Hebrews 4:12-13  "For the word of GOD is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from HIS sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of HIM to whom we must give account."

Sometimes I have looked to Heaven and asked "Can YOU see me down here?"  "Don't YOU see what is happening?  Don't YOU care?  Can't YOU fix it?"  And yet other times I looked toward Heaven and say "I love you, Lord."  Still at other times I feel like my Lord isn't around at all.  Like maybe I've been brainwashed.  It is when this train of thought happens, that a small voice from deep within shouts to not believe the lies of the evil one.  To immediate change my way of thinking.  The best tool I know of is to sing praises to HIM during this time.  It is hard to get my mind totally on HIM.  I start out good and before I know it I start down a path that has nothing what so ever to do with my LORD.  One thing that helps is to sing all the gospel songs I can think of that has to do with HIS blood.  For it is HIS blood that washed away my sins.  I know this by the reading of HIS word, the BIBLE.  The above scripture tells us that HIS word is living.  It is!  Most things I understand, and I know it comes from the HOLY SPIRIT.  There is alot I don't know or understand, but I know this much, that my faith is stronger when I'm in HIS word. 


How can we praise GOD?

We can sing to HIM, sing about HIM, tell others about HIM, worship HIM, give HIM glory, bring offerings to HIM, and live holy lives for HIM. 

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  ...



Have you ever thought about the fruits in your own life?  Sometime I am on a roll and a lot of fruit shows in my life.  Other time some rotten fruit will show.  Sometimes it is so easy to get on my knees in prayer with Jesus to help me and strengthen my resolve to be better and do better while at other times Jesus has to strong arm me to my knees.  There are two things that get me into more trouble they are:  pride and temper. 

Pride and temper
how they gloat
always ready
to dash my hope.

Always there
in secret they lie
always searching
for their chance to fly
 
It is my prayer that the Good Lord will help me keep these two in check.  Have a great day to all of you. 

It has been awhile since my last post.  I've been working on a book.  As some of you may know, I published a children's book several years ago.  I wanted to work in a different direction this time.  The book I'm currently on will have some true history of my family.  I thought it would be a neat way to preserve family memories and also keep the relatives guessing just what character is based upon the skeletons in our family closet.  No, I'm not airing our dirty laundry but hopefully and skillfully portraying our ancestors in some funny and not so funny memories.   A person must have a vision or a dream right?  Well here is hoping some dreams can come true.............

I have subscribed to a newsletter about writing and from time to time they list contest which one may enter to receive tips and instruction upon future writing endeavors.  Over all a very helpful newsletter which not only provides essential information on writing skills but great links as well.   The link below is pretty awesome, so check it out.

Chuck Sambuchino
Editor, GLA and CWIM http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents

Below I copied and pasted from Writersdigest newsletter the contest.  Also notice the GLA Blog post.


New Free Contest for Writers of Women's Fiction -- Judged by Agent Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein (with prizes!)

Welcome to the 21st (free!) "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest on the GLA blog. This is a FREE recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here's the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes-meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you're writing women's fiction, this 21st contest is for you! (No genre romance or erotica.) The contest is live through end of day, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. The contest is judged by agent Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein of McIntosh & Otis.

Learn all details on the GLA Blog post.

That said, here's the gist: You turn in the first page of your unpublished book-length completed women's fiction manuscript, and Elizabeth judges all entries. Winners get writing prizes, including a critique of their first 10 pages from Elizabeth. Good luck to all who enter!

I hope to do better with the post from now on.  Have a great day and remember that Jesus love you.

Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.    1 John 5:4

The Bible tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  This is found in Hebrews 11:1.  Faith is  to believe in something you cannot see, to believe in a hope, to believe it has happened.  This is so very simple yet so very hard to do.  Our faith comes from God and Him alone.  In Romans 10:17 Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God. 

In other words, start reading the Holy Bible.  Hide it's words in your heart.  Meditate on what you read.  Pray for understanding.  "Draw nigh to God, He'll draw nigh to you."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."  Proverbs 3

I have recently been asked and accepted teaching Sunday School for the teenagers in our church.  Pray for me and them.  What I would like to do here is to use this as my lesson plan.  It is my prayer that you as well as my self and my class can apply what we learn to our daily lives.  I would greatly love any feed back or suggestions you might have as this is a new experience for me.  So without future ado......

The quarter will be based upon 1 John and Philippians.  1 John is about assurance and Philippians is about how Jesus is the way and the joy we have in a relationship with Him. 

Our first lesson is taken from 1 John 1:1-7, titled Walking in the Light. 



Let us first look at who John is.  John wrote five books of the New Testament:

the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3rd John and the Revelation.   He was also know as the disciple that Jesus loved.  Jesus nicknamed him as one of the "Sons of Thunder."  He was a fisherman before Jesus called him as one of His chosen twelve.  He was an eye witness to Jesus Christ. 

That being said, John starts out defending and affirming why he and the other apostles(and we) believed that Jesus is the Light.  Jesus is and was God in the beginning of time.  Jesus is and was God in the flesh.  Jesus was seen, heard and touched by John.  John listened, worked and watched as Jesus fulfilled God's plan on this earth.  John watched Jesus heal and save physically and spiritually those who came to Him.  John watched the people in question, those who believed and those who refused to believe upon Jesus. 

John shows us that the object of our faith and hope is Jesus and that Jesus is the rope that ties us to God.  John says that God is light.  God shed's light on us revealing what is sinful and what is right in us.  God is light, in Him is no darkness.  God is holy.  God is beautiful and there is absolute excellence in Him.  God never changes.  God's light reveals our sin and our need of a One who would save us from ourselves.  God's Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin so that we may turn to God for forgiveness and fellowship with God for eternity.  In the beginning when God created Adam and Eve there was fellowship till man broke that fellowship in sin.  God does not fellowship with those who do not choose Him. God made Adam and Eve leave the garden in Eden.  God still loved His creation but God is holy and thus He cannot have fellowship with unholy people.   He does call to them for that fellowship but He will not force Himself upon us.  God made a way for mankind to be able to fellowship with Him like it was in the beginning.  God gave His Son Jesus Christ to take our place.  Jesus shed His blood for us so that we might appear before God holy and blameless.  When we believe Jesus and accept that His blood paid for our sin and when we confess and ask Him to come be our Lord and Savior then we will have fellowship with God.  It is then that God's light shines through us.  There is joy then with others who are letting God's light shine in their own lives.  When we deny ourselves and let God's Holy Spirit live in us we shine so that others might be drawn to God through Jesus.  This joy is a blessing and a gift when we walk in God's light. 

I thought about adding some stories of authors of some hymns who buy God's grace and light they were able to overcome some great odds to bring Him honor and glory by letting His light shine through them.  One such author would be Fanny Crosby. 

I also though as an activity to let them compose a poem or song showing God's light.

To sin in Anger

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.  James 1:19-20

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Proverbs 15:1

As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.  1 Peter 1:15

I have to say upfront.......meekness doesn't come easily for me.  As a natural redhead (with a little grey mixed in) my temper is pretty quick.  Add in a little hormone and you have the recipe for a strong tongue lashing and maybe a slammed door or two.  When I was younger it took a lot for me to lose my temper.  Now days I seem to be living on the edge of losing it all the time.  And after the storm blows over I feel so low down and dirty that it breaks my heart.  What's even worse is that the very two who get caught in the storm are the very two I would give my life to protect and would dare any one to mess with them.  I've often wondered if aliens haven't done some body snatching here and there.....lol.  As much as I would like to, I can't blame my bad behavior on aliens.  I can't blame it on the ones who think differently than I do.  I have to blame it on ......me.  But my anger, as in the above scripture, isn't who I am in the great I AM (God and Jesus).  The fruit of the spirit produces love, patience and kindness.  It is easy to be kind when things go my way.  It is easy to love when things go my way.  And it is easy to be patient when things are going well.  It isn't so easy to do those three things when life throws you a curve ball.  Or when your body isn't sure if it is young or old (the transition period of hitting the latter 40s).  It isn't easy when you want to comfort or help someone who doesn't want you to help them. 

I try to do everything right and often times I expect those around me to get it right the first time as well.  But the Good Lord has shown me here recently that I'm not perfect.  What?  And I shouldn't expect that of others.  He is teaching me that there are two natures on the inside and they are at war constantly.  Sadly, guess which one I let win?  I have been trying to make a conscious effort to pray in particular about my temper before I even get out of bed each morning.  I want others to see Jesus in me.  I want to be a sweet fragrance to my Lord.  I once heard a preacher tell this story:

     There was an old preacher telling about the two natures in man.  He described it  as having two dogs, one was good and true, the other was mean and sneaky.  These two dogs would often and furiously fight.  He was asked which dog would win.  He said the one I say attack to.

Which one of your dogs will win today?  Just remember, even if the mean one wins this battle, it hasn't won the war.  God forgives and is very generous with His mercy and grace.  Pray and believe and He can help you as He is helping me every minute of every day. 

 

Rebellion

"Submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  James 4:7


Have you ever been rebellious?  Have you ever felt rebellious?


I mean have you ever just not wanted to do the right thing just for the principle of not doing it because it was expected and you were told to do it?  Have you ever done the right thing because you knew if you didn't you would get into trouble but down deep in your inner most being, you were mad because you had to do it?  If we are honest with ourselves, we often are very rebellious. 


God put several examples in the Bible for us to learn from.  One such character is Jonah.  After being rebellious by getting on a ship, going the opposite direction from which God told him to go and after being thrown into the sea, gulped down by a huge fish and then expelled onto the shore, he got mad and pouted upon the hill overlooking the city.  Jonah did what he was suppose to after he got into trouble.  God got ahold of Jonah in the belly of the great fish and changed his direction.  But Jonah was still fuming deep inside because he had to go to Ninevah.  He went but wasn't happy about going.  God loved him despite his bad temper and disobedience.  God caused a gourd plant to grown overnight for a shade for Jonah but God also created a worm to destroy the plant to teach Jonah about his secret rebellion. Jonah was very sad that the plant was destroyed and wished that God would kill him so he wouldn't have to suffer in the heat.  But Jonah didn't care if the human beings in Ninevah died he only cared that the plant died.


God wanted to teach Jonah that the people of Ninevah were of more value than a gourd plant.   God loved Jonah too much to allow him to wallow in self-pity and selfishness.  God loves us to much to let us get away with our rebellion.


My little one often gets very rebellious, yes even at the tender age of seven.  She wants all the good things her father and I can give her but she doesn't want the work that comes from being in a family.  When she is told to do something it usually takes being told several times and then it finally comes down to obedience but with a lot of stomping, tears, and a vocal "fine!"  Some days she is my little angel and there are others she wakes up in this mood like "if you tell me to, I'm not going to do it."  Needless to say I've been trying to listen to James Dobson "The strong willed child."  I love her with all my heart, but I love her enough to try to change her outer and inner will to be kind and respectful to those in authority.  She is a good girl.  She has a very strong will which will someday help her in her teen years and adulthood.  My duty is to guide her and teach her that God knows where she is every minute of the day.  He knows the exact location physically  and spiritually where she is.  That he loves her to much to let her continue in rebellion and He will use her strong will to change the world for His honor and glory. 


I don't think I was that strong willed, it must be my husband who was so bad........lol. 

I have a very talented brother who I would like to share his thought for the week. Actually I have three talented brothers, but this one is talented in the soul writing art.   So without further ado, I give you: My brother's "Thought for the Week: There was once a famous violinist, who came on stage to give a concert at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Getting on stage for this violinist was no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and so he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an awesome sight. He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play. By now, the audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair. They remain reverently silent while he undoes the clasps on his legs. They wait until he is ready to play. But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap - it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what that sound meant. There was no mistaking what he had to do. Everyone figured he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage - to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn't. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music on a violin of four strings, who, all of a sudden, in the middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings; so he makes music with three strings, and the music he made that night with just three strings was more beautiful, more sacred, more memorable, than any that he had ever made before, when he had four strings. =============================== So it is in real life.........we are not always gonna have four strings to play with!! Sometimes in life all the strings are gonna break! We may lose something or someone along the way........we may lose a friend......we lost a wonderful friend "Miss Patti" on our street this week......someone lost a Mother, Wife, Grandmother, Aunt........A good friend just lost one of his feet, and is still in St. Michael's today.....we may lose what we consider to be the most precious thing on earth..... But if we are still alive....if we are still here on earth....like that violinist we have to keep playing....we have people depending on us everyday !!! Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. GOD knows how many strings you need today and everyday..... never give up !!!!"

Prayer Request:


1.  The lady who helped to get my book published is having open heart surgery.


2.  My brother's best friend in high school is in very critical condition.


3.  My dad.


Thank you to all the prayer warriors out there.

Jesus said that if we want to enter into Heaven we must become as a little child. 

 Little children are so innocent but they are also little sponges. They soak up what they are around.  They imitate what they see.   They say what they hear.   Children love to play and they want you to play with them.  They long to be with those that they love.  And they want their way.  Sometimes they are loud and messy, tired and cranky and other times they are quiet and asleep....(smile).  They have so much energy and spirit.  They love, trust and expect their needs to be met by those closest to them.  They love and trust.....that's it, they love and trust and expect.  The Bible tells us also to trust and obey.  To expect(believe) that God wants the best for our lives in every situation be it good or bad. 

Little children trust what you tell them.  Therefore, we really should be very careful of what we teach them.  My little one asked the other day if Santa was real.  Now her father and I tried to tell her a year or so ago that he wasn't real.  She wouldn't believe us because Santa had come before to our house.   When she was a toddler we embraced the idea of Santa, but we came under conviction about it.  We wanted her to believe in Jesus.  He is real.  Santa isn't.  And we thought that she might not believe us about Jesus if we kept up the charade of Santa.  She refused at that time to listen to us.  But the other evening she asked the question if Santa was real or not.  I then asked her if she really wanted to know?  I mean really wanted to know, she stated yes.  So I told her the truth that Santa wasn't real but that her father and I bought the gifts.  I could tell she had her doubts so I presented her with the tooth fairy truth hoping that seeing her baby teeth the tooth fairy would convince her.  Yes that did the trick but her next question just endeared her that much more to me if that were actually possible.  "Mama, will I still get presents?"  Well.... yeah!! 

God and Jesus love us so much.  Their love is perfect where as ours is not.  God and Jesus love us way to much to let us believe a lie.  Jesus proved His love by going to the cross.  God proved His love by sending His only begotten son, Jesus Christ to the cross.  God and Jesus both loved us way before we were even born.  They loved us in our sinful condition.  Let us  become as little children and run to the Lord with love, joy and expectancy.  Not for riches untold, but for the riches untold of the Holy Spirit and for our new life when we leave this old world behind us. 

If you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on HIM will not be put to shame."  Romans 10: 9-11



I will praise you in the morning
I will praise you in the night
I will praise you in the dark
I will praise you in the light


I will look for you to come
Every minute of the day
And when I see your sweet face
This is what I have to say


Thank you for your goodness
Thank you for your love
Thank you for shedding
Your holy righteous blood


If I might be found worthy
Let me stay at your feet
For that will be enough
I don't require a special seat


Just to be close by you
Just knowing that your near
Just letting you hold me close
while you wipe away my tears


Lord you are my Savior
My Holy Righteous Friend
You are my redeemer
Your the beginning and the end


So take my life, it's yours
You bought me fair and square
Just tell me what to do
Your burdens I want to bear


Your Father is my Father
Your life please live through me
Use me Lord for your sake
That others see you in me


When you come in the sky
To gather all your children home
I hope you find me watching
and sitting by the phone


Where I was being used by you
To encourage where I could
And trying my best to live
As you have said I should


So until that day shall come
I just wanted to say
Thank you and I love you
Please come soon I pray. 

If we are faithless, He is faithful.  He cannot deny Himself.  Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands having this seal:  "The Lord knows those who are His," and "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."  2 Timothy 2:13,19


Dear God,


In all things I will praise you.  Though I do not understand some things that have happened recently, I want to praise you.  I pray for the right attitude.  I pray for your guidance.  I seek you earnestly.  It seems you are far away from me but I know that you are actually quite close.  It seems that you have forgotten me but I know you haven't.  It seems that you won't talk to me but I know you are just letting me cry it out.  Tough love?  Is this my own making?  Father forgive me if in any way I have sinned against these little ones of yours.  You know that I truly love the ones causing my pain.  Why?  Father help them please this day.  Wrap your ever loving and merciful arms around them and hold them so tight that they cannot help but feel your love.  Please help me to let it go..........Thank you Father for your care over me and my family.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you Dear Jesus for giving your life for me.  Thank you for the hope and the promise that you will return soon.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you........................Love, me

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.    Proverbs 16:3


Do you ever have to fight to keep your thoughts right?  I do.  I will start out great then bam, I'm thinking something I have no business thinking.  I wasn't even thinking anything along that line to begin with.  What happened?  How did it happen?  Where did it come from?  Honestly, it came from the pits of hell. 


God made us as free beings to choose whom we will serve.  God doesn't want robots, He wants everyone to want to choose to honor and love Him.  The devil covets this also.  If you are a child of God and you strive to do what you know will be honoring and pleasing to our Lord, our God, then the devil is going to start throwing his flaming darts your way.  The devil wants you to set your eyes and thoughts on him rather than God.  That is when I start running as hard as I can to my Heavenly Father.  Sometimes I trip and get turned around and start looking at what the devil has to offer.  But God is always right there waiting and calling me back to Him.  You think I would learn, right? 
We are not perfect.   We will not always do what is right.   But we will always be forgiven when we come with a repentant heart and confess it to our Lord.  The Bible tells us that He is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness when we ask with a repentant heart. 


Sometimes, actually most of the time, I get so excited or gung-ho about something that I just don't wait for the proper time or answer.  This usually gets me into all sorts of trouble.  All I can say is that I'm thankful my Heavenly Father is so forgiving and  patient with me.  He will be with you too. 

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.  Proverbs 17:22










My little one who is now 7, just got her first official love letter.  It seems like only yesterday she was a 7 month old baby and now she is getting love letters. Whewww.......I'm not ready for this.   But she was so cute telling me all about it.  I can't help but smile.    When school first started this year I knew we would begin our growing up but I didn't quite expect the boyfriend stuff this soon.   So I've battened down the hatches and started planting what I hope are seeds of direction and hope.  I feel like you can never start to early trying to teach them about opposite relationships and expectations of those relationships.  My husband and I have started a date night with daddy.  We both want her to have a good relationship with both of us, together and separate.  We believe that by her having a date night with daddy only that she will have an example of what it should be and plus she and her daddy will have a close bond which will be very important when it comes time to allow her to start dating for real.  If daddy doesn't approve of the boy then she will be more willing to listen and to trust her father's opinion.  We all make decisions, some good and some bad but looking back how many times have I wished I would have listened more to my parents.  I've come to realize that they weren't quite as ignorant as I thought they were when I was 14. 


We are often that way with our Heavenly Father.  I know I am.  I don't want to be but more times than not I just don't listen.  May He or rather I should say I hope and pray His patience doesn't run out on me...............  My goal is to listen to and for Him.   Yet sometimes it is so hard to be still even when I'm reading my Bible, my mind gets to running here and there.  Do you ever do that?  Pray with me that we will all be better listeners this year as well as a cheerful attitude. 

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and Heard my cry.  Psalm 40:1






Be patient.  Love with all your heart the Lord.  Believe with all your heart.  He will never leave you or forsake you. 

Written by Robert Browning Hamilton:


“I walked a mile with pleasure, she chatted all the way. But left me none the wiser, for all she had to say. I walked a mile with sorrow, not a word said she. But oh, the things I learned from her, when sorrow walked with me.”

How true!

But........................................

We pick up the pieces we learned from sorrow and hold on to the joy that we have in the Lord.

"Sorrow cometh but for a night but joy cometh in the morning."


Just keep believing.........God has provided, I (we) just need to trust!!!!


Lord, help my unbelief.  I know things seem dark and dreary, help me to see the sun.  Help me to see the Son. 

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?  or, What shall we drink?  or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things to the Gentiles seek:)  for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and  His righteousness;  and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:30-33

1. The definition of worry is be or make anxious: to feel anxious about something unpleasant that may have happened or may happen, or make somebody do this
2. annoy somebody: to annoy somebody by making insistent demands or complaints

It is so hard to not worry sometimes especially when the wolf is at the door howling.  Right now the wolf is actually scratching on the door and I think that I can actually hear is panting and licking his chops....(smile).


Driving home from Church the other evening there was a radio preacher stating that God has already provided that all we had to do was trust.  Little did I know then how much that message would mean to me a week later.  Nothing in this life is secure except for our relationship with Jesus.  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He promised to lead us if we would allow Him to.  My biggest problem is that I run ahead of Him and get lost out on a big limb over looking the rushing river below.  Then a fog comes in and I can't see anything.  Then the fear comes in and I can't see Him.  I just have to remember that even on that scary log in the fog He is with me.  I have to keep telling myself over and over that I trust Him.  Then pretty soon my fear has left.  Yes it comes back ever so often, but I have to run to my Jesus.  As long as I keep my eyes on Him and try my best to live for Him the way He teaches in the Bible, I know it will all work out.  Scary?  Yes.  Forsaken?  No!!

 

Children's Bible Poetry by Tammy Brock







Above is the link to my book I've worked on for the past year.  Yeah!!!   Finally it is a done deal.  Please let me know what you think.



Tammy Brock

I love my devotionals from Love Worth Finding.  I just had to share this one this morning.

Reconciliation Leads to Revival! BIBLE MEDITATION: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Do you know what God wants from you today? Reconciliation. That’s far more important than singing in the choir, preaching a sermon, serving in the nursery, or giving an offering. When we learn this, God is going to bring great revival to our churches. Revival always begins when people begin to confess their faults to one another, pray for one another, and forgive one another. Revival isn’t raising the roof with a lot of emotion. It is getting the walls down. It is not just saying, “I am going to get right with God.” It is saying, “I want to get right with my brothers and sisters.” ACTION POINT: When we are reconciled, revival will come. And rejoicing will surely follow. And not any kind of rejoicing, there will be Holy Spirit joy when you know there is nothing between your soul and the Savior and nothing between your soul and a brother! Joy unspeakable! View or Share online | Discover Jesus | Read the Bible | LWF.org | Today's Message

"And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God."  1 Kings 5:5

In my personal Bible reading, I've been reading about King Solomon building God's holy temple.  The way the Bible describes it, it must have been breath taking.  All the precious stone, gold and silver but not only that but the detail in everything.  If God can use people to make such a beautiful temple can you only imagine what Heaven will look like? 

God instructed Solomon to build His holy temple in specific ways.  Everything had a purpose.  Everything was done to God's specification down to the very last speck of dust.  Nothing was overlooked by our Heavenly Father. 

This building was special.  It was built for God. 

This tells me that number one, God is holy and above all/over all and deserves our respect.  Number two, God loves beautiful things.  Number three, God made us with a specific specification in mind.  Look at the creation of the world around us.  Look at all the different kinds of flowers, birds, trees, insects and animals.  How many people are in the world today?  Did you realize that we are all unique?  That none of us have the same finger print.  God made each one of us beautiful.  Yes we may not all see the beauty, but we are beautiful to Him.  God sees the hearts.

There is an old saying " Beauty's only skin deep, ugly to the bone.  Beauty fades away and ugly holds it's own."  Look for the beauty in someone today and tell them.  Try to see someone through God's eyes. Open your heart and mind to God and let Him lead you to do a specific purpose today.

tsb