Think Positive Matthew 8:13

Lately I've been feeling negative and anxious on a daily basis. This is so out of character for me. I paint a pretty picture for the world to see on the outside but  inside the picture is cut to shreds.

Last week I realized I haven't been praying, haven't felt spiritual, haven't felt good about anything in my world. Walking in circles, on the verge of tears, holding my feelings in, wanting to talk to someone...someone who would listen.  I turned to my Daily Inspiration book (which has not been used in a long, long time). I read the daily devotion today on feeling positive. Then, turning to the scripture Matthew 8:13 in my bible to read and attempt to understand.  Jesus tells us that it will be done for us as we believed.

What is Jesus trying to tell me? Why the uncertainty and anxiety? 

A feeling that more storms are coming my way????

Dear Lord, I pray to you please help me. My umbrella is only so big to handle this storm and my shoulders are only so wide.  Please help me believe!  Amen!

What is it that I believe? At this point, not much of anything. Everytime something good happens, it is taken away.....Why??? What do we do to be in this disbelief??

As a deadly storm can turn into a spring shower~

Matthew 8:26 And he saith onto them. Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuke the winds and the sea....and there was a great calm.

This calm will happen when we are positive and when we believe.

Photos: Bing

It feels so good! John 3:3

Psalm 138:2

Prayer of Invocation

Gracious and Sovererign God, we enter into your presence with great reverence and awe. We are continually overwhelmed by your amazing grace and measureless love. As we gather to worship you, we pray that you would life our hearts, renew our faith, restore our joy, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. In the redeeming name of Jesus, we pray....Amen!

Paintings of Christ

Have a Blessed Week,
Jackie

Recipes, Devotions, Crafts in time for Fall!!!

Recipes, Devotions, Crafts in time for Fall!!!


Ruby for Women September issue is now online~

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do~

Please click the link below to go to the magazine, not sure why the Issue isn’t showing here! A technie, I am not!

http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf


Happy Reading!
Jackie

David Garibaldi:Jesus Painting on Vimeo~

An artist paints Jesus~such a vision of beauty He is~


David Garibaldi: Jesus Painting from Thriving Churches on Vimeo.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth

Wishing you a safe weekend as we commemerate 911

Isaiah 40:31

I hope you find this as inspiring as I do~ It's so powerful ~~


31 but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Google Images.

"You Raise Me Up" by Kenny G

When I am feeling my lowest,
You Raise Me Up,
Oh, Glorious Father of Ours,
You Raise Me Up,
Up to the skies
Up to the Heavens
You Raise Me Up
Up to the comfort of your arms
Your Raise Me Up~

My wish for you is to take a moment to enjoy the beautiful photographs and listen to the soothing music~



May He Raise You Up!

Free Ezine Ruby 4 Women...August Issue...

Words of encouragement, wisdom, inspiration. Stories, crafts, recipes, humor can all be found here~and it's FREE!

Open publication - Free publishing - More crafts

Enjoy your Sunday evening Reading~~
Jackie

My Circle of Girls

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.   

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another , 'Let's fight together,'
Another , 'Let's walk away together.'   

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.   

But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself .
Those are your best friends.   

It may all be wrapped up in one woman, But for many, it's wrapped up in several..
One from 7th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
A couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others, your sisters,
And on some days, your daughters.   


God Bless You All~Such Beauty, Talent and Big Hearts You Have!!! 
Jackie

I John 4:9

    In this was manifested the love of God toward us,

because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world,

 

that we might live through him.. 

 Jesus Is Love~Unconditional~

Amen

God Our Creator....

This evening, during my Bible Study time, I felt compelled to share my lesson with you. I hope you will join me~I read Revelation 4:11

Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for "thy pleasure they are and were created.

My question is "how do we respond to God as our creator?" 

For me, the answer came pretty easy.  I respond by giving Him the Glory for all the happiness and blessings He has brought to me. I bow down and honour Him, for without Him, I would be nothing....like an eggshell...hollow, broken and empty. I pray to him for forgiveness, strength,  well health and prosperity for us all. 


I would like to know, how do you respond to Him as your creator? Think for a moment then please be so kind as to leave a comment with your answer.

 Blessings~
Jackie 

Are you in shape?

By reading the title, you probably thought this was about exercise, right? It is in the form of "mind" exercise.....


S-Spiritual Gifts
H-Heart
A-Abilities
P-Personality
E-Experience

When God created us, He created us out of His very own image....Each of these aspects define who we are in every way, shape, or form. Even though we are all created out of His image~Each of us are different (unique).

God created everyone in a unique SHAPE.  We use our SHAPE to serve God, at church,  at work, at home, during play...

Before answering, Think, how did you use your SHAPE today?

Raise Your Eyes to the Heavens and Pray from the Heart

When things go wrong as they sometimes will...When a loved one hurts you and you don't understand why....The thing to do is,

Look Up, Raise Your Eyes to the Heavens

 Pray

Pray from your Heart

Remember~
Isiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

Jackie 

photos: google image

Prayer for Uncertain Times

Dear Lord,
In this time of uncertainty,
Be my rock in a world built on sand;
Be my oasis of grace and peace in a world of tension and turmoil;
Help me to carry my cross gracefully, as you did in Your Passion;

Help me to follow Your beam of light in the midst of this darkness;
Help me to see Your will in all things
And show others Your comfort and strength.

Keep me calm when tempers flare up;
Keep me sane in a crazy world;
Keep me focused on the houses in Heaven
rather than the houses of cards collapsing around me;
Keep my eyes focused on the prize of Heaven

and not lose hope in You in this world or in the world to come;
Make me compassionate in dealing with others;
Let me see my travails as carrying my cross and sharing in Your Passion, for the love of You and for the salvation of souls, including mine.
And may all my difficulties be ultimately for my good and Your glory. 

Amen.

Sunshine!

“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.

May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.

May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.

 And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.

 May He Smile On You All The Day Through~
God Bless, 
Jackie

Photos via various sites~

"Jesus Is A Friend of Mine" Aaron Neville

http://youtu.be/9rN05ClD3vA

Jesus Love Me Senior Style

I received this email awhile ago~too lovely not too share! 

While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age. 
 

After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

"When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials.. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... The only thing that would comfort was this verse:
 

"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong.....
Yes, Jesus loves me....
The Bible tells me so."
When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it.

A pastor once stated, "I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best." 

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.

(CHORUS)

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I’ll go
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.

(CHORUS)

Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He’s begun.
Let me serve Christ with a smile,
Go with others the extra mile.

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
“Have no fear, for I am near.”

(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus , does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.

(Author unknown)

Please feel free to share! 

Phillippians 4:13

For a short time lately, I've been feeling weak. Weak with my life, my self esteem and shamefully weak with my faith..I feel that I have forsaken my Faith, which I must work to get back.  I know He still is there for me, I must find my way back into His Arms~

In The Lord's Arms lyrics

Like the wings stolen from an angel
Like petals gone from a rose
Like a dove caught in a storm

Tonight he's in the Lord's Arms

The wind it blew straight through us
And whispered to me in tongues
I was told I was wrong

Tonight he would be in the Lord's Arms
[ From : http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/ben-harper-lyrics/in-the-lord_s-arms-lyrics.html ]
Tonight he is in the Lord's Arms

So I drinked this wine to him
With each glass of memory
He left with his crown of thornes

Tonight he's in the Lord's Arms
Tonight he's in the Lord's Arms
Tonight he's in the Lord's Arms


I pray He will wrap His arms around all of us through our trials, tribulations, good times and bad.I know He is there for us....We have to keep our faith, for He works in His time and NOT ours, I will learn to pray for patience and await til He answers my prayers~

Phillippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

God Bless and May He Guide You to your Chosen Path....

Blessings
Jackie
The Perfect Place for the Not So Perfect
http://ournestoflove.blogspot.com/2011/07/phillippians-413.html