faithfulness

New Year – New Horizons

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After a couple of weeks away with time to enjoy Christmas and New Year with the other half I am officially back to writing for 2020. Thank you to all of you who have followed, read and commented over the past year. It is a real encouragement knowing some of the things God has brought me through have been a help to others. 2020 will be a different in that I will be posting only once a week except for around the holidays. I will also be posting once a week on New Beginnings about Nursing Home outreach. I am thankful that a small group of volunteers is beginning to network with me through our local church to help with the outreach in the North Tampa area. If you or someone you know is interested you can check out the weekly posts over at New Beginnings

None of what has been happening would be possible without the help, prayers and support of many people. Last year my resolution was to pray more honestly. In 2020 my desire is to pray more intensely since the time is growing short and only by God’s power can anything be accomplished of eternal worth. God bless you and may you walk closely with Jesus this week.

 

Always Pray

When our eyes first open and the sun peeks in

We can thank the Lord as our day begins

Or when storms close in and darken the sky

We run to find shelter at our Jesus’ side

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If the corn is ripe or if the fields are dead

We can still thank God for our daily bread

And when we sin and fall under guilt and shame

He forgives if we ask Him in His holy name

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After we’ve run as far as we can

He renews our strength when we pray to Him

When we stand up strong or when we fall down

If we’ll pray to the end He has promised a crown

It’s not by our wisdom that this battle is won

Nor by our strength that the race must be run

He gives when we ask and when we seek we will find

If we’ll pray and not faint to our life’s finish line!

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint                   Luke 18:1

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Through the Storm

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Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. Acts 27:23-24

Everyone goes through storms; whether self-inflicted  blunders or ones over which we have no control like sexual abuse. God doesn’t give us much guidance in how to live storm free, but the Bible is chock full of ideas on how the make it through them.

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Paul found himself in just such a situation as he was being shipped off in chains to stand trial because of his faith. He discovered the helplessness we all experience when we are not the captain of our ship. As his ship sailed off to sea Paul was to the outward observer the person least in control of the ship. The ship’s owner was in a hurry and the captain decided the weather was fine. The sailors hoisted up the sails and the paying passengers just enjoyed the sunshine on the deck. But no matter their position in that ship, they all were headed towards the same storm.

People use all different ways in facing difficulty. The Owner yelled at the captain to get things under control. The captain yelled at his crew to work harder. The soldiers aboard probably complained that the sailors had no idea what they were doing and the passengers huddled in fear below decks. But when the waves came sloshing into the boat Paul just kept doing the same things he did on sunny days. Paul served God and prayed. The question isn’t what kind of storm we are facing, but  can find a way to keep praying and serving God right in the middle of it?