Come Join "Open The Eyes of My Heart" Bible Study A new year is quickly approaching and so is a new Bible study. So, start preparing your hearts and purpose yourselves to begin a new journey to observe what God has to show us.  Pro. 2:1-5  (Ladies)”if you receive My words and treasure up My commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Each day, we need to take a "time-out" and observe God's love for us in the surroundings of our everyday life. A "time-out" to listen to His beauty and His voice. He paints you and I a picture daily, but most of the time we are guilty of busyness and the days happenings. This study is a bit different than most studies that you have probably participated in. It's beginning started from a comment made that stated the need to just get out and see what God wants to show me. "Open The Eyes of My Heart" Bible study is going to challenge you to take a deeper look into what God is speaking to you through a picture. On January 3, 2015, I will post a picture and then for the remainder of the month, you will seek God's message to you through that picture. Take time to sit at His feet and listen with your hearts, see what He wants you to know. As you hear His message, journal what He is speaking to you, your thoughts and then search the Scriptures for verses that apply. During the second week of the month, set your hearts to memorize a verse or two that describes the picture. The third week, post your journey on the "comment" section of the blog and see what others have to share, as well. Then the fourth Saturday, gather with friends and have a time of fellowship, sharing what you observed, what you learned and how you have been blessed through a simple picture. Gather friends, family and neighbors to join you in this study, to experience how God speaks through a picture and to grow in a deeper relationship with Him. Prayerfully, this study will train us to observe God's love for us as He paints us a picture daily.  On the sidebar of the blog, is a place for you to "Join" which will let you know when a new posting appears. Join and stay updated! I am looking forward to this new journey, hope you are too. Click on this link and listen to Julie Meyer sing "Paint Your Picture"

I Can Be, Yet I Am Not 2 Cor. 4:7-18 Some of my most reassuring scriptures, are in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18.  When my world seems to press down on me, this is where I turn to,  to be reminded that "I can be, but yet I am not. Knowing that I am just a simple clay vessel filled with the treasure of God's loving power, I can stand on the promises that follow. In this world, I can be hard-pressed on every side, yet, I am not crushed by it's weight. I can be perplexed, confused, baffled with the things going on around me or in me, yet, I am not in despair by perplexities. Others can persecute, mistreat, or intimidate me, yet, I am not forsaken, left without hope. Life can strike me down, take my feet right out from underneath me, yet, I am not destroyed with no strength to get back up. All that the world has to offer, which is the "I can be's",  is outweighed by the grace of God in the "yet, I am not's".  Knowing that all things are for my sake, that the grace which was given me, will cause thanksgiving to abound in the midst of life's hand outs, to the glory of God. As I read on in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, I am told that my light afflictions, which are here today and gone tomorrow, are but for a moment. I have been assured that He who rose up Jesus, will also raise me up. I will therefore, keep my focus on the unseen things which are eternal, because the seen things of this world are temporary. 

Micah Stampley-The Corinthian Song

Sing To The Lord A New Song Psalm 98
Oh, all you people, all you creation, sing to the Lord a new song! How are your voices and have you even exercised them to the Lord today?
Psalm 98 tells us to, "sing, shout, rejoice, bring forth music with harp, trumpets and horn, clap, roar and do all these joyfully. The reason being, is because God has done marvelous things, He is victorious, He has made known His salvation, His righteousness is revealed, He is merciful and faithful and just.
Knowing who He is, who He has been and who He will be, why wouldn't we  "Sing to the Lord a new song!"

THE NEW SONG WE SING (LIVE) - MEREDITH ANDREWS // HARVEST BIBLE CHAPEL -...

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

My Days Journey
     Here we go! The journey begins!  Are you ready? What is it that you have packed? What expectations are you heading out with?  Where are you going?  Who will you meet?  I'm excited, are you?
     The above are questions we ask when we are beginning a new adventure, a trip, a journey to the unknown. I believe these are questions we should be asking ourselves as our day begins  
     As I begin each day in my life's journey, I have to ask myself if I am ready for what lies ahead? In asking, I realize that preparation is necessary and it is the key to unlock the happenings which are to come. My key is one that is bent, it fits when I bend my knees before my Creator of the day, the day which He has made, the day which He has blessed me with.
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You. Ps. 143:8
     The journey of the day carries with it things that I have packed away in my luggage bag. I think of the days of "Samsonite" luggage, heavy, hard and cumbersome. Today, we have compact, light-weight luggage with wheels that can turn in any directions. Did I pack away the cares of yesterday, the worries, the muck and mire, the heartaches in the "Samsonite" bag? Or is my luggage fresh and new, light and burden-free, filled with the glory of God with wheels that will turn in the right direction?
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,  for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt. 11:29-30            A new day dawning with high expectations. I am setting out on my days journey with thoughts to accomplish my self-made list of things that will complete my day's expectations. The list is miles long with a lot of things that are difficult, non-essential, well-meaning, but never the less, they are things that I need to do for myself. My non-earnest expectations will get me,"Where"?
According to my earnest expectation, and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed:  but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body,  whether it be by life or by death. Phil. 1:20
      The direction of my days journey is now in question. The experience of having a guide has always been rewarding because of the information and knowledge that is shared along the way. The guide knows all the inner most details, the highlights, the easiest route, the way we should go. The question is, which way will I go on my days journey?
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Ps. 32:8
  The excitement of my journey has begun and my thought now is, "Who will I meet along the way" and how will I greet them? I love when I go somewhere and the first thing I see is a smile. The smile is a welcoming that puts sunshine and warmth in my day. Those that are put in my path for the day can experience what I feel each day when I begin with the love of the Lord.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,  even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
My prayer Lord, is that I will begin my day with You, in You and for You.

I Will Turn to You
The afternoon was filled with the warmth of the sun, things were getting accomplished and I found myself smiling and looking forward to the evenings Bible Study. I had just returned from a week of laughter, wonderful fellowship and new and exciting things to be shared with those here at home. As they say, life is good.  Then the phone rang, seeing the name on my caller ID, I readily picked up the phone and was anxious to share the amazing week I had just experience. The conversation began with inquires and I excitedly answered them, laughs were exchanged and then with a pause and a change in the tone, I received heart breaking news from this very dear friend on the other end of the line.  
The news I was listening to pierced my heart, made my stomach turn and sent my mind in a whirlwind. Cancer, how could this be. Oh my gosh, you, how, why and every other question imaginable was running through my head. As I listened to this special person share her news of her afternoon with me, I heard her fear of this unknown thing that has invaded her body. She was intentionally trying to stay strong as she conveyed her findings to me while I was falling apart. The thoughts replaying in my mind were, what do I say, how can I help, what do I do. All I wanted to do at that moment was to hold my friend tight, to wrap my arms around her and tell her all will be just fine. Will all be fine!
My friend is a believer and she knows that she serves a mighty God. In that alone, all is and will be fine. But the road ahead will hard and her faith and hope will be challenged. She will ride the roller coaster of strength and weakness, comfort and fear, certainty and doubt, knowing and not. She will laugh and cry, be angry and fearful, she will encourage and be encouraged and she will be the one we all look up to because she will do what she needs to do and will carry on through all of this. But what I know of this very special person is her love for the Lord. She will search His Word in her time of need and she will hold on to it. What lies ahead has already be planned and it has a purpose and it will be perfect. 
I am not making light of this for there will be trials that will seem impossible to bear let alone get through. But what I do know, is there is a Light that will get her through this trial, He will lead her and guide her, He will carry her and comfort her, He will be with her every step of the way. As a full day has pasted since I received her news, I have searched the Lord for something comforting to say. I have looked up verses, I have prayed and I have asked God to show me just what to share. What I found was love in every verse I read and in every prayer I prayed. In trying to find something comforting for my friend, I too, found comfort to be able to walk through this with her in her time of need. 
There are so many verses to hold on to, so many promises to embrace  because our Heavenly Father loves us. Psalm 10:17  O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

Isaiah 40:31 
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint

Ephesians 3:20-21 
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Isaiah 43:2 
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy....
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings." Psalm 61:1-4

"The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak,

and to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

Lord, You are that strength that Kathy needs, the comfort she desires and You Love her. I pray Lord that I can be the friend that will be there for her in her time of need. I pray Lord that Your will be done and that Your Glory will shine for all to see. Lord hear our prayers as we lift up our very special and dear friend to You. May our faith and trust be ever so real.