tysthatbind

"Thine, O  Lord  is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O  Lord , and thou art exalted as head above all.   Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all."  - I Chronicles 29:11-12 Dear Friends, I praise God for His Holy Spirit.  Over the past several weeks I have found myself out of sorts...heart heavy laden...worrying over some things...getting frustrated instead of praying...really beside myself.  To say that the enemy succeeded in distracting me is an understatement.  I wasn't doing a lot of "water walking."   Yet, I praise God that as I realized that I was sinking instead I asked the Lord to please help me. My prayer: Dear God I don't want to stay in this place of complaint and discouragement a

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."  - Hebrews 13:2 Dear Friends, A dear sister in Christ was sharing an experience she had recently in a busy restaurant. She and her husband were invited to share a table with an elderly couple. Although hesitant to sit with strangers at first, my friend was so uplifted by the end of the encounter she said "I felt like I met Jesus." Her testimony was so moving I felt uplifted just listening.  I pictured myself at the breakfast table on a Sunday morning entertaining a stranger.  Bless God! I believe my friend broke bread with angels sent by the Lord Jesus to encourage her soul! Open your heart. Listen and embrace the powerful truth of God's Word.  "All night, all day, the Angels keep watching over me My Lord." in Christ, Sis. Stephanie .

" The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - II Peter 3:9 Dear Friends,   Has God done anything for you within the last 24 hours?  Have you been able to see anything through your eyes?  Have you heard anything with your ears?   Have you touched or been touched by anything or anyone?  Have you been able to stand up or sit down?  Are you awake?  The list of questions are those I ask myself on days when the enemy is attempting to throw a net of despair over my mind.  Sometimes I do not have to recite the whole list.  Other times I do.  The list is a wake up call.  I move from the questions to  the "Thank you Lords!"  I thank you Lord that I can see.  I thank you Lord that I am able to  hear. I thank you Lord for the ability to feel. Now let me pause a minute... This does not mean I like everything I hear...see or fe

" Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the  Lord ."     - Leviticus 19:18 KJV Dear Friends, "Let it go!"  When the scripture tells us not to bear a grudge we are being instructed to stop holding on to hurts.  In essence we are being told to let it go.     " Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I Peter 5:6-7 in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

  " Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."  - Psalms 73:24-26 Dear Friends, I am not big on driving on the highway.  Therefore, I take routes through the city whenever possible.  This past week I was visiting work sites using my GPS to navigate from one location to another.  On the way back I missed a turn and ended up on the freeway by mistake.  To say that I was dismayed is an understatement.  Since I missed my turn the GPS readjusted the route and the freeway was the next option. Life is like that sometimes, we can miss a turn and find ourselves in a location we had not intended.  Yet our GPS GOD PROVIDING SOLUTIONS -- always gets us to where we need to be if we trust Him and seek His counsel. Glory!  Talk about divine guidance.  Praise the Lor

  " Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." Jude 2 Dear Friends, Mercy more More Mercy Peace applied Apply peace Love multiplied Multiply love It is up to us as the body of Christ to model mercy,  offer peace, and to shower love in all areas of life. These things we do in those special places God assigns us.   Special places may include our jobs,  schools, neighborhoods and places of worship. There is nothing coincidental about our lives.   Our steps are ordered.  Our lives are purposeful. Our mission is clear.   These days it seems as though the enemy has increased the intensity of the attacks.  Don't forget that in the midst of "whatever" the sufficiency of the grace of God abides.  The sufficiency of God's grace is the source of more mercy, applied peace and love multiplied.  Bask in His sufficient grace.  His strength is made perfect in weakness. "And he said unto me, My grace  is  sufficient for th

"But they that wait upon the  Lord  shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31 KJV Dear Friends, Some times life doesn't work out quite the way we planned it.  We meant to go to college right out of high school and life took another turn.  Our dream job may have turned out to be a  nightmare.  Perhaps, we are still in a holding pattern waiting on our "soul mate" to come along.  How do we, how can we keep going when it doesn't seem like things are going our way? The key is often in the focus.  The difference is in the source of our hope.  Hope may result in disappointment when it is centered on people or circumstances Both have limits.  Center your hope in God.  The Psalmist said it this way: "Why art  thou  cast down, O my soul? and why art  thou  disquieted within me?  hope   in   God : for I shall yet praise him, who is the healt

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:   But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:   For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."     -   St. Matthew 6:19-21 Dear Friends, I have been thinking a lot lately about the things that really matter to me.  I love to read and over the past several years, I have not had as much time as I would like to do so.  I love sitting on the porch. I love taking the time to talk with others and encourage them in Christ.  All of these things are important to me.  Relationship building is important. People are important. Family is important.  My relationship with Christ is important. Material things have always been secondary.  This has a lot to do with the way I was raised as a child.  Money is secondary and is a means to an end.  Ho

" Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually." -  Psalms 119:117 Dear Friends, Times are changing.  God is changeless. He will hold us. He will keep us. He will protect us.  Trust in Him.  Hold to His unchanging hand. Hold to God's Unchanging Hand - Jennie B. Wilson 1906  Public Domain Time is filled with swift transition, Naught of earth unmoved can stand, Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand. Refrain: Hold to God’s unchanging hand, Hold to God’s unchanging hand; Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand. Trust in Him who will not leave you, Whatsoever years may bring, If by earthly friends forsaken Still more closely to Him cling. Covet not this world’s vain riches That so rapidly decay, Seek to gain the heav’nly treasures, They will never pass away. When your journey is completed, If to God you have been true, Fair and bright the home in glory Your en

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."     - St. Matthew 6:9 Dear Friends, Every day is Father's Day. I think of my father and the many lessons he taught me growing up. One of the greatest lessons he taught me was, "Be a lady."   My father took me to get my first library card. He taught me to dance.  He taught me how to debate. He encouraged my dreams. I knew my father loved me and supported me.  He still does, no matter what. I know that every struggle my father overcame was by God's grace. I know that his marriage to my mother lasted 56 years by the grace of God.   As we ready ourselves to celebrate Father's Day,  I thank Our Heavenly Father for blessing me with my earthly father.  "My father prayed for me had me on his mind, took the time and prayed for me.  I'm so glad he prayed. I'm so glad he prayed. I'm so glad he prayed for me." Happy Fath

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us." - Romans 8:31 Dear Friends, Violence, unrest Sadness,distress What shall we say Mothers weeping  Nights without sleeping  What shall we say If God be for us Since God is for us It is well We shall say. Amen.  In Christ, Sis. Stephanie

" Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me"     - Micah 7:7 Dear Friends. Sometimes we just want to be heard. We want to know that we are truly being listened to. More than that we desire understanding God hears. God cares. God listens.  God understands. Look to the Lord. Wait for God. He will hear you. In Christ, Sis. Stephanie

"Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation." - Exodus 15:13 Dear Friends, The God of the Old and New Testament is the God Who reigns supreme in 2016. He is the Everlasting God.   The Psalmist declares: Blessed be the  Lord  God of Israel from  everlasting , and  to   everlasting . Amen, and Amen.  -Psalms 41:3 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from  everlasting   to   everlasting , thou art God.     -Psalms 90:2 For the  Lord  is good; his mercy is  everlasting ; and his truth endureth  to  all generations. - Psalms 100:5 The Everlasting God brought about many miracles for the children of Israel.  He delivered them from bondage. He brought them out of the land of Egypt.  He led them forty years in the wilderness.  The Everlasting God sent His Son to pay the ransom for our sins. Where are you today?  What

"For the  Lord  shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the  Lord ; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."       - Isaiah 51:3 Dear Friends, The spring and summer months are times of gardening.  Beautiful plants and flowers abound in yards, on porches and lining streets.   Flower gardens and vegetable gardens flourish. Both beginners and veteran gardeners may spend many hours during a season tending to that which they have planted. I find comfort in gardens.  I revel in the color, the vibrancy and also the peace that can come from just viewing God's beautiful handiwork.  In our spiritual lives prayer, praise, worship and meditation are all types of gardens.   In the garden of prayer we can commune with the Lord and experience the fragrant refreshing of His presence, His peace.   In the garden of praise, we put on the scent

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the  Lord ,  choose  you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the  Lord ." - Joshua 24:15 Dear Friends, Choose to rejoice Choose to be glad Choose to do good Choose to be thankful Choose to praise the Lord Choose to let your light shine Choose to encourage others Choose to do right Choose Christ! "Some folks would rather have houses and lands.  Some folks choose silver and gold.  These things they treasure and forget about their souls.  I've decided to make Jesus my choice." " The counsel of the  Lord  standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the  Lord ; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.  The  Lord  looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the s

"Behold, what manner of live the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God..." - I John 3:1 cf "Beloved, now are we the son of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." - I John 3:2 Dear Friends, Has anybody told you lately that they loved you? Listen closely... Every day with each sunrise God says, "I love you." Every time you hear a bird chirp, smell fragrant flowers, feel sprinkling raindrops, it is God saying "I love you." When you rise each morning and lay your head down at night, hear Him saying "I love you." The love God has for us is so great "what manner of love."  It is a love so great it cannot be measured.  God loves you. Listen... Hear Him whisper "My son, my daughter, I love you." in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

"Be thou  my  strong habitation, where unto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art  my   rock  and  my   fortress."      - Psalms 71:3 Dear Friends, The songwriter penned: "I looked all over, couldn't find nobody, nobody greater, nobody greater, nobody greater than You." There is no stronger fortress. There is no safer dwelling place.  No rock as solid as the Lord Our God.   I dreamt a few nights ago that I was stuck on an icy hill. I had received help part of the way up but was left in the middle.  I could not move up or down.  I was so frightened in my dream.  However, when I woke up in the middle of the night I was angry.  I was shaking with anger.  Why would someone I trusted leave me alone trapped like that. God revealed that the anger I felt was real due to certain circumstances I had experienced. Someone I trusted left me hanging, more than once.   God  pulled the cover (literally) off my anger and reve