REVIEW OF OUR LIVES IN 2010

As I think back over the past year, there have been many changes. Some were absolute miracles and blessings from God and some were heartbreaking and still are today.

I want to thank God for His protection this time last year on New Year's Eve 2009. There was no way for us to have come out of that spinning on ice in complete circles in both directions with no injuries and no wrecked vehicle without a divine hand intervening in the situation. To God I give all the glory.

We were expecting the arrival of my son's first baby in March. What we didn't know was that our daughter was also expecting but was afraid to tell us and afraid to go through a second pregnancy because of the complications with her first child. Her daughter Allison had been asking Jesus for a baby sister.

My weekly Bible Study Group continued to meet here at my home and this group of women grew and we also grew in the knowledge of our God. The times of sharing our hearts with each other and praying for one another and our families were so special. I was also able to start a Prayer Shawl Ministry in our church in the month of March. Many people have been ministered to through this ministry.

Our son's daughter Abigail came on March 31st on my daughter's birthday. Funny how God sets dates to coincide with dates. She was a beautiful baby and today she is crawling and trying to pull up to stand. I am also very blessed to be able to care for her when her mother returned to work.

We all held our breath as we waited for the arrival of our third grand-child in August, knowing of what happened with the first pregnancy. God kept his hand upon Amanda throughout her pregnancy and upon the baby.

July came and our friend Ricky, who was like a son to us, made a sudden decision to take his own life. There have been many tears over his leaving and tonight as I write this, it would have been his 35th birthday today. Ricky, my heart breaks not knowing where you are for eternity.

Ten days later, on August 4th, our daughter delivers a healthy baby boy. Nathan, our first grandson. His sister Allison had been asking Jesus for a sister. We told her Jesus knows best and He wanted her to have a brother instead. Among the heartache of the death of Ricky, there is joy in the birth of a baby. So many emotions are flowing during this time. Thankfulness for God's hand upon our daughter and upon our grand-babies that were born and mourning for Ricky.

As the fall months came we lose a few more friends to death. It's been a reality check when you get out the Christmas decorations and see a tag from a gift that our friend Juanita had given us the previous year and now she is with the Lord.

Our Pastor for the last 12 years Gary Rogers has suddenly been moved by God to another area of Oklahoma to minister. We were very blessed to have an associate Pastor Steve Lee, that agreed to take on the responsibility of continuing to lead our church. Today our church is growing in all areas with many young people coming into the faith of Jesus.

The Bible Study ended suddenly in the fall. There were many reasons for ending it even though I fought for many months to continue it, but I felt a release the night I ended it. I believe God has a plan and a step up from what we were doing here. Time will tell if this is true.

New Years Eve 2010......Tonight as I look back over the past year, I thank you God for your hand upon our family. Thank you for our parents that are still with us and for seeing them through many difficulties this year. Thank you for our friends that have remained with us.

I ask Lord, for Shalom, (Peace) to be upon my family and friends in 2011. May nothing be missing and nothing be broken. May everything be complete. Open the eyes of our hearts to see you and to become closer to you this next year as we wait for your return. In Jesus name I pray....Amen

THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB

I have been amazed as a Christian at the results of studying our Jewish Roots of the Bible. Not only has what I have learned deepened my relationship with my Lord and my understanding of His Word, it has at the same time made me realize how we Christians have also had blinders over our eyes.

One of the things I have read about was a time in history when no one was allowed to have a Bible to read for themselves except for the leader. All of the learning came from what the leader would tell you. We can look back on that time in history and see how absurd that was when in reality, the church today HAS BEEN very much the same way. I say HAS BEEN because more and more people are starting to dig into the Word of God in these last days for themselves not relying 'only' on what a leader may teach us.

When I first started studying my Jewish Roots, my Jewish Messiah Jesus, and the Feasts Of God, I was met with some that were skeptical and afraid that "I might get off into wrong teaching or worse...a cult." This was no different from that time in history when no one was allowed to read the Bible for themselves. But praise God, the blinders are coming off and more and more pastors, teachers, and leaders are understanding and teaching the depth of God's Word.

Today marks a very important date in the history and in the future of mankind. Today is the New Year on God's calendar. It is called many names and one of those names is Feast Of Trumpets.

It is the day God created the world. The only feast day that is marked by a New Moon, a new moon of creation that then grows into a full moon.

It is the day that Abraham bound Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice to God and the Angel of the Lord intervened and stopped him. A ram was caught in the thicket by his horn, (trumpet or shofar) that is Feast of Trumpets, then the ram was sacrificed.

And today is the next Feast day to be fulfilled by Jesus. He fulfilled Passover when He was slain, Unleaven Bread when he went into the grave, First Fruits when He rose again from the dead, and Pentecost when He sent the Holy Spirit to man. All fulfilled in their order and the next feast day to be fulfilled is Feast of Trumpets. God is a God of order!

He said in His Word that He is coming for those that are watching. Keep your eyes on the sky and keep watching whether He comes today, tomorrow, months, or years, He is coming for His Bride. And together with Jesus, we will enter into the Marriage Supper Of The Lamb.

Revelation 19:9........Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL

On August 4, 2010, we heard a shout that sounded like the voice of an angel as Nathan Rhett took his first breath here on earth and cried out.

Nathan means a gift from God and Rhett means a well spoken man.

His sister Allison had started asking Jesus for a baby and her prayer was answered.

Our family was blessed four months earlier with a grand-daughter named Abigail.

This time, only one trip to the hospital instead of 13 with no complications. God is so faithful to let my daughter redeem the time that an expecting mother should cherish when she is carrying a child.

My prayer over each one of my grandchildren is that they will always serve the Lord and be a light for Jesus. That they would have the favor of God upon their lives.

OVERS!!!!!

I remember as a child playing a game or trying to make an image in the sand or trying to build something and when it didn't turn out as we planned we would yell "OVERS" and try it again.
There are times in life when we can have 'overs' when the outcome isn't what we anticipated.

Yet there are times in life when things are final and no 'overs' are granted. Yesterday was a day I truly wished we could have overs. Someone we loved very much in a moment of despair and anger decided to take his own life. In just a split second, he's gone. In death, there are no overs. It's final. If only we could have overs, so much would be said. If we could have forseen the outcome of that day, he would still be here living today.

Yesterday, when so many hearts were broken, and a life ended on earth, the birds did not quit singing, the sun did not stop shining, and the flowers did not stop blooming. The living keep on living because God is life. Those he left behind will go on living but with a void in our life and with much sorrow for a long time. I know if he could see the outcome of his decision, he would want overs too.

I thank God that He is so merciful even when we experience the death of a loved one. Because He is life....and in our sorrow, we still experience life all around us. Children laughing, birds singing, flowers blooming and tomorrow the sun will rise again.

Once a day is gone, you will never experience that day again. But oh how I wish we could have overs for yesterday.

The Book Is Still Open For Membership

When I got married almost 35 years ago, I moved from my hometown to my husband's hometown. Although I visit my hometown quite frequently, I lost contact with so many people I used to know. Recently I joined Facebook and have been getting in contact with so many people that I knew and grew up with. It has been so exciting to see pictures of friends and family and to talk with them and get re-aquainted. To be able to type in a name and find someone I had forgotten about for years and to make contact with them and find out about their lives...what they are doing now.....how many children and grandchildren they now have.

Facebook has not only been a way to find someone I used to know, but it has been a way to express my faith in God with others and they with me. It has been a way to let some of them know how important they were in my life. One friend in particular named Karron, I was able to let her know how much I loved art class with her in Jr. High. She was a pastor's daughter and everyday when we got in art class, she would start telling us about different things in the Bible. Karron played an important part in my love for the Lord.

Facebook......it reminds me of another book that will one day soon be opened. The Book of Life! Will I be able to check this book in heaven to find family and friends to see if they made it?????

What joy I will experience when I make contact with them!!! I'll be able to sit down with them and tell them how they made a difference in my life just as I told Karron a few days ago.

Facebook....it reminds me of that Book of Life that my name is written in and because of that I will soon see Jesus face to face in person and not on a computer.

Revelation 20:12...And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Revelation 20:15...And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Facebook.....what a wonderful way to tell all my friends and family about Jesus and about another book they need to join.. The Book Of Life!

I pray that all you that read this will have your name inscribed in the Book Of Life and someday we will get to meet each other face to face.

Little Prayer Warrior

I couldn't resist posting this one!! Abigail Hope had her first pictures taken with a photographer and she wasn't even a month old at the time of this snapshot. When I saw the picture I couldn't believe it. Her mother Brandi, my daughter-in-love, said that when the photographer got ready to snap the picture, Abigail raised her hands and put them together as if praying.

Like Feathers in the Wind

In a small Jewish village in the Ukraine, a young man became angry with the rabbi. In his anger, he shared a lie with one friend, speaking evil of the rabbi. As is typical, particularly in a small town, the one man told another, who told his wife, who told her sister, and eventually the rabbi himself heard the story. The rabbi was deeply hurt by the lies being told; but could do nothing to counter the now widespread story.

After a few weeks, the young man realized he had been wrong to be angry at the rabbi, and even more wrong to have told the story about the rabbi. With a truly repentant heart, he went to the rabbi and confessed both his anger and the lie he had told. He offered to do anything to repair the damage he had done. The rabbi offered the young man one simple task. The young man was overjoyed and gladly asked what he must do. The rabbi told him to go home and get a feather pillow, take it to the center of town on a windy day, and cut it open. Once all the feathers had been scattered by the wind, he told the young man to simply walk around and gather up each and every feather and return it to the pillow case.

The young man's countenance dropped, and he told the rabbi that such an assignment was impossible. The rabbi shook his head and told the young man that just as it was impossible to regather the feathers, so it was impossible to regather the lie he had spread. The Rabbi could and would forgive the young man, but the damage could never be completely undone.

(Whenever you speak evil of another, three people are hurt. First, the person you are speaking about is hurt. Second, you hurt yourself when you speak evil about another. You pollute your own thoughts by focusing on the evil, and you also tarnish your image, as people come to know you as one who spreads a bad report--a gossip. Third, you hurt the person you tell. You pollute their mind and their image of the other person, and you tempt them to continue the gossip train and share this same evil report with others. Remember, all three people are damaged, even if the evil report is true!)

The rabbis teach that the only time it is permissible to share an evil truth, or we might say "bad report," about someone is when not doing so will cause damage to the person you might tell.

Story taken from BRIDGES FOR PEACE Israel Teaching Letter titled GUARD YOUR TONGUE.

Resurrection Thoughts

I was reading Ginger's post today at http://onemomsheart.blogspot.com/ . Just a simple post sign reading 'Jesus is Risen' then underneath was Luke 24:5-6. "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen."

I have a window next to my computer and was looking out the window thinking about this scripture. Outside I see dead grass with green grass coming in here and there. I see flowers coming up through what was not long ago a dead looking yard. I see what was dead looking trees with green leaves coming out from them.

Our nature is to look with anticipation at what once looked dead for new life. We do seek the living among what once looked dead. We have hope every year that life will spring forth once again in the spring just as Jesus sprung forth in the spring from life to death to life again.

Isn't it amazing at God's timing for His resurrection. Not in the winter, summer, or fall, but in the spring when the plants are being resurrected. When birds are coming back to inhabit our area they not long ago fled from.

In the spring there is an aroma in the air of the flowers and trees blooming. There is singing of many birds. There is hope being manifested everywhere and we can experience it with all our senses.... sight, sound, smell, touch, singing. That was God's plan all along. For us to 'experience' the resurrection of Jesus with our all. At a time when hope is being manifested all around us. It was in His plan from the beginning of time and not just a happenstance.

Yes, I believe that God has put it in our nature to seek the living among the dead knowing of that hope of resurrection that will come soon in the things around us. And because of what is happening around us.....He has put in all of us to know that there is a God and NO ONE will be able to say they didn't know.

I pray for each of you that read this for 'life' to spring forth in what looked dead........your health, finances, relationships, whatever it may be that you need right now. Look for that Resurrection Power in your situation that looks dead to come to life as you watch that grass turn green and the flowers appear again.

Blessings during this Season of Resurrection Power!!!

HOPE HAS ARRIVED!!!

Abigail Hope arrived March 31st and weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. She is my son Jeramy's first child and my second grandchild. She was born on my daughter's birthday. I posted about God's appointed Seasons in my previous post and this is just an example with Abigail being born on Amanda's birthday.

I had gone down to the flower shop at the hospital to look around and couldn't believe what I found. The exact planter that was sent to me in the hospital twenty eight years before when I had my daughter. It was a pink train engine with flowers. I told the lady checking me out that this same planter had been sent to me 28 years ago when I had my daughter (in a different city) and I was sending it to my daughter-in-love and son who had just had their first daughter. (I was so excited, I forgot to take a picture of the planter.)

My daughter Amanda Gayle, her daughter Allison (who happened to be born on her great-great grandfathers birthday) and Abigail.

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES........was a previous post about my grand-daughter Allison asking Jesus for a baby sister. As I said, my daughter was not going to have another child because of all the complications she had during her pregnancy with Allison. Well....... Jesus heard that prayer and Amanda will be having her second child in August. She was told it would be a boy and we are having to explain to Allison that Jesus wants her to have a brother not a sister.

She is half way to her due date and is doing well Praise the Lord!!!! She is seeing a High-Risk Dr. and they are keeping a close eye on her.

The Lord is tripling our grand-children in one year. I feel like Isaac when he sowed and reaped in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. I'm very over-welmed right now!!!

Appointed Seasons

Monday March 29-2010
Since starting a Home Bible Study a year ago, the biggest topics have been 'God's Appointed Times'. As I look back over my life, I can see that God has had 'Appointed Times' for me and I'm sure that He has had 'Appointed Times' for everyone but not everyone has realized them.

One of those 'appointed times' has been my birthday in March. Many years ago, my sister gave me this doll for my birthday. Her name was Sister Faith and she was carrying a scroll that said 'Amazing Grace' which is my favorite old song and 'The Old Rugged Cross'. What my sister doesn't know is how that doll has impacted my life and blessed me over the years. That is why my blog is called Sister.Faith.

As I look back over the years at my birthdays, I came to realize that it isn't just a time to celebrate when I was born, but a time to celebrate 'Appointments with God'. One of those 'appointments' was a name 'Sister Faith' that would be used years later. Last year it was the birth of a Bible Study, and this year it was the birth of a Prayer Shawl Ministry. There were many other 'appointments' that I have remembered that always happened around my birthday.

Coincidence????? I don't believe in coincidences!!!!!!

God has blessed me with so many 'Good Friends'. I'm a little late on posting but here are pics on my birthday March 6th. These are gifts from the Bible Study Group. We call ourselves 'Third Day Sisters' because we meet on Tuesday the 3rd day. And the 3rd day was double blessed during the time of creation. It was the only day that God said "It was good" twice.



And the beautiful cake my birth sister Norma bought me.

It made it even more special since she was the one that gave me the doll years ago called Sister Faith.

Tonight at sunset begins the first appointed time on the Hebrew Calendar that God set to meet with Him. It is Passover! (Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23) Next Sunday, we as Christians will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the best appointed time in all history and in our own personal lives!!!

The Birth Of A Ministry

I never dreamed that the birth of a grandchild would also birth a ministry. In my previous post I told about my son and daughter-in-love expecting their first child. I used to crochet years ago and taught my dl the only pattern I knew. I decided to buy some yarn to make a baby blanket. As I worked on this blanket, I would pray over my new grandchild that would be receiving it.

My dl would come to my house and she worked on a blanket she was making and I would work on mine. On one of these visits, my dl and son told me about a ministry at their church where the ladies were making prayer shawls and giving them out to people that needed healing or comfort. I visited some classes at their church to find out more and learned to make a shawl using a loom.

Here is my first finished prayer shawl. I knew who would be receiving this so I prayed over this person for her healing of cancer.
Today our Pastor presented the first Prayer Shawl to this particular lady.
This is what it looked like folded and with a ribbon around it.

The card on the shawl says: This Prayer Shawl was handmade representing the tangible evidence of prayer and love for you. As it was created, you were prayed for. We asked the Lord Jesus for you to receive His healing, His love, and His hope. As you wrap yourself in this shawl, may you find His comfort as it represents His arms around you.

The ladies at our weekly Bible Study prayed over this shawl this past week before it was given away.

Who would have thought that making a baby blanket for the birth of a child, would birth a ministry of prayer and love for others in need. It's exciting what God is doing!!!!

HER FATHER'S JOY!

Abigail Hope Does the name of a child really matter??? If you are a Christian and have studied the Bible, you know how important a name is. Many times a name was given in anticipation of what that child would become....someone good and honorable not only to the parents but to the Lord also.

My son and daughter-in-love are expecting their first child soon and her name will be Abigail Hope. What a wonderful name to have especially in these times we are living in right now.

Abigail.....'Ab' means father and 'gail or giyl (Hebrew)' means joy, rejoice, gladness.
It is the name of two Israelitesses in the Bible.

Hope means a favorable and confident expectation. A forward look with assurance.
Hope describes the anticipation of good.

As believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we do not react to the events taking place around us as someone who has no hope because WE HAVE A HOPE AND A FUTURE!!!! We look forward with assurance to that hope 'Jesus' who came and died for our sins and is returning very soon.

Psalm 10:28....The hope (expectation) of the righteous will be gladness.

Just as I am excited about my new grand-daughter coming soon, I am even more excited about Jesus coming soon.

Abigail Hope....Her father's joy is expecting gladness from her life just as our Heavenly Father's Joy is expecting gladness from our life when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

What a wonderful name of expectation we are waiting for!!

What!!!!!! Ouija Board For Tots!!!!!

Here is a news clip I just received and thought I would share and see what you all think. As a young girl, I knew someone that had one. I never participated in using one because I heard the stories first hand of things that happened while using it. Even as a young girl, I knew that the spirit world was real and I didn't want anything to do with the evil side of it.

Maybe one of these days I'll have permission to blog about lives that were destroyed because of playing around in the occult world.


Ouija board a controversial toy for tots

Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 2/3/2010


Toys R Us is selling Ouija boards, promoting them as acceptable for children as young as eight years old. The pink edition of the Ouija board is listed for girls eight-years-old and up while the regular version is designated for all children eight and up.

Stephen Phelan, communications manager of Human Life International, checked the website and reports that the findings are disturbing. "It is just troubling that these things are treated as casually as any other game, like Monopoly or anything else on this Toys R Us site -- and I think it's something Christians should be aware of and really not support," he states.

He further believes that Christians have an obligation to fight against it. "If you go to the comments section on the Toys R Us [web]site, you'll read comments from people who talk about being obsessed with it, talk about missing school for it, talk about the spirits they spoke to on the other side and how creepy it was," Phelan describes.

The communications manager adds that the primary groups that deny the evils of the Ouija board are the ones who deny the spirit world entirely.

He goes on to say Christians have a biblical mandate. "We're supposed to deal with the truth only," he notes. "We're supposed to have nothing to do with dark spirits. We're not supposed to dabble in anything that would compromise our souls, and that's exactly what this does."


The manufacturer of the product is Hasbro.

The Treasures Of The Snow

Living in the country does have it's advantages. One of those being an undisturbed landscape of beauty when it snows. This one is from my living room at daybreak this morning 2-1-2010.

Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning: Psalm 59:16

I send beauty from my place to yours.

Our pond in the front of our property.

Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

The tree that had a swing on it that our children played on many years ago.

He gives snow like wool. Psalm 147:16

Another view from our house.

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Isaiah 1:18

Now I lay me down to sleep.

Sunset as we were out feeding our cows a few weeks ago.

From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. Psalm 115:3

YOU CALLED ME FRIEND!!!!

This post is in response to my new friend A.N. who commented on my blog today. I chose to respond as a blog and you will understand why later.

Thank you A.N. to your inquiry as to why I believe Jesus is my God. First of all I believe Jesus is the only son of the living God. The Holy Bible declares He has been with God from the beginning and He was the Word that we read. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, among humanity, by being born of a virgin.

Next A.N., you and I DO agree on much of the information you presented to me. Let me explain a misconception I think you may have of Christians. We who call ourselves Christians do not always agree with each other on our beliefs but one thing that we DO all agree on is that Jesus is the Son of God.

I have studied the information about Constantine and the Greek mythology that you mentioned. You wrote about the name Jesus, Zeus, and Ieasus, but you failed to mention that the son of the living God's Hebrew name is Yeshuah. When we as Christians call upon the name of Jesus, we are calling upon God's only son that was born to a Jewish virgin and his name is Yeshuah. We use Jesus as the English name for Yeshuah. We are not calling upon a Greek god nor do we picture a Greek god when we pray. We picture the Hebrew man Yeshuah.

By studying the Holy Bible, most Christians realize that Jesus (Yeshuah) was not born on December 25th, but that is the day we have set aside to worship the birth of God's only son. From things I have studied, he was probably conceived around that day and born around the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Regardless, we Christians realize we are not worshipping someone born to a Greek Goddess.

We know that the word 'Trinity' is not mentioned in the Bible. When God created us, He created us a body, a soul, and a spirit. One person with three (three comes from the word that trinity comes from) different attributes just as He is. He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit. Yes, you and I agree, He is One. Just as I am one yet to those around me I am a wife, a mother, a daughter.

You wrote about Paul, but have you read about the Son of God appearing to him causing his conversion? If not, please read.

You must be seeking the truth A.N. because you know much about history and you mentioned different scriptures in the Holy Book that I read. I would like to challenge you to something as a friend. Would you pray this prayer: True and Living God, would you reveal yourself to me and show me the true way.

If you will pray this, I promise there will be many more praying along with you and let me know what is revealed to you my friend. Peace!!!!!!

GO, AND THE LORD BE WITH YOU!

My husband went on a mountain lion hunt a few years ago and this is what they got. It reminds me of the story of David in 1 Samuel when he wanted to go after Goliath. David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you!"

I feel like I'm going after a lion and a bear this time of year trying to get everything in order for taxes to be filed.

Life is full of battles to fight and like David, we have to be courageous and GO. And the Lord is always with us.... not to deliver us from the battle......but to deliver what we are fighting against into OUR hands.

I pray each of you GO in the name of the Lord to your battles and that you prevail over them just as David did.

And in a few days, I'll be holding up Goliath's head once again when our taxes are finished.

SHE DESERVES SOME TLC!

We are being warned here in Oklahoma about the cold weather that will be coming in tonight so I decided to fix our cat 'Billie' a place to sleep in the garage. She is at least 15 years old and has been a good barn cat all these years. She has caught many mice and rats out there in that barn and many times would bring her trophies up here to the house to show off. Since she is getting old we decided to get a kitten for her to train but she doesn't like that cat so she stays up here at the house on the porch. As I was fixing her a warm place in the garage for the rest of the winter she stood there purring as I was fixing it and as soon as I finished she jumped in and layed down.

I have quite a story to tell about Billie. She came from a litter of kittens that were born out in our barn during the winter. My daughter, being the animal lover that she is, went out to the barn one evening to check on the kittens. They were born on top of the hay that was stacked in the barn several feet up. One kitten had fallen down off the hay and had frozen. Amanda brought the kitten to the house and wrapped it in a blanket and sat by the fireplace rubbing it and praying for it.

Now this cat was dead and it was frozen. It's tongue was hanging out and stuff was running out its nose. She kept rubbing it and praying for it and she would use an eye dropper and try to squirt warm milk in its mouth. I heard my husband say "Sugar, that kitten is dead." But she kept on trying to nurse it back. After an hour of this we hear this sound in the living room that sounded like a billie goat. "Maaaa" It was that little kitten and before the night was over that little kitten was running around the house playing but it's meow sounded like a little goat. And that's how Billie got her name.