Eternal Life

Good Morning!  John 11:25,26 Jesus told her, "I am the Resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this, Martha?" 

Photo of Lazarus Tomb

   Martha's brother Lazarus had died.  When she heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him.  When she found him, she said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  V.44:9:31  Jesus told her "Your brother will rise again."  And Martha said, "Yes, Lord.  I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

Raising Lazarus from the dead

   God is so good!  He listens when we are hurting, he hurts when we hurt.  This should work both ways - we should hurt when God is hurting.  When we sin, it hurts God.  We are all His children and he cares for us more than any earthly father could.  When he sees us turn away to earthly things, to drugs, alcohol, and all the other addictions of man, he hurts.  As children we never want to hurt our parents and even as adults and probably more so, we would never intentionally hurt them.  We should feel this way about God, too!  Think before you sin, I am hurting the Lord.  When you have Jesus in your heart, you remember the Father at all times and never want to hurt Him.

   So do not say hurtful things to one another, hold your tongue.  In times of stress, take a deep breath and think, if I do this or say this, will it displease and hurt the Lord?

    What a wonderful promise Jesus gave to us that we shall have eternal life after death because we believe in Him.  Live your life as if tomorrow you may meet with the Father and with the Son.  Wouldn't it be great if everyone adopted this attitude?  Reach out for the gift and you shall receive it.

  Please watch this very beautiful video with words to "Because He Lives" in my upper right side bar to be enriched for the day and forever...  Thank you for coming today and do come back soon.

My Christian heart to yours...

     

You will never walk alone....

A storm is raging off the coast...Hurricane Irene is wreaking havoc from Florida to Maine.   Fear not for God is with you.

Raindrops on my camera lens looking out of my den window

Isaiah 41:10  Fear not, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed.   I am your God.  I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Psalm 112:7,8 He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen.  For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him.  That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes.

Remember that whether the storms of life are hurricanes, tornadoes, or storms that rage within our souls and hearts, you will never walk alone as long as you have God and His Son by your side.  Are you struggling with an inner storm?  All of us struggle at some time in our lives with illness, loss, frustration over work or a relationship.  All the worry that takes your time is better spent in TRUSTING the Lord for guidance and to give you inner peace no matter what your situation.  I see little miracles everyday in my own life--they are there, you just have to look for them.  And thank Jesus and the Father when they occur!
Hebrews 10:36 You need to keep on patiently doing God.s will if you want him to do for all that he has promised.

Isaiah 26:3,4  He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!  Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength.

God uses people as his instrument in times of storms and technology keeps us abreast of the path of a hurricane and how to prepare for it so we may safely bear whatever comes our way in life.  Heed all precautions for your area with this storm.  Heed all of God's word for the personal storms that come into your life so you may come away unscathed but enlightened.  God is the original technology and none could serve us better to guide us through the storms of life.

Morning has broken...

And life goes on as if nothing happened and while the wind still rages, the light has dawned and God's beautiful creatures came by two to bless the morning...

They were fishing as usual, What a sight to grace the day!

A little Prayer for you ...

     ©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

I am turning to God as I so often do

And saying a prayer for all of you

You who are facing the storms of life,

To keep you  safe and free from strife

So you may glorify God with your Thanks.

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours....

When we are depressed...

When we are depressed:

Psalm 40:1-3  " I waited patiently for God to help me; then He listened and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire and set my feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along.  He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God."

Psalm 34:17, 19  "Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help, and saves him out of all his troubles... The good man does not escape all troubles, he has them, too.  But the Lord helps him in each and every one."

It is true that when we are depressed sometimes we only see the dark side of every circumstance.  But just as surely as day follows night and the darkness, God will pull us up out of despair and save us from our own misery.  Attitude has a lot to do with how we handle life's wrenches that always seem to throw themselves into our works!  But God is the hot line that is available 24/7!

All you need to do is invite Jesus into your heart and tell him your needs.  Ask Him to send the comforter to buffer your blows when things have you down and out.

The way you choose to react to circumstances can make all the difference.   Yesterday when my husband and I got the bad news that his kidneys are failing seriously because of the Multiple Myeloma cancer and from chemo treatments, our first reaction was blackness of despair.  But we still have each other and the Lord.  So we will have the ultrasound on Monday to see what the next step is and we are hoping it is not dialysis.  But if it is, there is nothing that we cannot face together and with God. 

My husband still makes me laugh despite his fear and dread of what is coming for him.  We both pray daily and not just for ourselves but we pray to Jesus, "and for all those who need you, Lord, Amen"

One of the best things you can do for depression is get out of the house even if it is for a ten minute walk.  When you are out in the open air and sunshine, you return home with a different perspective, not in just your view of life, but in your attitude.  Tell yourself to smile when you see friends so they do not avoid you because you are a "gloomy Gus".  Reading the Bible and other books helps a great deal, also.  Read the Bible to bring you closer to the Lord and understanding and read books for entertainment and to lift you out of your circumstance and into fantasy that is entertaining as well as therapeutic.  I just finished reading two books about King Edward the III of England.  One was written by a historian and one was written by the King himself.  Even Kings can be unhappy. 

If you able, get a pet.  Having to care for some one or some thing other than your self will take the concentration off of you and your troubles.  Petting a dog or a cat can actually lower your blood pressure.  Our human tendency is to make ourselves the center of our world when it should be the Lord and what we can do for others, not what can everyone do for me.

Isaiah 26:3,4 "The Lord will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!  Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength."  Have you had an over-dose of YOU?  Take the cure, Jesus.

♥KERRIE♥
My Christian heart to yours...

When you are agitated...

According to Webster's dictionary: Agitation: to stir up or move to violence, disturb, excite, keep in motion, shake up; trouble.

1Peter 5:7 "Let him have all your worries and cares for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."

This is how the Male Mute Swan looks when agitated.  He is chasing Canadian Geese out of his territory. (the pond in back of our home) He puffs up, assuming a full of fight posture, head down, plowing the water ahead of him at high speed.  So opposing did he look that about 15 geese took to shore and ran from him!

John 14:27  "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart!  The peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives.  So don't be troubled or afraid."

Phil 4:6,7 "  Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers.  If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will keep your thoughts and hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."

Peace be with you, and also with you....

  This is how peace looks.  Our cat Isabella trusts her Master, my hubby, so much that she can sleep on him in this relaxed position and is holding his hand with her paw...

   Our heavenly Father is like that.  He will give you peace like you have never before known if you reach out for His hand.  There is so much to agitate us in today's world.  We are bombarded with TV, Media, cell phones, I-pods, ad infinitum.  Our minds are never at rest.  Agitation keeps us from sleeping at times, changes our disposition and robs us of our joy.

   When you experience agitation, take a mini time-out, pray "my Jesus I need you, my Jesus come to me."  I remember when I heard John F. Kennedy had been shot, that was the first time I repeated this little prayer, over and over.  God will meet you wherever you are.  He will calm and comfort you and enfold you with His love and protection.  The Lord loves to be needed by His children.

  Do you feel agitated and out of sorts with a flurry of things going on around you at work or at home?  Try taking the mini time-out and pray any prayer you are comfortable with.  Take a deep breath, let your body fill with the Lord's presence and find peace.

Myrtle Beach State Park

Peace be with you, and also with you...

Thank you so much for visiting and com again soon, wishing you a blessed day!

My Christian heart to yours...

    

Forgiveness

Do you need to forgive someone or do you want forgiveness from someone?  Sometimes, we have done something to a family member or a friend that we did not intend to hurt or harm them but none the less, it did.  Sometimes family or friends can hurt us deeply, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unwittingly.  It is hard to forgive someone and even harder to forgive yourself.

The Bible addresses this on many levels.  In Matthew 18:15,16,21 Jesus tells us, "If a brother sins against you, go to him privately and confront him with his fault.  If he listens and confesses it, you have won back a brother.  But if not, then take one or two others with you and go back to him again, proving everything you say by these witnesses.   21: "Then Peter came to him and asked, "Sir, how often should I forgive a brother who sins against me?  Seven times?" 22: "No," Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!" 

  But if someone continues to sin against you, it eats you up inside if you do not forgive, it is always there within your heart placing a stone between you and the person and you and your heavenly father, who does not want you to hold hatred in your heart or are unforgiving.  So if there is no resolution after many attempts at reconciliation, love your enemies and pray for them but separate them from yourself if they are causing you to have these feelings in your heart or you feel they are causing you to sin because of it. 

Forgiving the squirrel for taking the bird house over
to escape the rain....

Luke 17:1-4  "There will always be temptations to sin," Jesus said one day to his disciples, "but woe to the man who does the tempting.  If he were thrown into the sea with a huge rock tied to his neck,  he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children's souls.  I am warning you!  Rebuke your brother if he sins, and forgive him if he is sorry.  Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him."

It is hard to forgive, I know and you have heard me say before that the reason we pray for our enemies is because what God has in store for them is much worse than you could ever wish them! 

Ephesians 4:31-32  "Stop being mean, bad-tempered and angry.  Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives.  Instead, be kind to each other , tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ."

The message is clear, forgiveness is necessary for your spiritual health.  When we attain spiritual health, we feel good health in our earthly bodies as well.  You can begin by asking God to forgive your ill feelings for this or that person.  Then at least make an attempt to make things right between you.  Remember, God is with you through all of this and together there is nothing you cannot do with His help.

This post was created as a result of a good friend asking me to do one on forgiveness.  I hope this has been a blessing to you dear friend.  If you have a request, just ask in comments and I will do my best to provide an answer.  Have a blessed and forgiving day!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...