Good morning ladies. It's good to be back with you. I hope you're all doing well today. I have a lot of emotions filling my mind and heart today since coming home from a wonderful week with our kids, to a devastating scene in our twin cities. After what happened in Minneapolis on Wednesday night, I was afraid to go to bed last night, knowing that St. Paul was next. And, sure enough, the Midway District was held captive by rioters, looters, and those causing fires and destruction. And the chaos is continuing in Minneapolis as well. I have a terrible feeling this will go on for a long time. It doesn't appear that justice has been served to the life and family of George Floyd. We can't bring justice with hate, destruction, and more killing though. They are sending a message....one that we all need to hear loud and clear, but darkness cannot put out darkness. ONLY light can dispel the darkness. John 1:5 says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." Please pray for our cities, our people, our oppressed people. It is not just here....it is everywhere. And this injustice is wrong. It has gone on for too long. God, please help us, forgive us, and heal our land.

In happier news...... we celebrated a great 3rd birthday week with our grandson! He is such a joy! His uncle, our other son, was with us for the weekend too, and we were all so happy to be together as a family. We went for walks, played games, and watched Disney movies together! South Dakota hasn't been hit as hard as Minnesota with the Virus, but everything is still pretty much closed, including the parks. For a young boy of three, however, he was just as thrilled to walk near some huge tractors in the area where they are building more apartments and homes. He is 'over the moon' excited with the big excavator!! And our son scheduled a big birthday surprise. They have a volunteer firefighter in their church, so he contacted him and arranged a birthday parade! The ladder truck came, as well as a few other fire vehicles, and about three police cars. For a small town, I think the whole crew was there! And I don't think our little guy could have been more excited!! He even got a special fire hat.  A lot of their neighbors came out to see what was going on. I guess I don't blame them, with all that noise! We also watched the Disney movie "Frozen 2," had birthday cake, and he opened his gifts. One of the gifts that we got him was the game Candy Land, a favorite of mine when I was young. He LOVES it! And, he even won the first game! He is so bright and picked up on how to play it right away. It was such a blessing to get away for awhile and be with everyone.  And for a small space that also included a cat and a big dog, we managed very well! And our dog stayed with friends while we were gone. Thank goodness! So, tell me how you're doing and what you did over the Memorial Day weekend.

Worship

I chose a song today that speaks about God being the Light in the darkness, and I picked the 'Live' version so you could join in on the worship. Have a great day and a FABULOUS FRIDAY ladies! 

p.s. there are a few pictures at the bottom of our time with our family!

"Way Maker" by Leeland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCV_2H9xD0&feature=youtu.be

Good morning ladies! How was your weekend? We got quite a bit of much needed rain here. In fact, yesterday was an all-day soaker. And this morning, the sun is already shining. It's really starting to look beautiful with everything blooming and the leaves filling up the trees. On Friday, we went for a drive, as I mentioned, to St. Cloud to pick up a gift for our little guy. His birthday is on the 26th. While we were there, we drove around the whole city so I could see it. It seems like every time we go there, I only see a certain part and that's what's been in my mind when I think of St. Cloud. I had no idea how much there is to it. I have a totally different perspective now! On the way back, we made several stops. We just had to go to Nelson's Bakery. And yes, I got a huge cappuccino chocolate chip muffin. It was a debate between that and the famous Minnesota caramel pecan roll. Everything they make there is as big as my face! I could only eat half and save the rest. After that, we stopped in Buffalo. I've never seen the town. It was only a few miles out of the way. What a beautiful town! Its best feature is Buffalo Lake. We stopped at the park there to brush off our crumbs and stretch a little. It's a beautiful park with a playground, boating, even a beach. From there, we headed into Minneapolis to visit with some friends. I wanted to bring their kids some goody bags. We had such a great time catching up. I miss them! And then we headed home. We actually got into a little bit of construction traffic (Friday afternoon). I told my husband it would've been even worse if everyone was back to work. For some reason, I didn't seem to mind the wait. It was a a great day!

Devotion

Great devotion today! Be encouraged that God hears and answers our prayers. Have a Marvelous Monday!

"It Only Cost a Dime"
CBN Ministries, Andy Hollifield

Connie was feeling especially down, spiritually, one day. She had recently endured some rough circumstances in her life and had almost lost hope. As she was out walking, she was talking to the Lord and made a request to him. She prayed, "Lord, if you are still with me and are going to help me, let me find a dime. Not a nickel or a penny, or even a quarter, just let me find a dime." She walked on a little further and something caught her eye. She looked down and sure enough, there was a dime.

Of course, business picked up in her soul. Her circumstances didn't change immediately but she had faith in her Lord and he had answered her in his own special way as she requested. You may think these things don't really happen. Sometimes our faith gets weak and they just don't happen for us because we never ask God for anything.

In Judges 6:36-40, Gideon asked God to let a fleece be wet one night and the ground
​dry and the next night for the fleece to be dry and the ground wet. Verse 40 sums up the answer with one statement:

"And God did so that night..."

Judges 7:13-15 tells us how God encouraged Gideon even more by letting him overhear the telling of an enemy soldier's dream.

"And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, 'Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.'" (Judges 7:15 KJV)

Connie, like Gideon, was further encouraged with every dime she found for the rest of her life.  

Sometime after her mom's death, Connie's daughter Brenda went to the beach. I don't know if she had been praying for it or not, but as she sat down and dug her toes into the sand, she felt something. She leaned forward and dug around and pulled a dime out of the sand. As she leaned back relaxing and dug her toes into the sand again, she felt something with the other foot. Sure enough, another dime. This was most likely a great comfort for the bereaved daughter as she took it as a sign that God was also with her as he had been with her mom.

Sometime later, Brenda's son David was somewhere on a job site and looked down and there on the ground, he found a dime. Just as his grandma had found dimes from the Lord, his mom had, and now he had his very own. He took a picture and sent it to his mom, who I am sure greatly rejoiced over it.

This may sound silly to you but if you have ever been in that dark place and sought the Lord, you know He makes himself known to you in whatever way is needed to help you. From grandma to daughter to grandson, this family was blessed for years just because grandma sought God for comfort and assurance in a dark place in her life.

​Throughout the Bible, prophets have called down fire from heaven, asked for deliverance in battle, parted rivers and seas, and a whole book full of other things. If God would do all that he did for the prophets, why wouldn't he answer your prayer? He answered Connie's prayer and gave comfort. After all; it only cost a dime.

Good morning sweet ladies. How are you? Are you staying firm and trusting in the LORD to bring us through this very difficult season? I know that some days are harder than others, even when we have all that we need. I think we all just want this to go away so we can get back to "normal" life, or at least some sense of getting out and doing things and seeing the people we love. If you're a person whose love language is touch, like me, then this is especially hard. I NEED THOSE HUGS!! But, we do have the help of technology, at least, to "see" the people we love and miss. That certainly does help. I was also reminded this morning to focus outward and think about and pray for others. It's too easy to let all the uncertainty take over and overwhelm us, but if we start doing things for other people who need our help, suddenly that seems to fade away a bit. So, let's think about someone that we can help today, either by praying for them, calling and talking with them, or sending a card. Maybe we can pick something up at the store for them or make a meal. Do laundry? Walk a dog? There are so many things that we can do to help others. If you have any ideas or a story to share of how you helped someone else, please share it!

Devotion

Have you been feeling anxious about all that is taking place in our world right now? Try reading and meditating on some of the great truths revealed in the stories in the Bible. God is ALWAYS in control and knows what He is doing! Have a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY ladies! 

"Coronavirus and the Anxious Believer"
CBN Ministries, Lori Brown

“Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless." 1 Samuel 12:21 (NIV)

Life sure is different today, is it not? Perhaps like me, you’re sick of home quarantine and depressing news. You’ve heard as much about the Coronavirus as you can handle and you can’t process any more depression, doom, and gloom. It’s as if the whole world changed in the blink of an eye, and many are asking, “So where is God in the midst of this crisis?”

As a professing Christian believer who has a respectable understanding of God’s truth, I confess I don’t really know where God is. So, do I think God’s gone on vacation or suddenly decided He doesn’t love us and needs to remain hands-off? Absolutely not! But do I understand why God is allowing this situation to continue and worsen? No, I frankly don’t.

But my lack of understanding of some of the what’s and why’s of this global crisis does not, nor should it ever, lead to the conclusion that God doesn’t care or is unaware.

How do I know this? Because of the Old Testament. I love reading the Old Testament, largely because it seems to be filled with story after story of God’s people getting really ticked off at God’s timing and doing something sinful (let’s just say I can relate!).

The Israelites wanted out of Egypt long before they reached the 400-year mark of Egyptian bondage. Sarah wanted a child before God chose to bless her and Abraham with a son, and a united Israel wanted a human king in place of their Godly king, so God gave them Saul, a willing but challenged soul.

In their impatience, God’s people often created idols to find something or someone to worship as they were very upset at God’s apparent silence. In 1 Samuel 12:21, we see Micah losing his mind when the tribe of Dan stole his man-made idols. They took the objects in which he had placed his hope.

In the OT, God’s people often grew impatient, moaned and groaned about circumstances, and all but gave God an ultimatum: “Act now or I’m choosing a better God!” And each time, God just shook his head in disbelief but continued to love His people until it was time to rescue them from themselves.

What we learn from the Old Testament stories is that trying to rush God and/or pretending to know more than God (e.g. assuming God needs to rescue us from circumstances instead of assuming God needs us to walk through the circumstances), is always going to be a lost cause.

Friends, I don’t understand God’s current timing or will with the virus. But the one thing I know to be true from Scripture is that God never forgets us, He always rescues, and He holds us even in our rebellion and unrest. He is our source of safety and security, and maybe that’s one lesson to be learned now.

​In recent days, I’ve returned to the 23rd Psalm to remind myself that God holds our hands and walks side by side with us through the valley of the shadow of death. When I can’t understand his timing or purpose, I can always understand and trust his character. Our God is a compassionate God who hurts as much as we hurt. Run to Him. Trust his timing, and never forget that He has never left his people, even in seasons of rebellion. He will sustain us because He loves.

​Good morning ladies! How was your weekend? I think most places got a bit cooler. There was a slight chance that we would wake up to snow on Mother's Day like we did on Easter morning and I SO did not want that to happen! Especially after having such a beautiful spring so far. I do realize that it's always a possibility, but still....... The good news is, we didn't get any snow and just a little bit of rain one day. And this morning we are shining bright and the warm weather is making a return this week. Which is good news, because my husband got me a potted flower for Mother's Day, a tradition. It will still have to go in the garage overnight for a few more nights, just in case. He also got me a bag of dark chocolate and a lovely card. It was a nice day overall. In the morning we had our online church service. After that, we ordered some delicious food from a local restaurant and then took a nap. Later in the afternoon, we had a Zoom call with all of our kids. That was SO nice! And our sweet grandson is insisting that Papa and Mimi get there for his birthday. He will be three very soon. We are planning to make this happen, one way of another. After that phone call, we face-timed with both of our parents. It's so much nicer to see everyone's face! So, that was a blessing for sure! By this time, it was about 7 pm and we had cherry cheesecake per my request. Yum! It was a great Mother's Day!

Devotion

It only takes a tiny amount of faith to realize that God will provide for every need that we have. This is enough to trust Him for the day ahead. And, over time, we see and learn more and more about how BIG God is and how much our faith grows. Have a MAGNIFICENT MONDAY ladies!

"God Is the God of More than Enough"
CBN Ministries, Martha Noebel

There are so many people with issues that seem to overwhelm them. Whether it is a father out of work, sickness in the home, broken down cars, not enough food on the table, or even a runaway child looking for their own way in the world, our hearts may seem to long for peace.

From experience, I have found that as long as I try to fix the problems without trusting the Lord to deal with them, then I am left feeling frustrated and without hope. Peace comes as I lean on God for the answers and wait on His timing.

At one particular season of my life, I was living far from family and friends. My husband had a job in which he traveled one hour from home. I had a teenage son, a toddler, and I was pregnant. There was barely enough money for food and expenses; except for the gas money to get my husband to work. It was a scary time.

I wish I could say that I immediately filled my heart with an abundance of faith and never doubted God’s ability to bring us through for a single moment. But my attitude was to face things one day at a time. I am so much wiser now. Having seen so many miracles in these recent years I know that He is more than capable of working all things out for our good.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (KJV)

The Bible even shares how, in Matthew 15, Jesus saw the multitude was hungry after listening to Him teach for three days. Jesus, being full of faith, told the disciples to gather the seven loaves of bread and fishes. He blessed the food and sent the disciples into the crowd with these items. After they all ate and were full, the leftover food filled seven baskets. The crowd consisted of four thousand men and included the women/children. Now that is how faithful our God is when a need is presented to Him.

So what is your concern today? How much faith do you possess? Even faith the size of a grain of a mustard seed is all you need to see the victory in your life.

“…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 NIV

The paths you are following are hard to understand at times. God is with you! He is passionately in love with you and cares about your every need. The trials of today will one day be over and as you look back you will see how far you have come. As I share in a previous devotional: Hope Is Real.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV

​With a heart full of faith and hope for the days ahead, move onward. Trust the Lord. You will be amazed!

​Good morning ladies. How are you holding up? It's another beautiful morning here. I'm so thankful for that. It's helping me get through these trying times. To be honest, I had a mini meltdown yesterday. No reason in particular. We have everything we need and we're healthy. I think it was just the emotions of not really knowing what's ahead. For a job/ministry, for this pandemic and all the changes it's bringing to our world, to hearing about other nations and how many people are literally starving, to not being able to drive and see family.....I don't know, I guess it all piled up on me. I think its easier for anxiety to slip in when there are unknowns in our lives. I'm sure at least some of you can relate. Of course, God brings us encouragement and holds us up through everything. We are still getting calls from potential ministry opportunities. They do get us excited. We always take them as a positive sign that God is working. We also stay in His Word daily and listen to praise music all day. We only watch an hour of news in the evening and I'm not sure I even want to continue with that. The drama. Ugh. How do you ladies handle this? We want to keep up with what's going on, but we don't need to be set off by the "panic button" either. So anyway, it's a new day and we're rejoicing in the goodness of God!

Devotion

We recently heard a sermon on this same passage in Joshua when he confronts the angel of the LORD. Have you ever wondered about the angel's response back to Joshua? We can take comfort that God is definitely FOR us, but it is ultimately His will that's important. Have a WINNING WEDNESDAY ladies!

"God Is FOR You"
CBN Ministries, Yuisa Vazquez-Brooks

Jesus never promised that life would be easy. On the contrary, Jesus said that we would have trials.

At times, our difficulties make us question our relationships, our feelings about ourselves and others, and if God is truly concerned about our situation. It may appear like God is not present and if He is, that He is not tuned in to our cry for help. Our problems persist and our relationships suffer. But know this, whether we go through financial struggles, physical or emotional problems, God is near to us. 

Joshua 5:13-14 says,

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come ... (NIV)”

In this passage, Joshua was being prepared to go into Jericho to take the city. The Israelites had just celebrated the Passover and the Bible says that the manna had ceased. Still, Joshua thought to ask the angel of the Lord whether he was for the Israelites or for Jericho. When the angel answered “neither” he was saying that he was not for him or against him, just as he was not for Jericho or against Jericho. The angel was there to do the will of the Lord. 

Now, let that soak in for a moment. 

Have you ever felt that God was against you and for someone else? After reading that verse, I have come to understand that God is not out to take sides, but He sends His angels to accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of those around us. 

In your situation, pray about what is God’s will for your life and understand that God does not have anything against you. The enemy would love for you to believe that God is angry with you and therefore has abandoned you; especially when you see others prosper or the wicked blessed. 

No, whether you see it or not, the Bible says that the “Father is always at His work" (John 5:17, NIV). God is working on your behalf. His will is to bless you and to set you free from the lies of the enemy. His will is for you to grow in Him and be the person that He has created you to be. Meditate on the fact that you are loved by God and that He is for you to accomplish His will in your life.

Meditate on Proverbs 19:21 (NIV):

​Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Well, good morning ladies. How are you on this lovely Monday morning? How was your weekend? We are having such a beautiful spring! It's the perfect weather! We actually got out for our picnic yesterday afternoon instead of Saturday because, although Saturday was equally gorgeous, it was a bit too windy. I thought that I might be eating my hair instead of my food! So, we went out to a local park with a lake. I didn't even know it was there. It's kind of hidden in the middle of a subdivision. My husband found it one day on one of his long walks as he was following a trail that he found. The trail led him right into the park. It wasn't quite as easy when we drove to it, but we managed to figure out how to get into the parking lot. The park is great! It has fishing docks, tennis courts, a playground area, picnic shelters, a small beach area, boating, volleyball, and is even dog-friendly! It was incredible to see some kids in bathing suits and swimming on May 3. I mean, we haven't even had the official "Fishing Opener" yet, which is on Mother's Day weekend. There are years when the lakes still have ice on them for the fishing opener! Not this year. We made salads and took them, along with our chairs, and set up by the lake. It was lovely. People were out enjoying themselves. The sun was glimmering on the lake and the occasional boater passed by. Ah....we needed that.

Devotion

There are so many verses in the Bible that assure us of God's love for us. Have a MEANINGFUL MONDAY ladies! 

"God Brags about You"
CBN Ministries, Cathy Irvin

Do you know how special you are to God? Do you realize that He loves you more than anything else? I think we have a hard time really understanding God’s love for us. I noticed in the Word of God that He went to great lengths to explain His love, but we fail to see it:

He says we are the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:9-10).
He explains that if we obey His Word, then we — including our children — are promised long life (Deuteronomy 12:28).
He is our Good Shepherd who knows us (John 10:14).
He says He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
He shares that it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom because He calls us friends (Luke 12:32).
He promises that He will give us everlasting life if we believe in Him (John 3:16).

The list is endless concerning the things that God has done for us and will continue to do for us.

I have a photo album that says Grandma’s Brag Book. It holds pictures of my granddaughter when she was little. Whenever I have shown it to family or friends, I have said, Look how adorable she posed! or Isn’t that a cute face? 

That is how God’s Word is — full of Him bragging on us.

We love Him because He first loved us and gave His Only Son to die for our sins (1 John 4:10). Think about it. Jesus was blameless and sinless, yet He allowed man to crucify Him so that He might take our place. He laid down His life for us so that we would inherit eternal life. It doesn’t get any better than that! Truly, that is ultimate love. It takes a sacrificial love to die in the place of another.

God is love Himself. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, yet He was not satisfied because He desired fellowship. He gave us this opportunity to receive Him into our hearts or to choose the world instead.

We can’t even love Him until we find out about what He did for us at the cross, and even then we often find that we take Him for granted. If you love someone, you talk to that person and want to spend time with that person. Your desire will be to develop a relationship, so you will need to cultivate it. God is the Lover of our souls. We should draw near to Him and begin that personal relationship with Him.

For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart. The GOD who has compassion on you says so. --Isaiah 54:10, The Message

When we come into the throne room to thank Him, and when we come into worship to praise His name, these things please our heavenly Father so much. Let’s do it more often because He loves us and wants our love in return.