WOW! What an AWESOME GOD HE IS!

The past month has been really tough for me but as I sat and thought about it today, it wasn't nearly as tough as it would have been if I didn't have faith in such an awesome God.

Looking back, as I was going through this struggle, I see now that during the whole thing, I stayed focused on God and on His words. What a great peace that was.

So now it is time to put my full energy into what I am suppose to be doing, serving those who are hopeless, hurting and homeless. So many ideas are running through my head all day long that it is hard to keep up with them sometimes.

Today was on about 45 degrees or so and rainy. My thoughts turn to those who can't afford oil, gas or electricity to heat their houses, to those who have no home. I pray that God will take care of each and every one of them. Keep them safe, healthy and warm. As for my part, I listen daily to hear God's instructions on my next steps and stand ready to serve in whatever fashion He tells me.

What about you? Is there anything you can do to help those in your community who are hopeless, hurting and homeless? My prayer is that everyone will step up and do whatever it is that God is telling them to do to help those in need. Not one person should have to live that way. Shouldn't we do all that we can to help? What is God asking you to do?

Promises

So many times people make promises and that's the end of that. The promise is never followed through with. That is humans.

Two of God's promises that I cling to are I will never leave you or forsake you and I will provide for you all that you need.

I have seen God keeping those promises this past week. When I was struggling and so broken, I continued to keep my eyes on Him and to serve Him and I drew close to Him. He has moved in my life and my heart in a big way this past week and I would just like to give Him all the praise and glory.

Winter

I have never been a big fan of cold weather. I do not like to be cold. Yet, cold weather comes and to me it seems to be coming a little sooner this year.

God has blessed me with a house to live in and enough of everything else to satisfy my needs. My heart keeps taking my mind to the people who do not have this.

I realize that we live in a small community and that the economy is down the drain. I just think, however, that the number one concern for our area is making sure that people who can't do it on their own, have what they need.

Working in a drugstore, I so often see the elderly making a choice between electricity and medications they need to survive. This should not be happening. Nor should people be living in the streets.

I live one paycheck away from the streets myself and the anxiety of just knowing that weighs heavy on me. Not so much for me but for my daughter. I can only imagine the anxiety that must be on the shoulders, hearts and minds of those who are living in the streets or homes without electricity or water.

I pray that we will come together as a community should and step up and help those who are losing all hope.

Brandon Heath has a song, Give Me Your Eyes, that has become a prayer for me. Below are the lyrics to that song. Please think about what those lyrics say.

Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared

Chorus:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
yeah...yeah...yeah...yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, he's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared

Chorus

I've been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well, I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way You've seen the people all along

Chorus

Give me your eyes Lord, give me your eyes!
For everything...That I keep missin'
Give me your arms, for the broken-hearted
Give me your heart...Lord give me your eyes
yeah...yeah...yeah...yeah...(x2)



Heavenly Father, Give me Your eyes so that I made see people the way that you see them. The way that I would hope others would look at me. Lord, give me the courage and the strength that only You have to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Father, protect those on the edge tonight. Keep them safe from weather and harm. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Time to be real

The past few months I have been hearing alot about "getting real", "taking off the mask". The theme of the Extraordinary Women's Conference this year was Free to be Real. This past Sunday my dear friend at church forced me to get real with her.

I found that "getting real " really hurts. I have also found that laying it all on the line gives me a peace that I haven't felt before. I want to share a little of what I shared with my friend.

I have a passion to help those who are homeless and those who are living on the edge, on the fringes of life. I now find myself and my family living closer to the edge than we have ever lived.
I received the notice today in the mail that we are 1 week away from electricity being cut off to our home. I don't know how I will pay it. It took all I had this week to make the rent and car payment and we are left with around $30 to put gas in 2 vehicles to make it back and forth to work. However, I do have faith that God will provide for us.

I don't want anyone to take this as whining and complaining because that is far from what it is. I just want to say that since I have openly and honestly laid this out I have found more peace and comfort than ever before. God knows everything about us so why try to hide it? Shouldn't we be honest with God and with those around us as well? There is pain in "getting real" but I don't see that there should be any shame in doing so.

God promises that He will take care of our needs and I believe whole heartedly that He will do so. The God I serve is a just and faithful God. I know that in all of this He has a plan. I may never know on this side of eternity what that plan is but one day it will be revealed to me.

For now, my thought is that I must endure this for several reasons. First, to strengthen my relationship with God. To learn to turn it over to Him and lean on Him. Second, to give me just a small taste of what the people that I want to help feel everyday of their lives so that I may have compassion and understanding. Last, so that I have no choice but to take off the mask and get real with God and all those around me.

I pray that each person has someone to turn to so that they may get real also and I pray that the peace for you will be as great as the peace that I have felt this week.