God... My Anchor

I'd like to thank you, my dear friends in and out of bloggy land, for your continuous prayer for me, my husband and my marriage. I believe that even if I don't see anything yet in the natural, our prayers are already working. I am truly touched by people all over the globe praying for us.

I prayed for justice the whole weekend. During my quiet time, God lead me to the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. I don't think that was a coincidence. I believe that was a message God wanted to tell me.

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly..." Luke 18:7-8

Here's another verse:

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." Romans 12:19

I was comforted by these Words from God. I know He sees and knows what's happening. He is still in control. God reminded me these words He told me in His still, small voice --- TRUST ME. Although my boat gets rocked once in a while, with your prayers and mine and our faith in our Almighty God, I was made to realize that my Anchor is immovable.

"The LORD will fight for me; I need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

Holding On

I wasn't really up to doing anything yesterday. Up until now while I'm typing this, my heart is hurting so bad. I'm fighting back tears. My story is not new to a lot of you who knows. My blog had become a collection of roller coaster of emotions, mostly struggles and pains. I pray to God that this will be changed in the days to come but right now this is the story of my life.

I feel so much pain. I cried out to God for justice since last night. God knows how much I desire to please Him and to give Him glory in everything I do. I know that God is also aware of the injustices being done to me by people whom I consider family. I was crying out to God last night during our prayer and worship. I know He sees everything. This verse kept repeating over and over again like a broken record in my head,

"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood." Isaiah 54:4

There's another verse but I couldn't remember from what chapter it was which our friend Angie kept quoting in her Fearless Friday posts, "...and you will not fear bad news."

In my heart I was asking God that He talk to me. I needed to hear from Him to get the heaviness off my chest... He did. He spoke to me in such a way that I wouldn't miss it. God reminded me that He will fight for me against my enemies and give me VICTORY. If God is for me who can be against me? The song we sang has a part there that says, "God will give back your wasted years." He reminded me through Pastor Mary from our church that He is a God of reconciliation and He heals broken relationships.

The enemy may seem to be winning. It just looks like it. But God will never allow me to be beaten up by them. Though it hurts, my God knows, I am still holding on believing for my breakthrough to come anytime soon.

"With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." Psalm 108:13

Fearless Friday

It's another day of Fearless Friday where we gather together to pray for our needs and the needs of others. For this week, I'd like to share to you this inspiring story my friend sent me through email. The reason why I wanted to include this was because I wanted us to be reminded that we serve a miracle working God. Nothing is impossible with Him.

The Crocheted Tablecloth

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to re-open a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc.; and on December 18 they were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the December 21, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus... She missed it.... The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet... 'Pastor,' she asked, 'where did you get that tablecloth?' The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, 'EBG' were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth, but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a house cleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid

Who says God does not work in mysterious ways?


PRAISE REPORT:

1. My friend's grandson whom I requested for prayer last June 5. He is very much okay now. The surgery was a success. Praise God!
2. My friend Alan whom I requested for prayer last April 24. He's now got a job. Praise God! Alan and his wife are expecting a baby girl!
3. My friend Lanie, also from last April 24, has now a job. She was rehired by her former employer. Praise God!
   

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR:

1. Financial provision for Angie and her family and all others who are in need financially.
   
2. Healing for those with Diabetes.
3. Salvation of our loved ones --- parents, siblings, in-laws, etc.
4. All prodigals around the world to turn their backs from their sins and go back to God.
5. My heart's desire.

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm grateful to God for:

• Not leaving me out in the dark. He talks to me and makes me feel important.
• My good health.
• Intercessors who tirelessly pray for my heart's desire. I'm truly grateful for YOU because I know how powerful and effective the prayer of the righteous is. And for you to remember me in prayer means a lot to me more than you'll ever know.
• Answered prayers. I rejoice with my friends whom I pray for and get praise reports. That encourages me to keep on praying because I know my turn is just around the corner.
• His strength, grace and peace that He graciously provides me with.
  

How about you, what are you thankful for this week?

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Laurie over at Women Taking A Stand.

God Speaks

When we pray, do we do all the talking or do we also give God the chance to speak to us? We know that He does speak to us all the time but sometimes or most of the time we fail to listen.

Last night, I sat on the bed and prayed like I always do. But this time I stopped talking and listened to what God wanted to say. I said, "Father, talk to me. I'm listening." I sat there with my eyes closed for a few minutes.

There's nothing.

Again I said, "Father, talk to me. I'm listening."

I waited.

I pulled out that sheet of paper with my daily devotional which I printed two days ago but for some strange reasons it didn't come out of the printer until early yesterday morning.

It lead me to John 2:1-10.

It was about the wedding in Cana, Jesus' first miracle. It was an article written by a fellow stander, Annette from Colorado.

She was illustrating that Jesus' mother is a picture of me, asking the Father's help in an urgent situation that I cannot change myself. The ceremonial jars for washing symbolize the washing of myself and my husband, that is taking place. The master of the banquet is Abba Father, the bridegroom is Jesus and the best wine saved until last is the richness of our restored marriages.

I was encouraged!

I wrote this in my journal at home. I knew in my heart that this was the message God wanted me to hear or read last night.

He did speak!

Feeling Blah...

I have so many things to thank God for. And truly I'm grateful. I can see how God is fixing my finances little by little. I have been praying for this for years. Now I can see developments. God has been opening doors of opportunities for me to earn extra here and there. He blessed me with friends who express their willingness to extend a helping hand when I need it. I have been praying for my friends and I celebrate with them for answered prayers. God has been good.

And yet...

My heart is heavy. My heart cries out to the Lord for help. I couldn't put to words how I feel... I know my prayers, our prayers are not in vain. There's again an invisible tug o' war going on inside me. I'm trying my best not to cry, while I'm typing this.

To all who have been praying for me, I thank you. I know that in spite of this overwhelming emotions I'm having now, your prayers have helped me get back on my feet and run the race God has called me to. Your prayers have served as my "wheelchair" at times when I feel like I can't go on any longer. That's why I'm grateful for prayer warriors.

I pray that soon, very soon, I'd be posting a Praise Report about my heart's desire and say,

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Thankful Thursday

This week I thank the Lord for:

• Signing of contract yesterday. I'm going to get my agent's code maybe next week, but I can now start offering investment/savings/protection (3 in 1) to my friends. What's good about this is that I'm also able to help my friends start saving and get protection; and at the same time I earn extra from it. Isn't that cool? I'm being paid to help others.
  

• His divine prompting. I began receiving text and email messages from my friends telling me that they dreamt of my husband. They were led to pray for him and me too. I can see God's hand in this. It's like God telling them in His divine way to pray for my husband because he needs it.
  

• Prayer warriors.
  

• His promises. Again, because I know I serve a faithful God, I'm at peace that He is at work in my life and in my marriage.

Friends, I just felt like giving you some encouragement today. If you're going through something difficult or are facing some impossibilities; stop looking around, stop taking surveys, stop listening to people's opinions. Look to Jesus. Focus on Him. He will pull you out of where you are now in His perfect timing. God sees you and He knows how you feel. Remember, He is able and willing to give us victory in every area of our lives. Let's hold on. I believe that our breakthroughs are on their way.


How about you, what are you thankful for this week?

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Laurie over at Women Taking A Stand.

Fearless Friday

It's another day of Fearless Friday where we gather together to pray for our needs and the needs of others. Come join us! Just click the lion above to visit Angie @ Free Spirit Haven. If you have any prayer request, just leave me a comment and I will pray for you.

Remember---

"... The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

"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 18:19-20

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR:

1. Angie. They really need financial breakthrough. Please pray that Randy will find a job soon.
2. All prodigals around the world to turn their backs from their sins and go back to God.
3. My heart's desire.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. My friend's grandson, one of the twins, is having surgery to fix a hernia in his pelvic area. He's 9 months old.
2. Healing for those who have diabetes.
   
3. Salvation of our loved ones --- parents, siblings, in-laws, etc.
4. Financial provision for our brothers and sisters in Christ, including ourselves.
5. Victory in every area of our lives --- restoration, healing, provision, etc.
   

Friends, let's not grow weary; let's keep praying for our needs and let's all stand in faith and agreement believing that our breakthrough is on it's way. We may not see anything yet in the natural but God promised that we will see the glory of God if we don't give up. We serve a faithful God. Let's embrace that truth.

Thankful Thursday

I thank the Lord for helping me pass my last exam yesterday to get my insurance agent license. I was so happy to see my test result stamped PASSED! I heard that a lot of people who took this exam failed.

I believe that it's really God's perfect time this season for me to do this because had I done this 10 years ago half heartedly, I wouldn't have passed the exam jeopardizing my chance to make it in this field. But God led me to join Sun Life of Canada and put me in a group that supports me all the way. I thank the Lord for this wonderful blessing.

How about you, what are you thankful for this week?

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Laurie over at Women Taking A Stand.

His Wife

I've joined Amy Verlennich's S.H.M.I.L.Y (See How Much I Love You) for 30 days of prayer using Stormie Omartian's book The Power of a Praying Wife. It started yesterday, June 1. If you're a wife or someone who wants to pray for her future husband, don't worry about the date, you can still join us. It's never too late. Visit Amy's site to answer your What, How and Why questions. I will be posting here lessons I've learned from time to time.

I love what it says after the foreword --- The Power...

We don't have authority over our husbands. However, we have been given authority "over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19) and can do great damage to the enemy's plan when we pray.

You have the means to establish a hedge of protection around your marriage because Jesus said, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18).

Chapter 1 --- His Wife...

God will not change our husbands without changing us first. Transformation will begin with us wives as we pray for our husbands.

God can resurrect the deadest of marriages, but it takes humbling ourselves before Him and desiring to live His way --- forgiveness, kindness and love. It means letting go of the past and all hurt associated with it and being willing to lose the argument in order to win the battle.

Prayer brings unity even if you're not praying together.

The point is, whatever situation we're in, we have to believe the part of our relationship that has been eaten away by pain, indifference and selfishness can be restored. The power of Jesus is the very same power that will resurrect the dead places of our marriage and put life back into it. Nothing is impossible with Him. God's will is to break down all barriers and lift us up out of the pit we're in.

Wives, pray!!! This is our weapon and it is powerful.

"... Lord, give my husband a new wife, and let it be ME."

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9