Jesus cares about anything that concerns me.  I'm not alone.

You and me today, LORD.
I'm giving all my cares and worries to You.


"Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light."


Micah 7:8

http://youtu.be/Hx5Y9DhoLJQ - Never Let Go - David Crowder Band
Paul suffered more adversity that I'll ever have to face.  Yet his reaction to the suffering was to trust Jesus.
I'm greatly encouraged by Paul when I read this passage:

2 Corinthians 4

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.


3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.  So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

How did Paul share in the death of Jesus?  He experienced the same struggles and persecution that Jesus experienced. Jesus dying on the cross was just the last struggle He faced.  His whole life - all thirty three years- was one of challenges and suffering.  Yet He continued to trust His Father to be with Him and to work things together according to the Perfect Plan which would bring our redemption.  Paul faced his struggles just like Jesus did - trusting in his faithful Father.

Sometimes I feel pressed on every side, almost driven to despair, alone.  This passage reminds me that I am never going to be crushed nor abandoned. When I'm knocked down, I can trust God to lift me back up.  I can trust Him through anything.

13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

Hear now the most comforting words from Paul.  This life is not all there is. Our future will be glorious.  We can fix our eyes on that Hope.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

+++++

The following is from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Trusting Me is a moment-by-moment choice. My people have not always understood this truth.
After I performed miracles in the wilderness, My chosen children trusted Me intensely -- but only temporarily. Soon the grumbling began again, testing My patience to the utmost.

Isn't it often the same way with you? You trust Me when things go well, when you see me working on your behalf. This type of trust flows readily within you, requiring no exertion of your will. When things go wrong, your trust-flow slows down and solidifies. You are forced to choose between trusting Me intentionally or rebelling: resenting My ways with you.

This choice constitutes a fork in the road. Stay on the path of Life with Me, enjoying My Presence. Choose
to trust Me in all circumstances.

++++++

from A Book of Prayer by Stormie Omartian

Lord, I give all of my anxiety and fear to You. I surrender my hold on them and release them into Your hands. I lift my eyes to You, for You are my help in time of trouble. I will praise You in the midst of all that happens in my life. I know that in Your presence I don't need to be anxious or afraid of anything. I refuse to entertain discouragement and instead choose this day to find my encouragement in You. Your love comforts me and takes away all my fear. Your power in my life gives me strength and makes me secure. Thank You for giving me the courage to go forward and fulfill the destiny You have for me.

++++++

This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:6-7

http://youtu.be/HGCHecATSGs - Arms that Hold the Universe - Steve Fee

I know it seems
Like this could be
The darkest day you've known
But believe you me
The God of strength
Will never let you go
He will overcome, I know

And the arms that hold the universe
Are holding you tonight.
You can rest inside
It's gonna be alright

And the voice that calmed the raging sea
Is calling you His child
So be still and know He's in control
He will never let you go

Through many dangers, toils and snares
You have already come
His grace has brought you safe this far
(And) His grace will lead you home

You can hope, you can rise, you can stand
He has still got the whole world in His hands

JUST ANOTHER MOUNTAIN...

http://youtu.be/DICw_NtdI68 - Nothing is impossible - Planetshakers

Philippians 4:4-13
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.


6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.


10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Because all things are possible with God, all things are possible for us through the strength that Christ gives freely.  I can do ALL things, not some things, not a few things, not most things.  I can do ALL things through His strength. 

There is a caveat, however... Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
We must read the full passage to understand what God has for us.  He is not a genie who offers to grant us unlimited wishes.  He makes all things possible according to His perfect will for us.  Read the rest of the passage in Romans 8:

Romans 8:26-39
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.


31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.


35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All things are possible for us according to God's perfect plan.  His plan is for us to spend Eternity with HIM. He will cause all things to work together FOR OUR GOOD if we have been called by Him. 

What seems to be the "GOOD" to us, may not really be "Good" in an Eternal sense.  The wonderful thing about our loving God is that HE refuses to allow us to settle for what we perceive as the "good" answer to our prayers.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray with groanings that cannot be expressed as words.  He pleads for us in harmony with God's will for our lives.  It gives me great comfort to know that even when the world seems to be falling down around me, the Holy Spirit is pleading for me in harmony with God's loving and perfect plan for me.  JESUS is my advocate and pleads for me before the Father, too. 

All things don't always work out according to what I want.  Thank You, FATHER!  I don't always know what is best for me or for my family.  I'm so very thankful that I can trust YOU to work everything out just the way it needs to be so that we can experience the greater good that You provide - not my little idea of what's right and goo.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for trusting your Father, even in death.  The single most unfair, evil, hurtful event in the all of time was Your death on the cross.  You pleaded for another way, but yielded to Your Father whom You trusted implicitly.  HE knew the good that was coming because of Your suffering.  And I know it must have been so very hard to watch You suffer alone, HE knew the future blessing You were providing through this great sacrifice.  Because You trusted our Father, I know I can trust Him, too.
My suffering is no where close to what You went through, yet I know it matters to You, Father.  I know You don't want me to hurt or suffer.  You don't want my family and friends to hurt.  But because You hold the future - You know all things, I know that Your Will is only best.  So I can say with conviction, LORD GOD, Your Will be done, not mine.  In Jesus' all powerful Name, I pray. Amen. 

http://youtu.be/qt8MpHbE-3c - Just another mountain - Jamie Slocum

                                     ------------------------------------------------
The following is from Streams in the Desert.  I'm very sure I'm not the only one who needs to be reminded that God is God of the impossible.  

Is anything too hard for the LORD?(Genesis 18:14)


This is God's loving challenge to you and me each day. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, and worthiest desires and longings of our hearts. He wants us to think of those things that perhaps were desires for ourselves or someone dear to us, yet have gone unfulfilled for so long that we now see them as simply lost desires. And God urges us to think of even the one thing that we once saw as possible but have given up all hope of seeing fulfilled in this life.

That very thing, as long as it aligns with what we know to be His expressed will—as a son was to Abraham and Sarah— God intends to do for us. Yes, if we will let Him, God will do that very thing, even if we know it is such an utter impossibility that we would simply laugh at the absurdity of anyone ever suggesting it could come to pass.

"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" No, nothing is too difficult when we believe in Him enough to go forward, doing His will and letting Him do the impossible for us. Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God's plan if they had continued to disbelieve.

The only thing "too hard for the LORD" is our deliberate and continual disbelief in His love and power, and our ultimate rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is impossible for Jehovah to do for those who trust Him. from Messages for the Morning Watch

from the Streams in the Desert Devotional, by L. B. Cowman. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com
 

He is an Awesome God!

http://youtu.be/ijAKh_C89UE - Awesome God


Isaiah 53


1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

The video above is hard to watch. But I know it's important for me to be reminded of what Jesus, the Son of God, endured so that I might spend Eternity with Him.

God Himself put on flesh and came to earth - not as a prince or a king, not someone of great power and wealth, but as a infant born to a teen mom who had very little worldly comforts to offer her baby.

Jesus willing subjected Himself to a lowly life here on earth. Why?

Don't you wonder why God didn't come to earth with all His power and might? Jesus had the authority to make every person bow down to Him, but instead, He came as a humble servant - not seeking to be served but to serve. He lived a perfect life in spite of the difficulties and suffering.

He rose above the circumstances of very little financial means, He didn't even have a home - a place to lay His head at night. Why?

Jesus became fully man and faced every temptation that we face. If you think for a moment that He went 40 days in the Wilderness without food but wasn't truly hungry - wasn't tempted to turn those stones into bread, you are wrong. He was fully human yet He did not sin.

Jesus felt every lash of the whip, He hurt when people ridiculed Him and spat on Him, He suffered the unimaginable pain of the cross. He did that for me.

Why? I think He suffered in all ways that man suffers so that we would know that He understands when we suffer.

We can trust our Savior to understand when we go through difficult times. He has compassion because He has been there, right where we are in our suffering and struggles. He loved us so much, He endured the cross and every step leading to it.

Why?  Because He loves us more than we'll probably ever full understand.
http://youtu.be/TQ2jDUGcOsk - I have been there - Mark Schultz



Holy God, how can I ever thank You enough for what You've done for me?
Please forgive me for all the times I take Your amazing gift of love, the gift
of salvation, for granted. How can I not fall on my knees in gratitude and praise
every single day for what You've done and continue to do for me?

It was real.

The cross and all that entailed, the flogging, the long difficult walk through
Jerusalem streets to Golgotha, carrying the heavy cross on Your back!
The humiliation and rejection of facing the screaming crowds shouting
"Crucify Him!"

The pain of seeing the hopelessness in the face of your disciples
All that pain and suffering and all You had to do was speak a word.
You could have called ten thousand angels to Your side, but instead
You went through all of that suffering for me.


I have nothing to offer in thanksgiving. Everything I have is Yours already -
gifts from a loving God. All I have to offer is the way I live my life.

Lord Jesus, I give You my life. Please help me to live in such a way
that Your Name will be lifted High and given glory and honor.
I am Yours forever. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right
spirit within me each day, as I seek to live for Your glory.


Forgive me when I fail, which is so often.


How great is the Father's love that He would send His own Son to die for me.
Oh mighty God, I love You, too. In the Precious Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.


http://youtu.be/k_MyC6kJzPg- Unfailing Love - Chris Tomlin


I'll live for Him because He died for me.

Greater things are yet to come...

http://youtu.be/CMq6FfqDJ20 - Greater things - Chris Tomlin


This one of the many photos taken by Michael and Zach of Lost Orphans on their visit to Happy Choice in August.  Not all of the children in this photo live in the hostel; some are from the village.  But all of them have experienced the love and compassion that Oscar and Emma have for the homeless, orphaned and abandoned.  Timoland who has now graduated from secondary school, is the young man holding the little baby.  Timoland has been an amazing role model for the other children  and is now making plans to go on to study at  Unversity level  He wants to be a doctor.  I believe that just might happen.   


I just had to share this message that I received from my dear friend, Oscar.

He and his wife, Emma, are two of the most amazing people I know.  I've shared with you before how much I've learned about real faith from this couple.  They care for not only their own three young children, Bonny,
Bobby and baby Carol, but for the 12 children God has placed in their care AND many, many children in their village who are living with an elderly grandparent/guardian, or a sick parent who cannot provide much other than a place to sleep at night.  Oscar does his best to provide food and love to every homeless and abandoned child he meets. 

I hope his email will give you just a glimpse into the heart of the godly man. Please pray for this little orphan ministry - Happy Choice - Kenya. Please pray for every ministry that reaches out to the homeless and abandoned children throughout the world. 

James 1:27 HCSB
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.


from my dear son in the faith, Oscar Odhiambo Nyangwesoh...
Praise God Mom,


I was so impressed to hear from you and i was so impressed with concern about these children ,how they interact with each other and worried about how they live.

First and foremost i thank God for the great wisdom he has given me in dealing with the people around me specifically the children He has blessed me with.

These children are from different family backgrounds and with different characters but God is great.Mom,being a parent or guardian is awesome responsibility .That is why God has provided clear instructions to help us to the job.We should ,Teach ,discipline ,love them so that we shall bring blessing upon our children ,so that they grow up to be a blessing to others and honor to the Lord.Any child raised up under this foundation is difficult to ashamed his or her parents even the people around him or her .This child grows up well disciplined and well behaved and such a child becomes careful to other influences and outside social pressures.

As a parent or a guardian we should see our families as God's establishments,our families should belong to God,He created it and He determines its inner structure .He also appointed for it its purpose and goal. Psalm 127:1.

Thus it is not our house but His,not our home but His home and even the children are not ours but His.

Families that cast their worries on Jesus will not have to think up clever ways to witness .God makes them His witness ,by letting them experience His fatherly care..I have been putting God first in our home ,it has created an atmosphere in which Jesus feels at home ,the holy spirit is then able to do his work of teaching and leading us into the kind of family life for which God created us ,a family where husband and wife show mutual love and respect and even the children are forced to follow the same.What the world needs today for the future of good children are not words merely,but a lived-out examples of good family life.The authority of the parents is not their own but God given .

God has really helped me with the children He has given me both inside the centre and children living outside.

I do engage the children accordingly,i set them to be free with Emma and i and i spare some time with them .Whenever we get some money i would take one or two out so that i talk to them freely and i advice them accordingly.The only important thing is to welcome Jesus dwelling in our families then He will take charge and full control.

We do have a routine how we do our work and mostly during the holidays and weekends.

I engage them in helping Emma and even i engage them in my activities.

Starting from rabbit keeping ,cleaning of the compound ,cleaning of the hostel and washrooms these has a purpose for rightful growth of these children and God has really blessed me and He is a faithful God,any child under my care has never deviated to a wrong path ,very good example now is Timoland ,this boy makes us proud and if all children could be like him then all parents would happy world wide.There are many children from rich families who have all they need but they become a bother to the parents and even the community and even some end up not even completing primary education or secondary education .But look now Maurice has completed his primary education without disturbing us the same way to Timoland ,he has been in school for over 10Yrs under my care without giving us any problem.Remember Jesus lives and works in the life of an obedient child .An obedient child is therefore a happy child .Before Timoland went back to school for his last exams he introduced to us two prayers items one Prayers for the family both near and far ,prayer of faith where by we do pray and asking God for the things we need urgently and desparately in our home.He is one boy who will makes us happy and we are praying that God is going to use him and all other children are going to follow his foot steps ,recently we were so happy to hear Bobby and Bonny each telling us after our night prayers that they want to be like Timoland.

We live in a time where we need the presence of Jesus in families ,His presence is very important,surpassingly important .We live in an age when a thousand things beckon for the ears and minds of our children .It is not enough to teach them a few rote of prayers .It is not enough to teach them a code of ethics .Our homes must be so filled with the presence of Jesus that they encounter Him at every turn,come to know Him and love Him as effortlessly as they come to know their parents or guardians.In such a setting ,Jesus can engage their loyalty and fire their imagination .And this is the only antidote to the powers of darkness and corruption which are loose in the World today.The time is past when parents or guardians or caretakers can give their children a pleasant surface-coating of religion .Our children are either going to be filled with Jesus and exited about Him,or filled with sin and excited about it.All that we can bring our children will be worthless unless we can bring them Jesus ,stop worrying because Jesus is above all our worries ,He above any wisdom any one can acquire best to make our children succeed in life.He is above any parent or guardian .

Yes i do accept that children can misbehave but when Jesus is control Mom,nothing should worry us the only thing to ask Him is to be given wisdom for handling our children,wisdom for handling our families .

The only thing am praying for is the provision of different buildings for these children in future ,a different place for girls and boys.once the compound will be fenced this will give us easy time of controlling and knowing those coming inside our centre.

There are things which when we will get will give us easy time of making our children grow up God fearing and future leaders.

Timoland has finished his secondary education now ,he is to proceed on .Whether he will get college around or out side Kisumu ,we wont mind as per the will of God.We have been praying for you and Lost Orphans fund raiser ,we serve a living and able God.

Thanks and be blessed.

Son,

Oscar.
 
-------------------------------------------
 
Holy Father, thank You sending Oscar and Emma into my life.  Thank You for the blessing they are to me.  Thank You for allowing me to witness their amazing faith, and Your amazing Faithfulness.  I'm humbled by such devotion and long to have Oscar's kind of compassion and love towards others.  He truly has a faith that will not let him go.  I'm so blessed to know him.  Father, please continue to show Yourself mighty in this little ministry.  You have been and will continue to be their Protector, Provider, Comforter and loving Father. Please bless them with every thing they need.  Father, I specifically ask that You would make a way for Timoland to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor.  I know he'll make You and all of us so proud. 
Thank You for his  godly influence on the other children.  Please keep this little family of kids connected forever through the bond of love.  In Jesus' Precious Name I pray.  Amen.

I can't, but HE can.

I shared this story before.  I hope reading it again will remind us all how truly compassionate and caring God is towards His children.  He is the God of our everything.  No concern we have is too small nor too large for our Father.  What ever is weighing you down today, your Father cares and wants to help you carry the load.  He loves you as if you were His only child.  He may not remove the circumstance, but He will give you everything you need to get through it in victory.

http://youtu.be/wOOTF8vu6ps - High Hopes  - I hope this makes you smile.

The Ant and the Contact Lense

The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us 


Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens.



'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.' She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there.


She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she might find her contact lens. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.'

She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.'

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'


Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!


The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, 'Lord, I don't know why you want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do; I'll carry it for you.'

I think it would do all of us some good to say, 'God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will.'


God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.


Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him...I can do all things through Christ which
strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
 

Habakkuk 3:17-18  (NLT)
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!


http://youtu.be/PXnpMgMkxMo - God of My Everything - Bebo Norman

Dear Jesus,
My journey is indeed one of faltering steps.  Today I feel as if it's a challenge just to take the next step.  I find it all too easy to be aware of my neediness.  If I didn't know You were with me, I would despair.  I confess that I sometimes get discouraged about my ongoing weaknesses.  I know that dependence on You brings spiritual blessings, yet at times I feel trapped by my limitations.

from Dear Jesus by Sarah Young

This last week has been a tough one.  The challenges I'm facing seem unsurmountable, I feel overwhelmed and hopeless at times.  It's hard to keep the negativity out of my brain.  The recording repentedly plays in my head, "I can't, I can't, I can't". 

But if I listen very intently to the Spirit of God who lives in me, I can hear His Voice reminding me ' You can't Carol, but I can.  You don't have to face this alone.  I am with You."

I can't but God can.  No matter how overwhelmed I may feel, I'm not facing my battle alone.  God goes before me and He comes after me, preparing my way, protecting me and even carrying me when I can no longer walk.

No matter what I may face today, I'm not alone.

Last night Larry and I attended a banquet for Lost Orphans, Inc.  LOI is a wonderful organization that is dedicated to helping the children around the world who have been orphaned or abandoned.  Lost Orphans has partnered with several orphan ministries providing support and encouragement, and I'm so very thankful that Happy Choice, Oscar and Emma's little ministry in Kenya, is one of those ministries.

Larry and I had the blessing of hearing about the different ministries that LOI is supporting, in one way or another.   As I listened to the stories of each ministry - how and why each was created - I couldn't help but think about the faithfulness of God.  The challenges that each ministry faced seemed overwhelming and impossible to overcome, yet time after time, we heard amazing stories of how God has moved in those ministries doing the impossible.  I got to thinking about Oscar and Emma.

Seven years ago, when I first started communicating with Emma, I asked her to share with me what their vision for the future was for Happy Choice.  She sent me a well written plan of what they hoped to accomplish.  Their dream was to be able to help more and more orphaned and abandoned children.  To do that, they would need a new larger hostel with beds.  Their present latrine and kitchen were almost to the point of being unusable.  Emma said they hoped to be able to build a new latrine and a new kitchen.  She had plans for a large garden where the children could learn how to grow their own food.  She wanted to start a poultry farm or something like that, to help make money for the orphanage, while at the same time, teaching the children how to farm.  She wanted to be able to provide training areas where the young people who didn't do  well in school, could learn a trade like mechanics, or sewing.  She had a dream of  having regular medical clinics come into the village to provide desperately needed medical care, not only for the children at Happy Choice but for the many children in the village who were living in very poor conditions.  Many of these children live with parents who are dying from HIV/AIDS.  The children have a roof over their heads, but not much else.  Oscar and Emma do their best to help these children with food whenver they can.  Oscar and Emma want to be able to do more.

Her plan also talked about their work with the poor widows of the village. Most of these women lost their husbands to AIDS and many of them are infected as well.  They don't have much hope.  They don't have a way to support themselves.  Oscar and Emma had a plan to help these sweet little women learn how to start their own little businesses.

The plan included so much more.  As I read it, my first thought was how well Emma had stated their vision for the future.  My second thought was "How in the world?"   Oscar and Emma had very limited resources.  I certainly couldn't help much at all.  If I had been Oscar and Emma, I wouldn't have dreamed of ever being able to accomplish any of those goals.  But they knew something I didn't. 

You see, Oscar and Emma knew they couldn't accomplish any of their plans.  But it wasn't about what they could do.  It was about what God could do.  And God can do anything.

Matthew 19:26
With GOD all things are possible.

Those are not just empty words.

Last night as I remembered Emma's Plan for Happy Choice, I had to smile because seven years later, Happy Choice has a brand new Hostel, a new latrine and a wonderful new kitchen.  The children have a "Rabbit Farm" where they are raising rabbits and sell them in town.  They have a garden where they are learning to grow their own food.  They  also have clean water piped in from Kisumu.  All the children are in school getting an education which will enable them to become productive members of society.  One young man just completed his exams for secondary school and hopes to continue his education at the University.  He wants to be a doctor.  My human side would have me doubt that can happen, but then I look at how much God has done in this little ministry, and I believe Timoland will accomplish his dream, because with God all things are possible.

Dear Lord, You are the God of my everything.  Forgive me for doubting that You are able to accomplish infinitely more than I could ask or imagine.  Help me to remember that Your grace is sufficient, and that it is in my weakness, when I finally admit  "I can't",  that Your power works best.  Father, thank You for holding me up with Your strong right arm.  Thank You for always making a way, when there seems to be no way.  Please forgive me for doubting.  You are more than able to accomplish anything that concerns me.  Lord God, I know whatever You allow in my life, You will give me the strength I need to get through in victory.
I praise You, Holy God!  You alone are worthy of all my praise and devotion. Lord Jesus, be glorified in my life.  No matter what the circumstances, let me live in such a way that others will see Your Light shining brightly in me.  In Your Precious Name I pray. Amen.


2 Corinthians 12:8-10  (NLT)
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

http://youtu.be/3GIeVIWwujI - I Lift My Hands - Chris Tomlin