Rom. 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Where did the year go?! 2010 is here and I can’t wait to see the great and mighty things that God will do in days and months to come! Live in expectancy, knowing God is working it ALL for your good. He will make your paths straight and He will keep you from falling. Looking back over 2009, I see how the Lord worked miracle after miracle in my life, and I have no doubt that He has prepared me for plans He has for me! (Jer 29:11) I’m excited about the new things that are already in the works for 2010. God is giving fresh wind, fire, and oil to His church. Let’s walk into this new season, remembering God’s works and standing on His unfailing promises! Always bear in mind that HOPE never gives up. What a HOPE we find in the love of Christ. (John 3:16-17)

Matt. 9:22
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

It’s easy to take for granted, get accustomed to, or not even fully comprehend our relationship with God. I’m talking about the relationship of Father/daughter, Father/ son. We appreciate the Saviour/sinner, Healer/wounded, Provider/needy, comparisons a little more, I think, because this is how we pray! We’re sick, we’re guilty, we’re poor, we’re sad. In other words the “child of the King thing” can be only words that we hear in songs on Sundays. But when I’m afraid, when my safety is threatened, when my eyes will not stop crying, I want my Father! I find myself lately, instead of being slightly unfamiliar with the role of God/Father, I’m clinging to it tightly. If we ever could really grasp the reality of being our Father’s child, wow, how our perception of God and ourselves would change. A long time ago, I wrote a line in a song that said, “When I see who He is, I realize what I am”. I want to refresh that idea today and say, “When I see Who He is, I realize WHO I am”! Whenever I read where Jesus called a women, Daughter,  I’ve just been overwhelmed with the preciousness (if thats a word:) of that relationship I share with my God. Father/daughter. Oh, how He loves us. It’s like I can crawl up on His lap, lay my head on His shoulder, and I’m safe. When He calls you daughter, all is well. I encourage you to be His daughter today. Forget about everything else, and just find comfort in your Father’s arms.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 7:11

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our family was crazy busy last week with family dinners, shopping and the store. We are so very blessed to have such a fun and  loving extended family, plus great friends. My sister and brother-in-law visited from TN and we had a blast! Lots of food, family, and fun! Perfect combination:)

Psalm 27:13. [I had fainted], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

I had a great time ministering at one of our home town churches last Sunday morning. I saw some friends I literally had not seen in eight years! My how time flies and changes things. God is constantly moving and shifting us, getting us into the positioned place of His will for our lives. I want to encourage those of you who are feeling kind of down about where you may be right now. You may be unhappy with your home, job, relationship, or anything. Just remember that God orders the steps of a good man or woman (Psalm 37:23), and He works ALL things together for our good! (Rom. 8:28) Once, after going through an extremely hard and emotional time, I felt stuck! I couldn’t seem to get from sorrow to joy. I hated the place of despondency I was in. My mom told me when I was a young teenager that if we let circumstances control our happiness, we’ll never be happy.  So I knew that circumstances weren’t the real issue. It was my heart and mind. I asked God to change me instead of the situation. Ever so gently and sometimes painstakingly slowly, He did heal me and restore my true joy. During that time, I read a line that Stormie Omartian had written that made a lasting impact on my trust for patience. She wrote, “One thing we can count on is change. Nothing ever stays the same.” Log that away! You may not need it today while you are looking over the beautiful landscape of a content life. But one day when things are dark and you are questioning your position, recall those timeless words of Ecclesiastes chapter 3- To every time there is a season, and a purpose to every reason under heaven. 1. For everything there is a season, and a time for very purpose under heaven: 2. a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3. a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4. a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5. a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6. a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7. a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8. a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.