Jesus Calling!

"In the Gospel reading from Mark 10 last week, Jesus has an encounter with Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who begins crying out, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

The crowd kept trying to silence him, but he persisted. "Son of David, have pity on me!"

Jesus stops and tells the disciples to "Call him."

The disciples go to Bartimaeus and say,

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

He gets up, goes to speak with Jesus and receives his sight.

What a great story!

Of course, any theologian worth his or her salt will tell us that Bartimaeus represents all of us.

We are all blind in one way or another.

And we can only be healed, receive our sight, if we go to Jesus and ask him to heal us.

If someone walked up to you today and said, "Jesus is calling you!", how would you react?

Would you blow them off as some kind of religious nut?

What if someone wrote you a note to that effect?

Well, then, prepare to blow me off.

Because I'm telling you.

Jesus is calling you!!!

He wants to heal you of your blindness, heal all of your infirmities.

The problem is, of course, that we don't think we're blind.

But that's OK! Jesus is still calling you!

Father, help us to realize our blindness, our woundedness. Open our ears so that we can hear that Jesus is calling us! Amen."

From Gus Lloyd and his "60 Second Reflections" at www.guslloyd.com

Thankful in ALL Circumstances

A couple of great, quick, and memorable  reminders of what has been asked all of us on this challenging and adventurous journey together! 

And following this lead results in tremendous peace and joy in our lives!

It is a Promise and a Gift!  We just need to accept it.

Have a Terrific and Safe Holiday Weekend and Stay Strong!

God Bless...  :)

"Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God;

Whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies,
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen."
    - 1 Peter 4:7-11

"Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.

Encourage those who are timid.

Take tender care of those who are weak.

Be patient with everyone.

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

Always be joyful.

Never stop praying.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

— Thessalonians 5

Ready When You Call

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
   - MATTHEW 6: 8

Jesus asked the paralyzed man who'd come to the pool of Bethesda to be healed, "Do you want to get well?"

The man responded, "Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool…. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me"(John 5: 6 –7).

The man was focused on what he lacked.

He lacked a friend to help him.

Lacked the strength to do it on his own.

But while he focused on what he didn't have, he overlooked the fact that Jesus was standing right there!

Do you want to get well?

What's your excuse for lying down on your responsibilities?

For limping in an inconsistent walk?

Is it lack of faith?

Will power?

Encouragement?

If you truly want to be made whole, then look to Jesus.

Lean on Jesus.

He is right there, ready to help when you call."

O my Jesus, you have said:

"Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you."

Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of…

(Mention your Intention Here)

O my Jesus, you have said:

"Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you."

Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of…

(Mention your Intention Here)

Stay Strong! :)

For I Am Your Refuge

COME TO ME.

Come to Me.

Come to Me.

This is My continual invitation to you, proclaimed in holy whispers.

Unfortunately, you're often distracted by the noise of your worries and the clamor of the world.

I want to help you remember My inviting Presence even when you're too flustered to hear My Love-whispers.

My children so often need help in remembering.

They consistently forget Me and the great works I have done on their behalf.

For instance, I made a dry path through the Red Sea for the Israelites, saving them from the pursuing Egyptians.

Yet many of those former slaves remembered the tasty food they had eaten in Egypt better than they recalled My miraculous deeds to set them free.

Do not let trivial matters distract you from Me.

Remember that My sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection shed Light on each moment of your life.

I want you to live vibrantly in this Light, increasingly aware of My nearness.

To help in your endeavor to remember, think of Me as the Lover of your soul: the One who delights in you now and forevermore.

View yourself first and foremost as My beloved, since that is your ultimate identity.

Fill your mind with biblical truth about My perfect Love for you.

Come to Me at all times, My loved one.

Pour out your heart to Me, for I am your Refuge.

From " Jesus Lives " by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. MATTHEW 11:28

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. EXODUS 14:21–22

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
PSALM 62:8

Strength Needed?

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
(Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

Finding Strength

Do you need strength for today?

The scripture tells us that when we hope in the Lord, that's exactly what we will get—strength!

If you've grown weary and tired, overwhelmed by the cares of this world, it's a clear sign that you need to change what you're putting your hope in.

Are you putting your hope in your job?

The government?

The economy?

Another person?

All of these things will change.

But when you hope in the Lord, you are investing in the Rock of Ages.

He never changes!

He is the only solid foundation for your soul.

Today, find strength by simply putting your hope in Him.

Declare out loud, "God, I place my hope in You. I trust that You are working behind the scenes in my life. I choose to rest in You."

Then, feed your hope and faith by meditating daily on the scriptures.

As you renew your mind with the Word of God, you'll find Strength, you'll find Hope, and you'll find His Victory all the days of your life!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for renewing my strength as I put my hope in You. I declare today that I love You and trust You. I know that You are working behind the scenes in my life. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I wait on You in Jesus' name.
Amen."

Stay Strong!

Relieve Your Sorrows and Refresh Your Soul

TRUST IN ME AT ALL TIMES.

I know the pain and sorrow you are feeling, and I want you to pour out your heart in My Presence.

You need to release all those emotions in a safe place.

Demonstrate your trust in Me by opening your heart to Me; as you do so, I promise to keep you safe.

Remember that I am a Man of sorrows, fully acquainted with grief.

Because of all I suffered, I can empathize with you and share your pain.

As you pour out your emotions in My Presence, your heavy burden grows lighter.

You no longer carry your sorrows alone.

You release them to Me, and I then relieve and refresh your soul.

Moreover, as your heavy heart grows lighter, you are freed to learn more of Me: who I really am.

Come to Me and get to know Me in ever-increasing depth and breadth.

You will find that I am indeed a Refuge—a safe place flooded with eternal Love.

Linger a while in My Presence, letting My Love soak into your soul.

From "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."
-PSALM 62:8 NKJV

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."
-PROVERBS 29:25

"He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him."
-ISAIAH 53:3 NASB

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls."
-MATTHEW 11:28 AMP

Bring Me All Your Fears, Your Shelter

THOUGH YOU MAY NOT BE MUCH OF A RISK TAKER, BE WILLING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB WITH ME.

If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be.

I want you to follow wherever I lead— even if it's out of your comfort zone.

I will help you learn to follow me confidently rather than fearfully.

Bring all your fears to Me.

Fears that are not dealt with tend to magnify themselves.

Expose them to the revealing Light of My Presence, and they will shrink to manageable proportions.

Some of them may even appear comical in this Light.

As fearfulness loosens its grip on you, you are freed to follow Me.

Grasp My hand tightly as we edge our way out onto the limb.

Since I go before you in this adventure, you can keep your eyes on Me as you step out in faith.

Soon we will get to a resting place, and then you can look back and see how far you've already come.

While gripping My hand to steady yourself, dare to venture a look toward the horizon; enjoy the view from this new perspective!

You are actually safer here—out on this limb with Me— than you would be on the ground.

In this new, challenging environment you stay alert: communicating with Me continually, holding My hand for support.

Overly familiar surroundings may feel more secure, but they can lull you into sleepy self-reliance.

That is when you tend to forget about Me; it's also when you are most likely to fall.

Follow Me confidently wherever I lead, and the Shelter of My Presence will keep you safe.

From " Jesus Lives " by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." 
PSALM 37:23–24

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." HEBREWS 12:2

"In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues."
PSALM 31:20