We had a very special time last Thursday at Sunshine Memory Care. Most of my friends’ memories are disconnected from the everyday life of the outside world. But their hearts are still connected to God by faith and together we have special moments when the joy of Jesus Christ… For the rest of this post and to hear the song Dancing Heart visit Walking With Lambs.
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Easter Devotional
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. John 20:1
I know, some of you may be asking yourselves, “Easter already? Why in the world is he talking about it so soon?” But the reality is that Ash Wednesday is just two weeks away (February 22nd)! Though each of us may observe the season of Lent a little differently, most of us find that it is a great opportunity to refocus our heart on the basics of our relationship with Christ and remember again His last days as we look to the Cross, the Tomb and Resurrection morning. These daily readings are simple with each one connecting to a single verse and small story. Together they lead step-by-step to the miracle of Easter morning, and my prayer is that you will be touched and changed, and that the good news of the resurrection of Jesus will bring the hope of Christ to your heart. Since it sometimes helps to write down in our own words what God has done in our lives, at the end of this book is included a short journaling section. This gives a space where you can put down in your own handwriting, how God has worked the miracle of faith and the love for Jesus in your life. Your story can be both a reminder for yourself as well as a legacy you can share with those closest to you. For me, Easter is special because that is the day in 1972, when I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I call it, “My Easter Miracle.” But my experience was only possible because Jesus suffered for me, He willingly gave His own life so that a selfish young man could be forgiven and saved. I had spent my time pursuing pleasures and running away from responsibilities, and yet Jesus came. He saw me and loved me so much that He died and then broke through the power of death to walk out of the grave on Easter morning. How grateful and amazed I am each time I remember His story again!
This year’s devotional book is broken into six sections, each of approximately one week. The link provided below is for the large print edition (eBook is also available). The regular print will be available in a couple of days. Here in our local community, we use this large print edition as a part of our nursing home outreach each Easter. The residents love seeing that it is specially for them in a print size that is easy to read. So, whether you choose to purchase a copy for yourself or not, please pray that our outreach will be effective in touching the lives of the residents who come to our services. They are looking for hope, and encouragement at one of the loneliest times of their lives. God bless you and let me know if you have any questions about either the book or our nursing home ministry.
Fighting Depression with Thankfulness
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalm 42:5 KJV
Some of my favorite memories and best life lessons come from the decades I spent working high in the treetops. This morning as I was struggling with the Winter blues and feeling overwhelmed with doubts, I remembered fighting with a heavy limb directly over my head that I was cutting while suspended sixty feet above the ground. My options were limited and the consequences of failure high, but then my foreman called up to me, “Just get mad at it Pete!” His advice got my attention just long enough so I could focus my energy on the solution and not the problem. A tree limb was not what David was struggling with in today’s verse, but his advice sounds a lot like something my old foreman would have approved of. With every reason to be afraid and a laundry list of problems facing him, David decided that the best place to begin was his own soul. He just gets mad at it! “Hope thou in God!” he cries. “Stop whining! Praising God is what your job is, so let’s get with it” (Okay maybe I stretched the Hebrew a little thin here, but you get the idea!) Sometimes we just have to read ourselves the riot act. Our soul is always looking for an easy way out of problems, but no matter our situation or how long the journey, we have to remind ourselves from time to time that God has not left the scene. He is still worthy of our praise, and able to help us. Our job is to be thankful, even if it means getting mad at the situation so we can focus again and put our trust completely in Him!
I enjoyed this recent devotional testimony from Join Eareckson Tada on how she fights off depression. Her battles are far more severe than most of us are facing and I love her idea of making a list of things to thank God for. We are all fighting the same enemy and there is nothing he hates more than hearing how great our God is. So, “Get mad at it!” if it helps. Join David in telling your soul to get with it! You just might be amazed how God will answer and come to help in ways we never dreamed!
praise2worshipdotnet 
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