Clinging to my Faith

This weekend I haven't been questioning my faith but holding on to it tightly.
The recent events that have plague our community has gotten to me.
Missing persons
Murder 4 within the last month
What is happening?
The recent deaths of this past weekend have hit home.
Tracey Hannah and her daughter Whitney,Shannon still in serious condition clinging to life.
Tracey and I went to school together.
Were we close friends No
but our lives did cross paths.
We were in the same classes together
we went to the same parties in Highschool
and her eldest daughter Jamie-Lynne and my youngest son Dave went to school together.
Last month I saw her and we laughed and joked about all the bush parties we went to and how we were getting older and how we couldn't believe our kids have grown so much. We talked about makeup for Whitney for her grade 8 grad and finished with a we should get together for a coffee sometime.
How many times have we said those words never to follow up.

Now I never knew Traceys Married name. My son said I knew her but I just couldn't place Tracey Hannah in my mind,It hit me Friday that could this be Tracey Urch.
Nope couldn't be I was just talking to her.
It was confirmed for me today when they posted her picture on the news.
My heart sank even farther then it had prior to that moment of reality.
Reality
That is when clinging to my faith was the most important thing.
Yes I have questions
Typical ones like Why Lord
or  Did you know this is how she would die when you created her?
"For I know the plans I have for you"
Does it include this?
Did it include the young woman hiding in the closet?
Praise God in the Highest for that!
I am reflecting on the Friday this all happened and the conversation that took place in the staff room.
One Christian believing in Capital punishment and becoming so intensely upset about this.
Then there was the non christian saying but what about his rights.
Then there was me praying fervourishly in my head to say the right thing.
Speaking about justice will be served and that even the young man is Gods child.
That God will discipline him beit life in jail but will also be patient for his repentance.
Grace and Mercy
Then I ended this with I say this now because stuff like this hasn't hit close to home.
My flesh feels one way but my spirit feels another way and I needed to concentrate on my spirit not my flesh.
Needless to say
WHAM this morning it hit close to home.
So I am battling the anger (Not with God) of the flesh and clinging to the tiniest of mustard seed that God so lovingly placed in my heart so very long ago.
This mustard seed will be my rock in days to come when the conversations get heated in this city.
I emplore all of you to cling tightly to the slightest bit of faith when things get tough in our lives and God will bring us through it triumphantly.
I know it and feel it and most of believe it that God will bring good out of all that has been happening in this city.
I trust my Father and praise Him for giving me but a moment to know such a lovely young woman.

For Nana Cheryl September 2011

Most Difficult Change Dying to Ourselves

In my last post Joyce spoke about change. This has been playing on my heart quite a bit lately.
I am always praying that the people in my life would change their ways.
Desiring them to pick up and get moving forward.
Wanting them to stop wallowing in their situations using it as an excuse to stay where they are.Accepting secular counsel be it from a therapist or a doctor or even a friend as a be all end all answere.This is the way it is accept it,and try and live your life within your "OWN" means.
Really!
Do not accept this. Do not let the world dictate what is or what is not.
Believe in the only One who knows the plans He has for you.
My guess is it's not sitting on your ass waiting for blessings to just be handed out to you because you Believe in Him.
We must have complete faith in His healing from whatever is ailing us,beit laziness,sickness,pride,financial issues and the list can go on and on depending on our lives.
It's time for us to Die.
Die to ourselves our flesh and start living the life He has given us.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Ok we can say that over and over again and believe it with all our hearts but are we living it.
I know I'm not.
Truth be known I love watching Joyce, I love taking the ISOM course and I love the lessons from our Pastors on Sunday mornings.
My confession I am lazy when it comes to reading the word.I do but not daily or dilligently.
Why because I have allowed others to do it for me.
Yes I am learning but how much more or closer to God will I become when I hear it from the source Himself.
I have changed alot of my ways but this is one I tend to hold on to.
I have been blessed with His grace in this matter and I know He will never forsake me, but it's time for me to die to that one aspect in my life that is holding His plan back.
After all he died for us. What a sacrifice of true love.
The Lord has really been showing me images of the hungry.
Man cannot live by bread alone.
Oh that must mean get out there and help the poor.
Nope this was about me.
God is the greatest! Amen!
I am really hungry and yet I supress my hunger by holding on to the last piece of me that needs to die.Laziness Fear of what I could be in Him.
Proverbs 6: 6-11 was playing on my heart this morning not only for me but for others in this world.
So today I choose to die to myself and walk with the utmost of faith and I believe it is then and only then His plan for me can be fulfilled.

So Long Self it's been fun but........

Felt the need to post this

Choosing to Change

by Joyce Meyer

How serious are you about wanting change in your life? A lot of us want our lives to change…but we’re not willing to do our part.

If you really want things to change in your life—and experience the fullness of the life Jesus died to give you—here are some things that you need to do.

Spend Time with God

First, examine your priorities and see what needs to change. You can’t think spending 45 minutes or an hour in church on Sunday mornings is all you need to live in victory. Since the devil is alive and well every day, then you need a daily walk with God.


The wonderful thing is, there’s no formula. You can just be with Him. Pray, laugh, cry, talk or sit still and not open your mouth. It’s that easy.

Stand Up on the Inside

Next, you need to get serious about changing your life. Every one of us has an outer life and an inner life. Many of us want our outside circumstance to change while we stay depressed on the inside. But before you can get up on the outside, you have to get up on the inside.



You may have a circumstance in your life right now where you feel like you have no choice but to sit down. If that’s the case, tell yourself you’re going to stay enthusiastic, passionate, stirred up, excited, positive, and full of hope and faith on the inside. Make up your mind that you’re never going to quit.



Get Up and Clean Up!

In John 5 there’s a story about a man who I believe represents a lot of people who refuse to change.
During a Jewish feast in Jerusalem, Jesus visited the Bethesda pool where sick people gathered, hoping to get healed. One of the people waiting to get healed was a man who had been crippled for 38 years. When Jesus saw him, He asked if he wanted to be healed.
To me, the man’s answer tells us why he hadn’t been healed in 38 years. He said, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.” Bottom line, the man had avoided responsibility.

His second problem was that he blamed others. The man said, “While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”


How did Jesus respond? Jesus didn’t feel sorry for him. Instead, Jesus said, rather sternly, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” In other words, stop being lazy and get on with your life.

For change to occur in your life, it’s not only important that you stop being a prisoner of your circumstances. You also have to choose to become a prisoner of hope. This means being a person who cannot get away from hope. If you’ll do this, you’ll receive double of anything that’s taken away from you. That’s a promise from God.



Never Give Up!

It was a special day in my life when I realized I didn’t have to give up; I could have hope in the worst circumstances. Regardless of what the situation looks like, I believe that God can give me a breakthrough.

We all want instantaneous breakthrough, but it’s going to take time. And you may go through long periods, even years, feeling like you haven’t made any progress at all, but you have.



Most of the time change occurs daily in little increments that you don’t even notice. But if you’ll just look back after a year or two, you’ll realize that things in your life have changed.


No matter what your circumstance or situation is, you can choose to change. You can choose to hope. You can choose to never give up. You can choose to experience the life Jesus died to give you. Now get up and go!