A Song for America from Wintley Phipps......

Pittsburgh, PA
Photos Courtesy of Little Canvas Art and Tori Hinn

Our land will be healed when we fall on our faces before Almighty God, asking Him to forgive us for where we have failed and sinned and change our worldly ways. II Chronicles says He will then hear our prays and make our land whole. This song is my prayer for America and for each of you.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1KqI3PPPjw&feature=related


Have a wonderful weekend with the ones you love. Rest, play, pray and refresh yourself before a new work week of achievement begins.

Treasured in Christ,
Karen

Honoring Lone Grove Oklahoma.....True Overcomers of the Storm!

Today I have already written here about the storms of life and how we prepare for them. More importantly, that God is with us THROUGH the storm.

My good friend, Jan from Kansas, a gifted Christian writer and woman of God, sent me this video today. How perfect is God's timing! This youtube.com slideshow is about the strong and courageous people of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, who's community was ripped apart by a devasting tornado.

Please take a moment and watch this inspiring video and keep the people of Lone Grove in your prayers. May God bless them all for their faith in God, the strength of their spirits and their love for one another. Also, if anyone knows how the church can be of help to this community, please comment and share that with us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJC8boupaOo


Treasured in Him,
Karen

Abiding in God's Care During Life's Storms

As a life long Florida resident, storms are just a part of our lives. We know they will come and we have learned to be prepared for them. No one likes to experience the stress storms bring, but there are some beneficial elements to passing through them. The words "passing through" being paramount, as it implies one has made it through the storm and not been destroyed. Coming out of the storm alive with as little damage as possible is the point of making critical preparations ahead of time. Most Floridians take storms in stride. They respect the powerful forces of nature, but I don't think they feel they are at their mercy because they have learned what they can do to "weather" the storm (pun intended) and come out fine.

What are the steps we take to prepare for storms?
(1) We are aware of the world around us so we are informed the storm is approaching. Proverbs 27:12 says, "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it."
(2) We determine our storm plan and what we will do to keep ourselves safe i.e. boarding up windows, securing outdoor furniture, putting boats in dry storage, a route for evacuation if needed, personal contact information.
(3) We make a list of equipment and supplies we will need to get through the storm such as food,water, medical supplies, radios, power generators, and batteries.
(4) When the storm approaches, we are ready. We secure our position and wait it out. We have done all that we can to combat the storm and now we must have courage and watch it pass.

The storms of our personal lives are no different. We know they will come. God does not say He will shield us from the storms, but that He will pass through them with us. He will carry us to safety "under the shadow of His wing". We are tucked safely next to the down covered underwing, which is covered by the massive, protective outer wings that absorb the wind, rain and sun. But, in order to find that protection, we must have "prepared" our place of safety by choosing to give our lives to Christ and living according to His Word and ways. His protection is there for all of those who follow Him. We also prepare for those storms too by making God our source for all things. We study His Word, hide it in our hearts, exercise authority over our inheritance in Him, and place our trust and faith in His unfailing love. As we have equipped ourselves to weather the storm under His care, we know in the end, He is in control and He will never leave us.

But, not all His children will accept His place of safety. Though His Holy Spirit will woo us to Him, the final choice is stil ours. He will not force us to accept His blessings and protection because He has given us free will. The natural consequences of disobedience can bring the angry winds of storms in our lives. Sometimes, it seems we even ignite them on purpose by our own rebellion. Yet, without fail, when the clouds begin to darken, and the thunderstorms of life roll in, most of us seem to run to Him. He is a forgiving God. Yet a just one. I believe His heart of love longs to accept all of humanity, but His justice can only offer it to those who will believe on His Son and accept His plan of salvation and eternal life. They are the ones who will find safe haven during life's storms.

He is my "storm preparation" plan. I know when the winds howl and the rain is pounding on those strong outer wings of His, I will be nested safetly on the down and covered by His grace. I have been a witness to His protection many times in my life. Years ago, I was given a beautiful little gazebo for my birthday. It was my place of refuge and prayer. It sat on a little high knowl in my back yard and even on the hottest days, a slight breeze would blow through it. During some difficult times in my life when I passed through the "storms" of illness, divorce, death of family and persecution, I found peace in my place of prayer. I always prayed that God would protect my "Sweet Hour of Prayer" gazebo as we went through many storms and hurricanes. And He honored that petition. Huge limbs would fall all around my prayerful abode. Trees came down. But in many years of storms, my little gazebo remained untouched. After the fierce Hurricane Francias, we went outside to access how much damage we had sustained in the yard and house. I could hardly believe my eyes when I spied a can of soda sitting perfectly in place on the gazebo railing. It had made it through the hurricane untouched. Even more amazing was when I went to pick it up, it was EMPTY! Yes, empty! Through a category 4 hurricane, this empty can of soda was not moved. God reminded me at that moment how He honors His promises to His people. I had covered my little prayer refuge in petitions for safety and took authority in His name that nothing would happen to it and HE had honored it. It built my faith that you could not imagine!

Where do you find yourself today when you are facing a storm? Have you given Him permission to be your protector, your Savior, your Deliverer from the storm? He desires to be that for you. He is only a prayer away. John 3:18-21 says this, 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."

Jesus is offering us freedom from our own sin, but we must step up and receive that gift. He wants to be our rescuer in the Storm and He has provided the means to be that to each of us........if we choose it. I don't want to be alone in the storm. Its not a wise decision. Especially if I am responsible for the welfare of those I love too. My decision to allow Christ to shield me will also help them to make that decision as well. My prayer for you today is that you will wisely choose to make Him Lord of your life and be hidden "in the shadow of His wing".

Love to all of you......

Living The Treasured Life,
Karen
www.treasuredwomannetwork.org

The Gifts of Patience.......

For most of my life, I've been a very impatient person. My impatience wasn't manifested in being rude or abrupt with others, but more so in being anxious and a perfectionist with myself. I remember being a child on Christmas Eve and letting the anticipation of a morning filled with presents cause me to be upset to my stomach and unable to sleep until the wee hours. It's just my nature to be this way.

Like most believers, I've asked God to give me patience. The old adage within the church is "be careful what you pray for, as God might actually give you it to you". To exercise patience, one must have an application or situation in which to do so. Well, I seem to have been given my fair share of them. Sometimes I would truly rest in God's grace and provision, but in the end, I always ran to the line and picked up my anxiety and worry once again. I didn't like that about myself and my walk in Christ. I knew I needed to grow beyond that if God was going to do something in my ministry helping women. I have found that its the experience of failures and victories that God has used to help others in their own journey to the cross and growing more like Him.

In February 2007, I began to believe and trust God for a Christian husband. He would be the man my heart desired. I did as His Word instructs in Habakkuk and "wrote the vision on tablets". My tablet came from Staples. It was nonetheless my declaration of faith that God would surely bless me with this man if I delighted myself in Him and prayed to make sure it was His will for me. So, I prayed and fasted, asking God for permission to seek this in my life. I felt the release to pray for a husband and took a stand in faith that day. It was through this Godly man He chose for me that I have finally learned to be a patient be liver. In fact, it has been the process of our courtship that has required me to learn patience. It was not always pleasant, as dying to self never is. I had to exercise my new fruit of patience and trust God when fear would come upon me. It was through daily releasing everything in my life back to the Lord that I learned to rest and trust. Patience was the by product of that trust.

What are the gifts of having patience? Well, logically, the first and most obvious gift is that in the end, you get what you have waited for! Hebrew 12:1-3 says "run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith ... For consider Him that endured ... lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." Patience lets us finish the race and collect the prize no matter what that prize is. In this case, Jesus is talking about the gift of eternal life through salvation.

For me, the most noticeable gift of patience has been the rest and peace I have found once I give up my need to hurry up the plan of God. In my search for patience, I have found the only true path to obtain this fruit of the Spirt the Word admonishes us to obtain, is to trust fully in Christ and relax knowing He is in control. It's the answer to impatience across the board. My fiancee, Ross, taught me what it means to exhibit and seek the rewards of remaining patient. He's the most patient human I have ever encountered. My emotional nature causes me to be more reactive. His more reserved, calm demeanor lends itself to abiding patiently. His strength in this area has helped me with my weakness.

The unsaved world is also given a gift from our patience by seeing the work of God in time. Seeing Christians have faith and wait in patient trust is evidence that we believe in the power of our Savior. That in itself should motivate Christians to trust patiently in the Lord more, as it would build a testimony to the faithfulness of God for them to witness. Patience rewarded then becomes one's testimony and as we know reading in Rev. 12: 11, the power of our testimony overcomes evil. This could even be seen as a form of spiritual warfare and a tool God will use to win others to Himself. It brings glory to God and brings hope that something outside of ourselves is truly at work on our behalf. It speaks to the great love God has for us and how available it is to ordinary folks who will dare to trust Him with their lives.

Believers are to seek the fruits of the Spirit of God. They are to be characteristics we endeavor to achieve in our Christian life. Patience is something I wish I had learned earlier in my life, but am grateful God chose to teach me through my courtship in my journey to marriage. You don't have to wait for your Christian Prince Charming to teach you though, no matter if it was wonderful to realize that the man God had chosen for me was very capable of being the spiritual head of our household and encouraging me to grow in Christ. Don't wait to seek the fruits of the Spirit. Set it as a goal today, so that you might begin to enjoy their rewards in your daily life! Embrace the beauty of patience in your life. I'm glad I did.

Living The Treasured Life,
Karen