "the little Black Mother." Daughter of God, Bride of Christ, Mother of the little and the poor, Bakhita became the complete consecrated woman: free, loved, fruitful, fully realized. "Thou shalt no more be called Forsaken: and thy land shall no more be called Desolate: but thou shalt be called My pleasure in her, and thy land inhabited. Because the Lord hath been well pleased with thee: and thy land shall be inhabited" (Is 62:4).
 

No Trace of Bitterness

Mother Josephine Bakhita served her Master for almost fifty years. The Collect speaks of her following Jesus the Crucified Lord with unremitting love. In charity, it says, she persevered in a ready mercy. This is the miracle of Saint Bakhita. There was no trace of bitterness in her. The cruel degradations and unspeakable moral outrages suffered as a slave, though never forgotten, had no hold on her. She to whom men had refused mercy persevered to the end in a ready mercy for others. She was not a prisoner of her past. We who are so often prisoners of the past, unable to let go, unable to forgive, unable to move beyond old hurts, do well today to seek her intercession. 
 
Set Free by Love

Looking to the future does not mean forgetting the past; it means transfiguring it. It means re-reading it with eyes of mercy in the light of faith. We need not remain slaves of our own histories, chained to the evil things, the hurtful things, the unjust things that happened ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or seventy-five years ago. There is another way: the way of those set free by love.
 
Two Suitcases

Toward the end of her life, Mother Bakhita used to smile and say: "I travel slowly, one step at a time, because I am carrying two big suitcases. One of them contains my sins, and in the other, which is much heavier, are the infinite merits of Jesus. When I reach heaven I will open the suitcases and say to God: 'Eternal Father, now you can judge.' And to St. Peter: 'Close the door, because I'm staying.'"
 
La Madonna

In her final agony Bakhita relived the horrors of her enslavement. "Loosen the chains," she said to her nurse, "they are so heavy." The Mother of God herself came to loosen the chains. Bakhita died smiling, saying, la Madonna, la Madonna. It was February 8th, 1947.

The Eucharist, Mystery of Liberation

Saint Josephine Bakhita, intercede for us that, freed from the chains that bind us to the past, we may go forward into freedom. For each of us the path forward is the Communion procession to the altar. The Most Holy Eucharist is the mystery of our liberation, the healing of memories, the Bread to children given, the Chalice of undying love lifted daily to the lips of the Bride.

WFW~Saint Paul Advises Bloggers~

Finally, bloggers, whatever is true,
whatever is honourable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise,
blog about these things. What you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me, do:
and the God of Peace will be with you.
Philippians 4, 6-9
( I found this combination of verses and picture on an blog of a benedictine monk blog,and not with standing i know this vers by heart it spoke to me in this contexts of substituting the word blog for write!)
Today is WFW 

You can find McLinky at our hostess Susan’s blog  http://susan2956.blogspot.com/
next week our hostess will be Penny’s blog  pennyraine.com/blog
 

A Love Worth Giving

Your Kindness Quotient
by Max Lucado
How kind are you? What is your kindness quotient? When was the last time you did something kind for someone in your family--e.g., got a blanket, cleaned off the table, prepared the coffee--without being asked?
Think about your school or workplace. Which person is the most overlooked or avoided? A shy student? A grumpy employee? Maybe he doesn't speak the language. Maybe she doesn't fit in. Are you kind to this person?
Kind hearts are quietly kind. They let the car cut into traffic and the young mom with three kids move up in the checkout line. They pick up the neighbor's trash can that rolled into the street. And they are especially kind at church. They understand that perhaps the neediest person they'll meet all week is the one standing in the foyer or sitting on the row behind them in worship. Paul writes: "When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers" (Gal. 6:10).
And, here is a challenge--what about your enemies? With the boss who fired you or the wife who left you. Suppose you surprised them with kindness? Not easy? No, it's not. But mercy is the deepest gesture of kindness. Paul equates the two. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32 NKJV). Jesus said:
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.... If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? ... [L]ove your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy. (Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35-36)
Kindness at home. Kindness in public. Kindness at church and kindness with your enemies. Pretty well covers the gamut, don't you think? Almost. Someone else needs your kindness. Who could that be? You.
Since he is so kind to us, can't we be a little kinder to ourselves? Oh, but you don't know me, Max. You don't know my faults and my thoughts. You don't know the gripes I grumble and the complaints I mumble. No, I don't, but he does. He knows everything about you, yet he doesn't hold back his kindness toward you. Has he, knowing all your secrets, retracted one promise or reclaimed one gift?
No, he is kind to you. Why don't you be kind to yourself? He forgives your faults. Why don't you do the same? He thinks tomorrow is worth living. Why don't you agree? He believes in you enough to call you his ambassador, his follower, even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself?
Be kind to yourself. God thinks you're worth his kindness. And he's a good judge of character.

From A Love Worth Giving

PRAYING....don't forget FRIDAY is..............!!

 Prayer and praying is on my mind tonight and  must ALWAYS be in every circumstance we face.....
I'm fighting this week to not listen to my feelings and look at my surroundings or circumstances.
But listen to God's truth and wisdom.....Pray and speak out His word over my life..my childrens...husbands...family and who He brings in my mind or on my way.
He wants us to be FEARLESS no matter what the enemy is wispering or try us to believe......
Do You know this button?


Tomorrow bloggers come together and pray don't forget to head over at "Free Spirit Haven" the home of this powerful  and encouraging meme....Leave your request over at Angela's or at the other bloggers.(I will be traveling tomorrow and be away for some days so can't read your requests) 


These verses and prayers stirred me up to storm to God's throne with prayers.
Be blessed my friends.

James 1:1-12 (The Message)

 ¹I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! Faith Under Pressure

 ^2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

 ^5-8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

 ^9-11When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

 ¹²Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Prayer For My Child/Children

Dear God,
My child is so precious to me. Give me the words You would have me speak for my child's welfare.
Cleanse my mind of worry.
Fill my mind, instead, with the knowledge of how much You love my baby and how strong Your power is to protect.
I decree You speak to my child and guide her in Right Action.
I affirm that, as she explores life, she hears Your Voice clearly—
Listens to Your whispered warnings—
Follows Your guidance—
And is safe in Your love.
And if she is so full of enthusiasm—or confusion—that she takes a wrong step,
You hold out Your arms, dear Lord, and catch her.
For You now move Heaven and Earth and protect her
As The Protector of all innocents, no matter their age,
And I decree my child is an innocent.
You whisper and paths change. Danger turns away. And my child, hearing You, turns toward safety.
For nothing is stronger than You.
No evil can circumvent Your Knowing.
No voice can speak louder; no force can move mountains as You can.
Nothing can penetrate Your Net of Protection around my child.
I rest easy, knowing I have turned over the care of my child to You and that You never fail me.
I affirm my child is safe in Your Arms, now and forever.
That You teach them, through me and through others, their beauty, their Divinity and their worth.
You teach them such great self love and respect,
That they take tender care of thereselfs always.
And we spend many happy days in each others company, during the remainder of my life.
As Jesus said: Ask and ye shall receive;
So do I speak The Word which You infuse with absolute power:

My child is safe now and forever more.
Thank You, God.

And so it is.
Amen.

Prayer of a Mother concerned about her adult children

As I turn to you, Lord, my heart is troubled. You know the journey that brought my children to where they are today. I am so sorry for whatever my husband or I might have done wrong, Lord. Our children don't seem to practice the faith we tried to hand on to them. Their values are so different from ours. It breaks my heart to see them passing those same values on to their children, my grandchildren.
Oh, Lord, I place them in your hands. I surrender the judgments and anger that can fill me. I know that, at times, in my frustration and desire to help them, I have pushed them farther away. Give me the graces I need to change my heart. Fill me with your mercy and forgiveness for my sins so that I might grow in the ability to forgive and embrace my kids with compassionate love. Let me be a healer of wounds, rather than a wounder. Let me build bridges of understanding. I know that is the only way I will be able, with your grace, to heal our relationship.
Father of Love, help my kids grow in gratitude to you. Help them to find you in their busy lives. Help me to affirm them and support them with love, that they might recognize authentic faith and love, and turn to you in their time of need.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

A Wife's Prayer

Dear Lord,


Help me to be the kind of wife you want me to be.


Help me not to take my role as wife lightly or take my husband's love for granted.


Help me to be a good listener, giving my husband my full attention so that I will be well aware of his concerns, aspirations, and needs.


Help me to pay attention to the advice my husband gives me when he brings things to my attention that I may be doing wrong or that I could be doing better.


Help me to be more anxious to please my husband than to have my own way.


Help me to be aware of the things that I do that upset my dear husband - and enable me not to keep doing them - so that I will not be causing unnecessary problems in our relationship.


Help me to remember that I am commanded to submit to my husband's role as head of the house even if he fails to faithfully submit to the headship of Christ.


Help me to treat my husband better than when we were first met and remind me of the importance of spending quality time alone with him and of doing things to remind him of how special he is to me.


Help me not to jump to conclusions about my husband's motives and enable me to think the best of him at all times.


Help me to apologize and set things straight when I complain, falsely accuse, act selfishly, or say unkind or provoking words.


Help me to go out of my way to complement him and to encourage him.


Help me to be a proper example of what a loving, considerate, caring, and self-sacrificing wife should be.


Help me to realize that it is my job to be an example of a mature and godly wife and not an example of a disrespectful and selfish child.


Help me to be joyful in spite of my circumstances and help me to avoid whining and complaining when things do not go my way.


Help me to admit my faults, to apologize when I am wrong, and to be anxious to heal wounds that I may have caused in my relationship to my husband.


Help me to realize that is far better to get my husband to do things I want him to do because he loves me and not because I nag him.


Help me to never forget that You gave me my husband to be a helpmate and best friend and may I never think of him as an adversary or a hindrance.


Help me to show my children how much I respect and love their father by my actions and by the words out of my mouth.


Help me not to be afraid to be affectionate and loving towards my husband in front of my children so that they will know how to be good spouses when they grow up.


Help me to support my husband in the proper administration of discipline to our children so they are not a burden or a grief to my husband.


Help me to show my children that my husband is truly my very best friend and a highly trusted partner in the ministry of our family.


Make me the kind of wife who my husband will never regret having married and even more than that, make me the kind of wife who is a joy for my husband to be around and who my husband will be proud to call his wife, a woman who honors him and who honors Christ.
Amen.

Thankful Thursday - Things that make you go hmmmmm?

The question to us from our host Lynn this october at S.U.M to reflect on  is
What is it that makes you go hmmmm and what are you thankful for this week?


Well let's see what happened this last week?

• FRIDAY

I was thankful that it was my last work day to have a week free. My daughter prepared diner and did the shoppings ( she is nearly eleven) We had spagetti bolognese

• SATURDAY.That is our soccerday. So i am thankful to have an healthy son who enjoy to play this sport with his teammates.Looking back to that day i can also give thanks to have our own beauty business so we can do our hair or any other treatment.This is a luxury i took for granted all those years!!
• SUNDAY.This week we enjoyed a special brunch together unplanned due to over sleeping ....We where thankful for the food on our table no matter our financial circumstances....
• MONDAY ..free soccer game in an stadium ..our family had an evening of fun and quality time......I am thankful for perfect and good organized public transport to go anywhere we like now we have no car anymore.......
• TUESDAY carnival in the city gave the kids a fun break in there holiday week
• WEDNESDAY Thankful for the choice of my kids there friends with trustworthy parents.....I see and feel i can trust my kids to those parents for some hours or even an sleepover party or going of my daughter to an youth evening in another church home

• THANKFUL THURSDAY!! That i am able to see an new day and know God to praise and thank Him for everything i receive from Him. From where thus my help comes from? From Him who maketh heaven and earth!!

This makes me say Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Head over to S.U.M. for more links to TT post
And there is another TT meme

At "Truth 4 the Journey" so make your choice where to link-up or at both places and praise and thank God with your post!

FALL SCHOOLHOLIDAY............and prayer request!

Ecclesiastes 8:15 (The Message)

 ¹⁵ So, I'm all for just going ahead and having a good time—the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time—compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.


Monday evening we where here. Free entry to a soccer game from the Youth of AJAX  ( prof city club) against PSV. Our city club lost, but the kids and dad had the time of there life ( I joined the club *smile*)



Yesterday we had fun at "Dam Square"
Just lookup a video to gave you an impression and stumble on this one



I stumble on more by looking at this video about 2 imprisontments of 2 Christian young woman Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Esmaeilabad

Let's pray for them and there request "TO STAND!!
Or send an letter to the embassy of there country.
In this video you see an request to do this.



I was just thinking how the theme and composing of this post is turning from the sheer JOY  talking about having GOOD TIME and that God wants us to have that because our days on earth are counted!


But the same time He calles us not to close our eyes and to have COMPASSION and PRAY and be active in anyway we can to help and care for others......


Blessings to all of you have a Godfilled day!

WFW~ 2 Timothy 2: 19 ~

 

Welcome to  Word-Filled Wednesday!

Our hostess will be Christy at   Critty Joy

THE PROVERBIAL SUNRISE ~ COMPASSION ~

"COMPASSION"

@

THE PROVERBIAL SUNRISE

~ Prayer for Compassion ~

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." --Colossians 3:12-13

Lord, help us to remember that others don't always see the way we do, hear what we hear, feel what we feel, or understand things the way we've come to understand them. You give each of us gifts that are uniquely ours but so often we fail to value the gift in another, judging other gifts as wrong or somehow less important than our own. Give us the compassion you want us to have, O Father, and teach us to embrace each other with compassionate arms, no matter what our age, color, creed, history, or belief. Help us to remember that you are Life Itself, and that you are using every one of our unique gifts to bring us together with you once again. How long has it been since we walked in someone else's shoes? Today, we can honor and respect those people we meet who come from different backgrounds, travel on different roads, choose different lifestyles, express themselves differently, or come from other parts of the world. We can look at them with eyes of love and know that our differences show the unique character of our individual gifts, but the life that animates us--the light at the center of our souls--comes from one source, the source we all share.

To read more on COMPASSION or link up and share about Compassion please visit

Amanda @ The Proverbial Sunrise 

'Lord, I love you and I need you,
come into my heart, and bless me,
my family, my home, my finances,
and all of my friends,
in Jesus' name. Amen.'

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY ~ LAST NIGHT ON THE BOAT!! ~

Last wednesday i posted this picture and vers.
This evening i was looking for some music on Youtube and stumble on preachings from Pastor T.D.Jakes.
His devotionals frequemtly touched and stirred me a lot.( I read the devotional bible "WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED" )

His preaching i have to get use to it but there is so much in them to understand God's word practicaly in my life.....
But i felt i needed to listen to those preaching as a follow-up of the word , i got last wednesday. To loved to share it with you .........

And HE said to them

"Cast the net on the right side of the boat,and you will find some."

John 21 :6















For more Spiritual Sundays click on the button and i pray you will be blessed and have a Special day with The Lord!

FEARLESS FRIDAY @ reflect on Thankfull Thursday " The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ~Psalm 51:17 "

Yesterday was THANKFUL THURSDAY
Today Is FEARLESS FRIDAY....

Yesterday night i was overwhelmed by my day and probably ( i can better say i know!!) of myself.....My week was a battle ( struggle) in myself  to slain my flesh!! Yes i am on a journey at S.U.M " The Mind of Christ experiment  " 
Yes i see the works of my flesh......irritation...getting angry to easily.....being impatient.....feeling frustrated by my kids..why??

Is it this what is talked about yesterday as the theme of TT
I think sometimes it takes us a lifetime to realize we are truly entitled to very little. Entitlement mentality leads to expectations. Unmet expectations lead to disappointment which leads further down the slippery slope to frustration, anger, bitterness…..
Sometimes we can become overwhelmed with our current circumstances and forget the riches right before our eyes. I have found one sure fire way to pull your entitlement mind into proper perspective, God’s perspective.
SERVE
Take a look around in your own corner of the world. You will find so many not only in need physically but many who are struggling spiritually in worse, much worse situations than your own. So, today I am thankful the Lord has allowed me to serve others. To be the arms and heart of Jesus.
Today I am thankful for the riches right before my eyes.
I am entitled to death and hell. But I have been given a free gift of an awesome life right now and life in heaven.
How amazing is that?
What are the riches right before your eyes?
Be Blessed, Lynn 

 To bring my mind in proper perspective is to achive ( work on) a servant heart!! So true ( a "light bulb" is going on while reading this...) I was wondering why i can serve with endless patient my elderly patients at work...and why i get frequently impatient at home...??!!

Oke at home i can show my "uglyface" more safely...lol between my loveones than at my workplace my mind is reasoning!!

I notice this "expectation thing" and getting disappointed in relationship to my family members......I see God started to work already at my heart in my relationship with my husband....when things nearly went "out of hand" some years ago......

So now i need to work things out in my relationship with my kids! ( Thank You Lord for this "light bulb"...)

So what are the riches in front of my eyes??

• My Life now healthy , i believe the physical setbacks on the moment is to appreciate my healthy body more conciousely and stirred to take care better for it..be fit in Jesus Spiritually and physically.....
• To be able to read,share and think about God's word
• The gift of my kids to learn to serve them
• The gift of my husband to learn to serve him and to grow together in Christ to serve Him with our lifes........
• The gift of my work to love on the elderly and to serve them.Pray i be more an open channel and witness for the lord when i work with them.
• I have a roof above my head and food on our table
• Last but not least richeness in front of me is the oppurtunities to buildup friendships and relationships with other christians through the internet

 This last brings me on what is today FEARLESS FRIDAY!!

A day where bloggers commit to pray for eachother.The home of this is at "FREE SPIRIT HAVEN" Thanks Angela for doing this and your standing in the gap with your prayers.

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loose in heaven. Again I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:18-20


“They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.” ~ Psalm 112:7-8 NLT

"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

AMEN AMEN to those verses who are the verses for this day to encourage us to be FEARLESS on our Journey!!

While writing i remember my prayer/reflecting post last tuesday :

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ~Psalm 51:17 

Refiners Fire

There are times in our lives where we are in the refiner's fire. There's nothing in it that's comfortable, but the showers of His soothing rain brings comfort and peace in the midst of the drilling and dealing.The Good news is,you will come out refined and refreshed if you hang in there.....He will not allow you to go through anything that He knows you can not handle....

Let it burn! 

Preciouse Lord burn all of what needs to be burned away in this " earth vessel" o You.Our savior,our redeemer, our healer, our friend !

We humbly come before your throne...with the request s of our own and the request of our blogfriends, our family members......All the persons who come on our way and touched our heart to lift them up in prayer.....

We need You Lord Jesus...to save,to heal and to redeem out of the hands of the evil one...

Break down...what needs to be broken down.....

and

restore what need to be restored...

Your Kingdom come,

Your will be done father.....on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Amen.

 

WFW~ Cast YOUR NET on THE RIGHT SIDE~

And HE said to them

"Cast the net on the right side of the boat,and you will find some."

John 21 :6

CAST YOUR NET ON THE RIGHT SIDE ( Greg Olsen)

After spending the entire night unsuccessfully fishing on the sea of Tiberias, some of the disciples heard a voice calling from the shore. In the early light of dawn they saw the figure of a man beside a small campfire. The man encouraged them to cast their net on the right side of their boat. Though it probably seemed that such a small adjustment would avail them little, the disciples followed his admonition and ventured a try. Perhaps there was something familiar about his voice and his simple request that subdued their unbelief.

The disciples were rewarded for their simple act of faith with a huge draft containing a “multitude of fishes”, so great that their net could scarcely keep from bursting! With this miracle came the recognition that the figure beside the fire was the Risen Lord. The heartened disciples came ashore, there to enjoy a breakfast of bread and fish prepared by Jesus himself.

What an amazing way to start the day! Imagine being fed, warmed and invited to bask in the glow of the “Light of the World”. With a simple act of faith we can do the same and greet each new dawn nourished and warmed by the fire of His spirit!

Today there is also an devotion on this verse at S.U.M. 

Hop on to Lori's for more WFW entries. God bless!!!

 

PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOURS!!

Father in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, I pray you open doors for the person who sent me this as well as those I am sending it to. Only you can open doors no man can close and for that we honour you today. Thank you for the open doors of life, health, strength, prosperity, wealth, and love. Also, thank you for closing the doors of death, sickness, weakness, despair, poverty, and bitterness. We love you today Lord and give you all the glory and all the praise. I seal this prayer in Jesus ‘name, Amen!!!

If you need God to open a door, pray this prayer and for those you are sending it to. Believe in your heart and you shall receive what God has for you.

I need a door to open...

God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close. Even if you do not need God to open some doors for you pass it on anyway.

"To have God in our side doesn't mean sailing on a boat with no storms, it means having a boat that no storm can sink!"



HAVE A BLESSED DAY….

The Lord is Gracious & Compassionate

"COMPASSION"

@

THE PROVERBIAL SUNRISE

That the compassion received by God will flow out of our own heart to others...
( out of wikipedia).

Compassion in action: an 18th-century Italian depiction of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Christian Bible's Second Epistle to the Corinthians is but one place where God is spoken of as the "Father of compassion" and the "God of all comfort" (1.3). The life of Jesus embodies for Christians the very essence of compassion. Christ's example challenges Christians to forsake their own desires and to act compassionately towards others, particularly those in need or distress. Jesus assures his listeners in the Sermon on the Mount that, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." In the Parable of the Good Samaritan he holds up to his followers the ideal of compassionate conduct.
True Christian compassion, say the Gospels, should extend to all, even to the extent of loving one's enemies.
Our Lady of Compassion is a feast day celebrated by Roman Catholics to honor the Theotokosas

To read more on COMPASSION or link up and share about Compassion please visit

Amanda @ The Proverbial Sunrise

Cartwheels in Heaven ~ One of my blogreadings~

12 Oct 2009
Tracie Miles

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love." Psalm 33:18 (NIV)

Something was missing. I tried to write, but no words came. I tried to focus, but my attention wandered. I tried to pray, but words were few.

I finally realized what was missing: hope.

My sweet sister has been fighting a battle with Multiple Sclerosis for twelve years. Each day brings new difficulties, new hurts, new medicines, and new reasons to lose hope. As I watched her struggle day after day, my heartbreak became overwhelming, and I had lost sight of any reason to be hopeful.

One day recently as I chatted with my sister, she told me about a dream she had the night before. In this dream, she was running, doing cartwh eels, and playing rambunctiously with her children. She said the dream seemed to last for hours, and she vividly remembered laughing and feeling happy.

Then she woke up. To reality. A reality where she can barely walk, much less run. A reality where carefree romping and playing is nothing more than a memory. A reality filled with pain, disappointment and a lack of hope. She awoke and cried.

I've prayed for her healing so many times that I've wondered if God is tired of hearing it. I've pleaded with Him to give her comfort and peace. I've pressured Him for discernment and a glimpse of His plan so I can understand her plight.

I've found myself wondering if hope is realistic when a situation appears hopeless? Is physical healing possible, when all odds seem against it? Is comfort and freedom from pain attainable, when every cell inside a body is raging a war against itself? Is peace actually available for those who find no end to the hurting?

In my quest to find an answer, I looked up the definition of hope: The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to feel that something desired may happen. And the last definition said this, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it.

As I pondered that, my spirit leapt. This was the meaning God wanted me to understand today.
Thinking back on the prior week, I could see how God had filled my days with gentle, subtle reminders of hope through verses, emails, and devotions. He had heard the cries of my heart. I felt His Spirit leading me to a place of truly believing in the hope that only He can offer, even when the earthly outlook does not warrant it.

He had been sweetly nudging me to seek hope in Him. To allow His reassurance to saturate my heart, and fill that empty, dry space. I was reminded that hope is as essential for survival as food and water . Hope is life-giving.

My sister's 10 year-old daughter responded to her dream that morning. She told mommy not to be sad, because one day they could do cartwheels in heaven together. Upon hearing this, I felt hot tears and caught a glimpse of unfailing, eternal hope—right out of the mouths of babes.
Whether any of us do cartwheels on earth, or in heaven, is God's decision. But hope begins in believing that He was, is, and will forever be the source of our hope.

Sweet Jesus, forgive me for losing sight of where true hope is found. Infuse my heart and mind with the hope that can only be found in You. Please quench my thirst for understanding with reassurance of Your faithfulness. I ask that You guard my heart from the temptation to focus on the problem, instead of the One who holds everything in His hands. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Receive fresh encouragement each month with the P31 Woman magazine

Hope in the Midst of Depression: How to Embrace Life Again by Mary Southerland

Visit Tracie's blog – Seeking Peace in God's Will

Application Steps:
Believe that all things are possible with God.

Reflections:
Have I lost hope?

Power Verses:
Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (KJV)

Psalm 62:5, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." (NIV)

© 2009 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.

The Clay.....The Potter...........Refiner's fire......

To all the pots that heard the good news and responded to the truth the Potter sent His Spirit of truth to guide and bear witness that they truly were children of the Potter. He said to them," Like clay in the hand of the potter,so are you in my hand"( Jeremiah 18:^). Because these redeemed pots had been molded by this world, He had to remake them in His image. These new creations could not be made by there own, but they would have an important part to play in becoming more and more like the Potter.Although they would have many other useful purposes  for remaining on planet earth,nothing was more important to the Potter than to have all His redeemed pots free from there awful past and become pure like Him........


CHANGE...-SANCTIFICATION- 

The common to made  holy by the hand of God

About sinners becoming saints.

And about children of wrath to become children of God.

" Be holy because I am holy " ( 1 Peter1:16)
( Out of "GOD'S POWER AT WORK IN YOU" written by N.Anderson and R Saucy)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ~Psalm 51:17 

Refiners Fire

There are times in our lives where we are in the refiner's fire. There's nothing in it that's comfortable, but the showers of His soothing rain brings comfort and peace in the midst of the drilling and dealing.The Good news is,you will come out refined and refreshed if you hang in there.....He will not allow you to go through anything that He knows you can not handle....

Let it burn!

(For more on the 1sth chapter of the book...)

Picture's and texts i came across while meditating on " The mind of Christ "

I follow a journey together with other ladies for 30th days at S.U.M

Spiritual Sunday ~" THE POTTER "~

This morning i was contemplating God's transforming power in us as Christians.....
The picture of God "The Potter" entered my mind, and i am the clay..!
My hand stretched out  to my bookshelf at a book, with a similar picture as above on it with the name "GOD'S POWER AT WORK IN YOU" written by N.Anderson and R Saucy
I believe i started reading this book some years ago,but did not finish it....So i opened  it to look in  the 1st pages and got a surprise ..... I share it today with you...

God's Desire for You

A long time ago the infinite and eternal Creator sat down at His potter's wheel as He had so many times before.Everything He had made so far was very good,but this time He had something else in mind. He wanted to create something in His own image. Something, or better, someone who could personally relate to Him.
The Potter had already fashioned living beings to inhabit planet earth,but this new creation would be different. Far more significant than all other earthen vessels,this new creation would be fruitful and multiply and rule over all the other created beings who flew in the sky,walked on the earth,or swam in the seas.


So He took a globe of clay and placed it on His wheel. As the wheel began to turn,He placed His thumbs in the center of the clay and formed the inward parts.Miraculously the clay began to take shape.As the wheel turned faster and faster, the clay began to rise from the earth from which it was taken. Fearfully and wonderfully He made this new creation which He had planned from the beginning of time. But He wasn't done. Something was missing. The clay had no life. So he breathed into this earthen pot the breath of life and it became a living being. This fusion of divine life and earthly clay would make this new creation different from all the other created beings.
What appeared to be common was indeed holy,and set apart to do His will.


All would have been well if it hadn't been for a previously created spirit being who thought he should be at least equal to the one who made him. That, of course was an absurd notion, even though he was the most beautiful of all created things.
This masterpiece was created to be a light-bearer. But by his own choice, this rebel became the prince of darkness. Not wanting to be alone in his rebellion, this arrogant spirit being persuaded many other lesser spirits to join him.The Potter could not tolerate this sinful rebellion. So He cast the spirits out of His presence, and they fell from their heavenly abode.


The prince of darkness could not stand the thought that a new creation by the Potter would actually rule over him. If only he could get this new creation to act independently of the Potter.I know what i will do,thought the evil prince, I'll get this upstart pot to think that he too could be like the Potter and decide for himself what is good and evil.What a lie ! " Does not the potter have a right over the clay...?"( romans 9:21) " Will the clay say to the Potter,"What are you doing?"( Isaiah 45;9)
This crafty devil actually managed to deceive this new creation by questioning the word of the Potter, enticing him to do his own thing and live independent of the one who fashioned him


The consequences were swift and immediate. This new creation lost the divine breath that made him spiritually alive and introduced impurities into the clay from which he was made.He no longer had a relationship with  the Potter who made him. Because of the impurities in his clay,the earthen vessel would also deteriorate and eventually die. The Potter had designed this new creation and his partner to multiply and fill the earth, and that is what they continued to do,but all their offspring were born dead in their trespasses and sins like their parents. They lost their dominion over all the other creation,and the prince of darkness became the rebel holder of authority that the Potter had intended for the pot and his offspring to have.
Now this rebel prince of darkness had his own little kingdom to rule over on planet Earth. He was the god of this world and prince of power of the air. Fallen pots and lesser evil spirits were under his authority and were slaves to his sinful ways.


But the Potter loved what He had created and had a plan to undo the works of the rebel prince-a plan that would do something about the impurities that now characterized all His creation because He cannot tolerate anything impure in His presence. Through this plan, He would give them His Life again. The Potter said," I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: and i will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And i will put my Spirit in you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws"( Ezekiel 36:26,27)


The Potter"s plan required He Himself to take on the form of a pot and show the earthly pots how to live a life totally dependent upon the Potter. The prince of darkness threw every possible temptation at this Divine Pot in the hopes that He too would choose to live independent of the Potter,but He stood His ground and declared that pots don't live by the things of this world but by everything that comes from the mouth of the Potter ( see Matthew 4:4) But He had to do more than just show them how to live,because the consequence of their impurities was certain destruction.


So this Divine Pot who was sent from the Potter had to take all the consequences of the impurities of the fallen pots upon Himself in order that the fallen pots could become pure again. All the forces of evil came against Him and the Potter's just anger against impurity fell on Him and He died. He died to sin once and for all for the fallen pots who would trust in Him. Then three days later ,this Divine Pot was resurrected,showing that His death had defeated the prince of darkness and made it possible for all the fallen pots to be forgiven and receive divine life if they would only believe Him. The law of life in this Divine Pot was greater than the law of the impurities and the law of death.


Although the prince of darkness was defeated, he and all his evil spirits were allowed by the Potter to continue roaming across the planet earth untill their final judgement came upon them.
Their plan was to blind the minds of the unbelieving pots so that they could never hear the good news that the divine pot had come to die for there sins and give them life.Many believed this lie and never received their pardon.Others believed the truth and were instantly forgiven and they received the life offered by the Divine Pot,but the evil one tempted,accused,and did everything within his limited power to get the forgiven pots to believe his lies.


To all the pots that heard the good news and responded to the truth the Potter sent His Spirit of truth to guide and bear witness that they truly were children of the Potter. He said to them," Like clay in the hand of the potter,so are you in my hand"( Jeremiah 18:^). Because these redeemed pots had been molded by this world, He had to remake them in His image. These new creations could not be made by there own, but they would have an important part to play in becoming more and more like the Potter.Although they would have many other useful purposes  for remaining on planet earth,nothing was more important to the Potter than to have all His redeemed pots free from there awful past and become pure like Him........


This book is about CHANGE...-SANCTIFICATION- 

The common to made  holy by the hand of God

About sinners becoming saints.

And about children of wrath to become children of God.

" Be holy because I am holy " ( 1 Peter1:16)

Have you made the decision to let God be God and desire nothing more than to be the person He created you to be?
Are  you convinced that the will of God is good,acceptable, and perfect for you( Romans 12:2) even before you know certain what it is? Be assured that God loves His  children and He has no plans for you that aren't good, although you will surely undergo some times of testing in order that you may be purified. We have been warned in 1 Peter 4:12-14.......


The REFINER'S FIRE is necessary in order for the Potter to conform His earthen vessels back into His  image................

The songwriter said it well:

Refiner's fire

My heart's one desire

it's to be holy

Set apart unto You my Maker

Ready to do Your will.