A Mighty Fortress is Our GOD - The National Day of Prayer - May 5, 2011

FATHER,

Give us an awakening in our spirits

We cry out to YOU GOD

Thank YOU for being in control

Thank YOU for who YOU are

Thank YOU that YOU are and always have been and always will BE

Forgive us and forgive our nation for turning away from YOU

We've turned our hearts away from YOU GOD

We've turned down YOUR blessings

We've paid the price for those actions...dearly

GOD, please renew our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

Give us YOUR heart

Give us YOUR mind

Give us YOUR strength

Make us a holy and righteous people

Fully submitted to YOU

Fully submitted to YOUR WORD

Obedient

Faithful

Unselfish

Servant-Hearted

Loving

Caring

EVANGELIZING

UNCOMPROMISING

while still loving, caring and servant-hearted

Non-cannibalistic toward our brothers and sisters in JESUS CHRIST

Give us hearts that bleed for the lost

spirits that cry out for more of YOU

give us GODLY homes

loving families

Make us Great Examples of what YOU have done for us

Give us Holy Spirit fire

Don't let us settle

Don't allow us to grow cold or melancholy or apathetic

(key word = pathetic)

Give us GOD-produced drive to serve you every living moment

May our actions...

our words...

our thoughts...

our intentions...

our motivations...

our joy...

our excitement...

our peace...

come from YOU ALONE

and exhibit YOU ALONE

Help us to be real

to be tangible

to be transparently overwhelmed with the love of JESUS

Not worked up about the economy

Not wrapped up in the things of this world

Priority One=JESUS and His Kingdom and the furtherance of it

Help me to extend grace and servant hands to

my family

my Pastor and his family

my church leadership

my friends

my church family

my neighbors

my co-workers

my fellow drivers on Route 1

my grocery checkout person

my bank teller

the teenager that looks like a rebel without a cause just like I used to be

the mom who looks stressed out in WalMart

the coffee lady at Wawa

the Starbucks barista in the drive-through

my teenager's friends who "aren't quite there yet"

I could go on...

Don't miss an opportunity

to give JESUS

to anyone

anywhere

Don't miss out on personal time with GOD

every day

in a car, a boat, a plane or in your office

Get to know HIM - How?

Read HIS WORD

TALK to HIM...YES

Real conversation

Enjoy HIS presence today

as you bow your heart before HIM

Thank HIM for the opportunity

and massive privilege it is to know HIM and to be KNOWN by HIM

I am HIS and HE is mine

PRAY hard

Show JESUS

Love and Serve

and

Have FUN doing it!!!

The prize doesn't always go to the most deserving

  


 


Irena Sendler  

There  recently was a death of a 98 year-old lady named Irena.
During  WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Nurse.
She had an 'ulterior motive' .. She  KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews, (being German.)
Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried in the back of her truck. She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out  of the ghetto. The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog  and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.
During her time doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500  kids/infants.
She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs,  arms and beat her severely.
Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar ,buried under a tree in her back yard.
After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it and reunited the family. Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.

Last year  Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize ... She was not  selected.
Al Gore won, for a slide show on Global  Warming.

In MEMORIAM  - 63 YEARS LATER

Please  read the little cartoon carefully, it's powerful. 

It is now more than  65 years after the Second World War in Europe ended.  
This post serves as a  memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million  Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who  were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and  humiliated.

Now, more than ever, with Iraq , Iran , and others,  claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth,' it's imperative to make sure  the world never forgets, because there are others who would like  to do it again.

This was originally sent as an e-mail which is intended to reach 40 million  people worldwide..

Be a link in the  chain and help us distribute the link to this page around the world. Your right to worship freely is at stake. It is a right I hold as a precious treasure.

"Will You Give This To My Daddy?"

Will You give this to my Daddy?


As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support 'Red Fridays.'

Last week I was in Atlanta , Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed One of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and Cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red-blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families.

Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear of reprisal.

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our Service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said 'hi...'

The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her...

The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second... Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it..

After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.' He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.'

The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.

As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.

We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.

RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers.

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday - and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers.

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED.
The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is.....We need your support and your prayers.

Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example. 

-Unknown
A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America', for an amount of up to and including my life.

 

Thank you to my friend Kim for passing this beautiful piece on...

Two Guaranteed Ways to Help Fight Depression

I have found the there are at least two guaranteed ways to fight depression without a visit to any therapist or physician.

1. Lose myself in the WORD of GOD - When I am spending my time engulfed in GOD's love expressed through HIS words that I am privileged to read, I re-focus on who I am in Christ Jesus, how insanely much I am adored by my Savior, the fact that I am not alone but He shares this walk with me everyday and the reason for the journey...which leads me to #2...
2. Lose myself in the service of others - When I am spending my time serving all those precious souls around me whom JESUS died for, it gives me NEW PERSPECTIVE. I quit internalizing and start engaging. I see things differently and react differently. I grow in THANKFULNESS, which brings true joy.

 So when you are feeling down, think of those key words - LOSE MYSELF. When I lose myself in JESUS and His will for my life (which is simply being obedient to His Word and following the Holy Spirit's lead) I find joy, peace, understanding - LIFE!

Dance with Daddy

I want to be so close to GOD that it's like when you were a little kid and you held onto your dad's hands and stood on his feet as he walked. That's the experience I want - to literally walk WITH GOD. GOD moves - I move simultaneously with HIM because there is no separation, no seams - like a dance - flowing with His Spirit.

Do we REALLY get it????

Psalm 81:6-7 (The Message)

 "I took the world off your shoulders,
      freed you from a life of hard labor.
   You called to me in your pain;
      I got you out of a bad place.
   I answered you from where the thunder hides,
      I proved you at Meribah Fountain.


When we allow GOD to open up our spiritual eyes to things formerly hidden, it can be both enlightening and frightening at the very same time. Some believers are content with letting GOD hand out the "Sesame Street Version" as I call it because that is all they are willing to open themselves up to. Me being the radical child of GOD that I tend to be, I'm always asking GOD for more. Sometimes you really need to be careful what you ask for.

This verse reminded me of something that GOD showed me one time regarding someone I was praying over. That person still had a literal heavy chain around their neck in the spiritual realm. Satan had them bound with a chain that looked like something out of a horror movie. Yet, they conducted themselves throughout life unaware of any of this...only reaping symptoms, circumstances and consequences.

That is really scary to me...to unknowingly go through life with really nasty things attached and no hope or means to get them off.  Feelings of rejection, abandonment, anger, guilt, rebellious tendencies, abusive behavior, violence, 0% self worth...all the things that Satan loves to use against those GOD created for His glory.

So, the good news is...if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Saviour - He can and will deliver you from all the things that bind you and keep you from your destiny in HIM. Read the verse again. He's already declared it over us. We don't think about our slavery to Satan as hard labor until we feel life without the chains. For me it's not enough to just get rid of the sin chains at salvation. I want to be TOTALLY free. Free from all of the other baggage that poor decisions and sins of the flesh have afforded to me because I've allowed it. Okay...read the verse again. Are we living a life that is truly delivered? Set Free and Free Indeed? If He's gotten you out...why are you even thinking about going back in? Say NO to the chains, say NO to the brokenness, say NO to the control of the enemy who only seeks to kill and destroy that which the blood of the Lamb has already purchased. You have authority over your own flesh. Speak obedience into your own flesh and let this mind be in you...

Ephesians 6:10 (The Message)

A Fight to the Finish

 ^10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

It really is an everyday affair, not just the warring on behalf of others but the war for our minds. Be aware, be sober, be vigilant - always aware of your spiritual surroundings. The enemy has a better chance with your own mindsets, etc because they are often ignored and "undealt with" as well as subtle. Guard your heart and your mind so that you can have the "mind if Christ" - not logic, wisdom, mindset, heart and passions.