Be Strong In the Lord

 📖 Finally,  be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; Ephesians 6:10 (NRSV)

Our Banner Verse for Knights Of North Castle VBS.

We can not be strong on our own.

It has never been more evident to me than in the last month or so. 

Dad couldn't be strong on his own...not when given a paralytic and then heavily sedated...for over 3 weeks. He had no strength, no strength to breathe without assistance.  Not now, when his mind and body haven't yet cleared completely of the sedation affects, and are having to relearn things.

And mom!? Who hadn't driven enough to say so in over four years, who had never spent a night alone...now finds the strength to drive most days an hour one way. And has been living alone for over a month, doing the things dad had done for her.

📖 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10(NIV)

And the people who are suffering; sickness, tragedy and loss who show up...for Sunday service, show up for VBS, to give, for the week, of what they have left.

📖 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

Before we can be strong in anything we must first be strong in our relationship with the Lord.  We draw strength from His might and power, because that may be all we have.

🙏I pray His strength and power be yours today, regardless of what you feel you have.❤

🎵 Be Strong In the Lord

It's Your Breath

 "It's Your breath in our lungs, we pour out our praise to you"

The line is from a song Great Are You Lord, written by Songwriters: Jason David Ingram / Leslie Anne Jordan / David Alan Leonard

And right now, "breath in our lungs" is something that is very prevalent on my mind;

From remembering my sister (and others) whose cancer returns attacking their lungs, to my grandchildren (as well as many others) with upper respiratory sicknesses, me with asthma wreaking havoc,  and of course my dad, who is having a machine bringing breath in and out of his lungs.

With every breath in we take in life, 

God gave the first breath

📖 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2 :7

And He knows when the last one will be

📖 A person’s days are determined;

    you have decreed the number of his months
    and have set limits he cannot exceed. Job 14:5

But all the ones in between need to be praises to Him.

We breathe in life, but mingled with it can be; the sadness, fear, anxiety, hatred, bitterness, pride, self- righteousness, anger, rage, despair, complacency, worry, emptiness, that swirls around us, bangs up against us, wanting a way in.

Don't let it, with every breath take in Him, allow Him to filter all of that out BEFORE it gets in and fills the spaces.

So that every breath that comes back out is Praise, 

with every breath from our lungs we cry Great Are You Lord!

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope and You restore
Every heart that is broken

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise

🎵 Great Are You Lord - Casting Crowns

🙏I pray today that with every breath He gives you you breathe back praises to Him❤

"You Have To Move"

As I was praying on my knees today I heard those words.

One other time years ago...I heard them. It was a very rough time in my life and I was on my face crying out to the Lord without words...I had none. I had no idea what to do..what my next step was ...and I heard "Get up...and go...." so I did, not knowing what any steps after that first one would look like.

Today, on my knees pouring everything out to God, 

"Here I am again God, pleading for healing, strength", not just for my own family but others in my church family who are broken and grieving. 

And I just kept going and going....and then I "heard"..."you have to move".

We are to keep an open conversation with God, I believe, all day.

📖 Rejoice always, pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

📖  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

But I believe our prayers also require movement.

The prayer time fills us ..allowing us to move forward.

Jesus could have stayed in the garden talking to His Father all night...but He had to move...He had to get up and move forward into what God had for Him to do.

📖 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”..... When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.   Luke 22:42 + 45

We are the same, at some point we are to move...forward into what is before us....knowing God is right there...

📖 So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

We all need our time in prayer...alone with God on our knees...on our face.

But then we have to move..from that place forward into what is next.

🎵 Sweet Hour Of Prayer ...Casting Crowns

So I got up, stepped forward into today, knowing God has been there before me and is going along with me! 

🎵 I Will Follow You.. Chris Tomlin

🙏I pray that whatever the circumstances you find yourself in you can spend time in prayer and then...move and follow Him❤ 

Holy Spirit Come

 June 1:

 I blogged 4 years ago about mountains that God moves as my mom went through extensive surgery and recovery. 

Out of the blue a huge mountain has cropped up again. Last week I stuck with Memorial Day as this mountain was fairly new....and even as I begin to work on this my dad hasn't been in the hospital a week.

But I know even before next posting time ...God is going to give me something...and it will be about this mountain we are standing at...looking way up. .can't even see the top.

Maybe it will be "BabySteps" as we keep hearing.  Or "The long Haul" as we know this will be.

Or 

And now it is Wednesday June 8,  instead of Monday and Dad has been in the hospital for 13 days and on the ventilator for 11.

And what I have is;

📖  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

We are praying for strength and healing, but on my knees, sometimes, I don't have the strength or clarity for the words...but rest in the knowledge the Holy Spirit carries the deepest cries of my heart to the Throne.

🎵 Holy Spirit Come. Patrick Mayberry

Sometimes my heart is spoken through the lyrics of a song....this next one I have played/prayed over several people and circumstances...I am going to play it for Dad today....as you listen know that it is over you as well.

🎵 In Jesus Name. Katy Nichole

🙏I pray today that what ever circumstances you find yourself in you know that the God Of Possible has given you the Holy Spirit ...to cry out for you if you feel you can't ❤