Faith....period

And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over." Mark 5: 34

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith." Mark 5:36

These verses were part of my Bible reading today. I've read them many times before. But, today, the word faith caught my eye. As some of you know, I'm reading through the Bible in a year with P31 Bible teacher, Wendy Pope. Wendy did some digging into the word "faith". According to Strong's (4102), faith is conviction or truthfulness of God. It is assurance and belief. The first verse is about the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. In faith, she reached out and touched the hem of Jesus' robe. She believed that if only she could touch a part of Jesus, she would be healed. And, she was.


The second scripture refers to Jairus, the leader of a local synagogue, whose 12 year old daughter was about to die at home. He rushed to find Jesus so that He would heal her. By the time Jesus finally got to Jarius's home, the little girl had died. The scripture above is how Jesus responded when this daddy heard the news that they were too late. Jarius also trusted and was assured that Jesus would still heal his daughter even after death. And, He did.


Faith...it means different things to different people. Have you examined your faith lately? Does it align with the definition above? Or, are you in a different place in your walk? Are you even walking with the Lord? Sometimes, we really stray off that straight and narrow path. We have to cry out to Jesus to pull us back on the road less traveled and continue our journey with Him. I encourage you to dig into the Word and see where the word "faith" appears! You'll be reading that wonderful Book for quite some time!


In the picture above, the sweet dog in the wagon has cancer. He is weak and is not expected to live much longer. He was rescued at the local humane society. His owner brought him to our church Sunday afternoon. We had our very first blessing of the animals. She had faith that hearing the Word of God prayed upon the animals and their families would give her peace about what will soon happen. Her prayer was for her pet to not have to suffer much longer. Y'all, it was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. We had over 50 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 mouse. It was reverent----really! I've never seen anything quite like it, but I hope that we'll have it again next year.

Faith...Assurance...Belief....Conviction...Truthfulness.....are you walking in it?

Sweet Blessings,

Waiting.....

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on my friend, Kristi. They are in "wait" mode at the hospital. Waiting for the paperwork for her to leave. Waiting for the nurse to unhook the IV. Waiting for their new normal to begin. And we all thank you for your prayers! She will be having skin graft surgery next week. I'll keep you posted.

I have been a LONG time fan of Steven Curtis Chapman. I probably have some of his first CD's! Each time he has toured Greenville, we've been to his concerts. And, since the loss of his daughter, Maria, I've wondered how they as a family were doing.

His wife, Mary Beth, is a wonderful writer. The other day while in a local Christian bookstore, I saw where they were preselling copies of her book, Choosing to SEE. Being the patient person that I am, I rushed home to check out Amazon and see if they had the book yet! Yes, m'am...they did! Quickly I pressed the "add to cart" button and sent them my handy dandy credit card number. Then, the wait began!

When it arrived, I had another book that I was working on ( I have 2-4 going at one time!). It's Magnifcent Obsession by Anne Graham Lotz and it's fabulous! I wanted to let that one digest before I began Mary Beth's. I've had a lot of waiting time this week, so I started Choosing to See on Monday. As I waited for child #2 to finish oral surgery at the dentist this morning, I also finished the book. I was laughing one minute and crying the next!I was hoping that I wouldn't read a crying part while in the waiting room!

One quote that I want to share with y'all just really touched my heart this morning. Mary Beth writes, "And even when we feel our God being silent in the pain...that is where the truest sense of faith must come into play." Think about that for a minute. We are in times of pain, and we are reaching out to God. But, we don't hear Him, see Him, or feel His presence. It happens. Most of us have been in a place like that. Then, faith, maybe as small as a mustard seed, that has been planted in our hearts begins to grow. Not quickly, but over time new growth occurs. The wait is over...faith has arrived.

Sweet Blessings,

It's Time!

Last night, a new chapter was opened in our lives. Child #1--who is a junior in high school-- made his first appointment to visit a college! Mercy! I am getting old! Actually, Hubby is!! Today is his birthday!! Whoohoo!!

We will be visiting Appalachian State in a few weeks during our Spring Break. It's a lovely place, but...there is too much snow and icy roads, too many miles from Mama, and out of state! So, I've already decided that it's not the place for him to go for 4 years or more. There are several other universities much closer to home that offer the major he is interested in. I, personally, think that is the way to go.

But, this is not about me. This is not about my major or my goals in life. I am having to sit back and let go. Y'all, this is a strange place for Mama to be. I've been helping him with decisions for 17 years. And, now, I have to start letting go. I am in a very different season of my life.

There are so many stories in the Bible that reflect where I am. Letting go of my wants and letting God be in control. I struggled with this in my quiet time with the Lord this morning. But God is so faithful to show me His Word and to give me His peace. I have some pondering to do today my friends.

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

Sweet Blessings!