Fearing the Worst

The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Ps. 27:1, 5

what a storm! Denise and i have had quite the last couple of days. please read her post to hear all about it. hurricane ivan made an impact on my life, needless to say.

and in the midst of it all, God is faithful. He does shelter us in the shadow of His wings and carries us in His arms. what an amazing Creator - of storms and humans. He truly is good and worthy of our praise.

Jesus
You've proctect us and calmed our fears. You've allowed us to place our trust in You - knowing no matter what happens that You are still God and ruler of our hearts. i praise You for Your protection and deliverance. it is good to praise You. and i praise You for this birthday and for allowing me to live in Your care for another year. You are my Dad and i'm rejoicing with You today.
in Jesus' Name ~ Amen!

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*austin *juanita *bruce

Seeking First

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
matt. 6:33

we are now out of the apartment in marietta and into the jasper mountain home, aka 'The Black Diamond'. the home is going to be adventure, ranging from 30 degree slopes to spiders, rodents and bears. i had a run in with a giant, hopping spider this morning, but he lost (his life).

and with all the moving choas, i admit i've not given much time to hanging out in Jesus' presence. and i can begin to tell that it's taking its toll on me. my nerves are easily frayed, and i even snapped at denise on several occasions and steven for doing something what was helpful. pand i'm sure that my body being tired, 5:30 am until 10:30 pm the last two days is a bit much. so this morning i woke in time to read 1 chapter - matt 6. it was a breath of fresh air! hour and fifteen minute drive to work this morning i could sense the my relationship with Jesus was being mended by those simple few minutes of Bible reading. i can sense that this morning i'm much more calm and sensible. 're-focused' may be a fitting term.

Jesus,
You are my Prince of Peace. You've entered my choas and offered peace, and i couldn't be more thankful. thanks for loving me so deeply. thanks for carrying my burden and giving me rest and strength. You are my Source when i am weak. forgive me for choosing to ignore Your Word these last few days. i know that only in You comes true peace and tranquility. thanks for returning me to the cross to see what You've been thru so that i may have peace and life abundantly. i know You're teaching me how to be still and trust in You. i love You.
in Jesus' Name ~ Amen!

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*Kathy *Mom and Dad *Derrick

Reality Defined

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
john 16:13

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2 cor. 5:17

I've been reading this book 'Jesus Life Coach' by laurie beth jones. so far i absolute love it. it has challenged me to dig deeper into the Word - figuring out what God has in store for me. no matter what the topic, laurie just puts it out there - and allows her reader to gnaw on the info at hand. i've pondered many topics under a new light. today's reading was about our reality and how Jesus gives us new terms. with all the 'reality' tv programs on the air these days - it's a wonder why we believe what we believe. for many of us, our lives are going down a regular path, and then comes Jesus. He tells us that our lives are changed - our hearts are made new and we are not longer who we think we are. it's amazing the power He bestows upon us when we relinquish our lives into His care.

Jesus,
thanks for coming into my life and giving me hope for the future. Your plans are wonderful; i praise You for calling me by name to be part of Your wonderful family. may You teach me the reality to which You've called me. i am submitting to Your will. let Your Word be truth in my heart.
in Jesus' Name ~ Amen!

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*Chad *Dan *Jimmy and the rest of 'The Common'