God dropped more information in my heart today.

Both dads went to church.

Dad #1 grew up with an alcoholic father and a praying mom. He ran from consequences.

Dad #1 said, “My dad told me to sit at Mom’s feet as she reads her Bible, but she never told me about Jesus.”

His first wife said, “He always made friends with pastors at church.”

Hanging around God’s people will feel good but it doesn’t transform your life or bring healing.

Dad #2 was insecure from being called out different in grade school. He coped by believing he could create perfection in his life with no failure.

He attended church, joined the choir, and committees. They distract but don’t bring healing to the soul.

When something interrupted perfection, his voice boomed, “YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO RESPECT ME!”

Controlling everything in your presence creates an allusion of peace, but real peace comes from Jesus.

Both Dad’s found Jesus and changed from the inside out.

Dad #1 quit running and has stayed married to the same woman for over 20 year.

Dad #2 stopped yelling and controlling people. He became tender and asked to be forgiven for raising his voice.

Anyone want real change in their lives?

SAY “Jesus, I want to know You, fill me with Your LOVE!”

God is Good!

My husband and I went to the, “The Sound of Freedom!”

It was the type of movie to watch without the distraction of popcorn. I don’t think anyone left to go to the bathroom even though many had the desire.

Tears flowed many times but when I made it to the bathroom, sobs of tears escaped like a  dam braking. What do I do except make conversation as I wash my hands and grab the paper towel.

This Blessed woman listened and hugged me as I told her how my mom saved me. Then God Redeemed me bring healing.

I listen to Angel studio talk with the director and actor about the success at the box office, being #1 on the 4th! “We want more! We need to keep this movie in theaters so tell people about i!”

They said, “Many theaters broke out in applause twice. Once at the end of the movie and then again after listening to Jim Caviezel talk!”

If you need they have free tickets paid forward by people who think it is important to be seen. They don’t want lack of money to be a reason keep people away. Look up Angel Studios.

God Bless everyone who goes and tells others to go!

GOD IS GOOD!

 I try to open a conversation with the women in front of me, asking questions as we stand in line.

She answers my question and turns back to the line. When I ask what movie she is there to see, she asks about the movie I am seeing.

It took me a bit to describe The Sound of Freedom I started to think about  the man who saved the kids and how he started, mistakenly I said the DEA instead Homeland Security.

My next thought was, “How horrible situation is at the southern border with all the small unaccompanied young children! Who sends a three or ten year old on that trip?”

I keep my mouth shut because of politics, but when the movie starts I started crying and am convicted of not opening my mouth.

LORD HELP me to ALWAYS speak out about the life of a child being trafficked!

God is Good! Man is not!

Philippians 1:9-10, 11

And this I pray, that our love will abound in real knowledge and discernment, so that each of us may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I notice, the fruit of righteousness is all through the New Testament. The only way to KNOW it is to receive the gift through through Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with us except to receive the gift and believe it.

It took 15 years to really make His righteousness mine. I had such a shame countenance it took a lot of Word (reading my Bible) to wash my thoughts and transform me in my inmost being.

I knew it was mine when I stopped confessing that I am a sinner in church. My words changed in many places.

I know I am born again in the righteousness of God.

I watched my response to put down’s and rejections change. Self condemnation disappeared.

A New Found Confidence to speak up and be heard appeared and took me by surprise. Now  I am learning when to speak up and when to keep my mouth shut for Wisdom sake.

God Is Good!

Romans 14:17 The kingdom of God is not eating or drinking but Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit.

For most of my life I went to church but didn’t understand anything about walking in the Power of God and His Righteousness.

In my 20’s God was asking me to spend more time with Him, but I talked with a friend for  hours every day I couldn’t give it up.

The next thing I knew we were moving 3000 miles away. God made a way for me to spend more time with Him. Living in Florida I found Joyce Meyer on TBN an she helped me grow in my faith.

The first thing she taught me was the power of forgiveness and I caught that quickly but righteousness of God took 20 years for me to make it mine.

Walking in the righteousness of God is the single most important thing that changed my life.

This is what I used to fight the self defeating thoughts that plagued my mind daily.

Who knows if I was able to give up talking for a few hours a day maybe God could have set me free from the self torture 20 years earlier. How would that have changed my life for the better.

I am thankful that God kept pursuing me.

Hosea 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

Proverbs 4:5-8  acquire  Wisdom and get Understanding and prize them

God Is So Very Good!

September 17, 2021, marks the 40th anniversary of my walking with Jesus.

It started when my family moved West to Oregon: even though I had completed one year of college I was not ready to live on my own, so I moved with them.It only took one summer for me to realize I could not live there with them so I took a train back to the University of North Dakota.

Isn’t it like God to make things feel so uncomfortable that we have to move to the next area God has planned. The fear of changing and living on my own was less scary than staying in a very uncomfortable place.

Once back at school I contacted Jill, the friend I had made my freshman year.  She was a Christian who lived across the hall going out to sing every week. I know now that God gave me the desire to ask, “Can I join your group?”

She took me to the first Folk Group meeting of the new school year. We did a Bible Study, “Out of the Salt Shaker,” then we were asked to write what we believed the goal of the group was.

Before breaking to go back to the dorm we prayed as a group popcorn prayer. I noticed they had something I didn’t have. As they prayed, I told God, “I want what they have.”

God filled me instantly with JOY and LOVE I had never known before and He gave me a desire to devour the Bible! I wanted to tell everyone what I have found!

What I wrote for a goal was how I wanted to tell everyone about this LOVE I was filled with; they thought it wasn’t the kind of goal they were asking for, but they counted it as becoming Born Again, a new believer in Jesus.

I grew up in church, was baptized, went to Sunday school, confirmation, and was confirmed. I had a Bible and tried to read it but couldn’t keep it going. The 23rd Psalm was something I knew because my mom helped me memorize when I was 8 years old. My Grandma read Bible to us every night when we lived with her, but at home Mom only prayed before meals and at bed time until we were of age, and she brought us to church.

What did Jill do that drew me in to see something more than just going to church?

Jill didn’t condemn me for my life style, but she walked in LOVE and ACCEPTANCE. She told me of a better way to live but didn’t push, just gave information. I am sure she prayed for me and she invited me to join her to do some fun things.

When I returned to school and I asked to join her, Jill took me to Folk Group and introduced me to IVCF. I found out I could have fun without drinking. People accepted me and LOVED me even when I wanted to run away because I didn’t know how to be accepted. They nurtured me and discipled me until my accident, (but that is another story)

God has been teaching me how to be a friend; apologize if I overstep my bounds, not judge lifestyle, walk alongside people, and build them up in Jesus. He has defiantly been teaching me how to Love and Forgive the unlovable and realize most people act the way they do out of hurt or pain.

God wants to use you to show His LOVE!

DO YOU KNOW HIS LOVE? IF NOT JUST ASK AND HE WILL FILL YOU AS HE FILLED ME!

GOD IS GOOD! GOD IS VERY GOOD! GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!