IF My people .....

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

IF ....... THEN

Did you see this? IF ... THEN ...
God is speaking to Solomon and I truly believe that these words are just as relevant for us today as they were then!

Did you notice that IF we

• Humble ourselves
• Pray
• Seek His face
• Turn from our sin

THEN He will

• Hear from heaven
• Forgive our sin
• Heal our land

Praise You, Lord! 

HIS WORD - Just as applicable today as it was then.

I have been pondering this verse; crying in my heart for the state of our land; for the state of loved ones - 

I so want to be the person He calls me to be - don't you? It begins with humility - surrendering all of me to Him and seeking Him in every aspect of my life; getting out of His way so He can work; trusting Him in all!

Praying His Word will speak to your hearts today - 

Blessings and Hugs!

Ruthie

The Apostles' Creed

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, 

Creator of heaven and earth; 

and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary; 

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried.

He descended into hell; 

the third day he rose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints;

the forgiveness of sins; 

the resurrection of the body; 

and the life everlasting.

AMEN

Don't Bother Your Head ...

Hello this morning! Phew, it is a humid one isn't it?

I have been pondering Psalm 37 since yesterday - and all of its "fret nots".
Fret not - meaning to wait on God letting Him have whatever is "worrying" you - He is in control - He will look after it all!
Do you believe that today? I truly hope so!

The Message says in Psalm 37 verse 1 - "Don't bother your head with..."! I love this! Isn't that what worry does? Gets your head - your mind - going in all directions and focusing on the "what ifs" instead of  "what is"! "BUT" - you say - "I am a worrier. My mom worried all the time and I can't help it". NOT TRUE! You CAN change it.

Romans 12:2 (EST) - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, ...
Do you see that? ... "by the renewal of your mind". The Holy Spirit living in and working in you can transform your mind! Praise the Lord! Every time you find yourself beginning to fret give it to God... Trust Him, Rely on Him, Commit your way yo Him.

Father God,
Thank You for the peace that comes from You; that peace that is beyond our understanding.
We Praise You today for Your Grace and Forgiveness.
Father, may each Reader today take Your Word to heart and rest in You!
In Jesus Precious name, Amen.


Blessings and Peace,
Ruthie

Cool Your Pipes!

Psalm 37: 8 
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm. (NLT)

Psalm 37:8 
Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes - it only makes things worse. (The Message)

I find this verse in Psalm 37 to be an interesting one! As a Counselor I can't tell you how often I have heard people say, "He/she made me so angry that I threw ...... ; or I hit the wall; or I squealed my tires; or; or ; ". and if the truth be known I have blamed my anger on others over the years. However, I have learned in recent years that I am responsible for my own emotions, feelings, and attitudes. I CANNOT blame them on anyone else.

The first blame game of all time started way back in The Garden  when when Adam blamed Eve for his disobedience and then Eve blamed the serpent. always pointing the finger at someone else! WHOA! Has anything changed over the years? No it hasn't, and it won't until we take responsibility for all of it!

It is very interesting to me that the action words used in this verse are:
STOP
TURN
DO NOT LOSE
BRIDLE (YOUR)
TRASH (YOUR)
COOL (YOUR)
all of which are related to the individual doing something regarding their anger.
ANGER can be a very destructive emotion - if we allow it to be.

I am throwing this out there today to encourage you if this is a problem for you. God can help you to change your mind, your behavior, your attitude. You must surrender to Him!

James 1:19 says to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to get angry; or as The Message says, "Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear."

Picture one of your children or maybe your spouse, or a friend straggling along as you take a walk. They are usually quite a few steps behind you.

So, Dear Friends, my suggestion for you today is to "cool your pipes and let your anger straddle along behind you". Have a grace-filled day!

Hugs...

Ruthie