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Acts 26:12-16 King James Version (KJV) 12  Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13  At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14  And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Dear Friends, Saul was known to be a persecutor of Christians.  But God, at an appointed time met him on the Damascus road. This encounter, the light from heaven in the Person of Jesus Chr

" Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."     - Psalm 119:11 " Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be  swift  to   hear , slow  to  speak, slow  to  wrath:"  - James 1:19 Dear Friends, God's word hidden in our hearts will help us to give pause to how we act and to the words we speak.   Our words matter.  Let us endeavor to listen more intently and speak more graciously. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie Be Slow To Speak by Kate Ulmer ( Public Domain) Oh, what pain and sorrow, bitterness and woe, Evil speaking causeth in this world below; Loving hearts are broken, dearest hopes destroyed In their beauty blighted by the thoughtless word. Oh, remember, Jesus ev'ry word doth hear, By His Holy Spirit He is ever near; Think how much He suffered ere you wound Him more, When the world's reviling for your sake He bore. Love that thinks no evil, dwelling in the heart, By His Holy Spirit He is life impart

"   Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."          - Psalm 119:9 Dear Friends, There are times in our lives we may wish that we could start over. In the book of Lamentations (3:23-24) we are told that the faithfulness of God is great.  His mercies are new every morning.  Mercy hits the restart button for us everyday. This new start is a cleansing and it occurs over and over again as we apply the Word of God to our lives. Don't let the enemy defeat you by telling you that you cannot begin again. The Holy Spirit has hit the restart button.  Glory to God.  You can begin again. This is the day the Lord hath made REJOICE and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

"   Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works."   - Psalm 119:27 Dear Friends, Today I pray ... Lord grant us anointed understanding that we may take heed to Your Word and be bold in sharing our faith with others. Please keep us ever mindful of the awesome wonder of You and Your Majesty.  Do not let us take You for granted.  We thank you for being God All by Yourself. In Jesus name. God bless! Sis. Stephanie

"   Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."      - Psalm 119:18 Dear Friends, Sometimes I can walk around the house with my eyes open and still bump into things.  Usually this is because I am not paying attention. In our spiritual "walking around" we need open eyes so that we can behold the wonders of God and also be alert to the opportunities He puts before us to be a witness for Him. Today Lord let us approach all that You have for us to accomplish with our eyes wide open and fixed on You. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

"   Blessed art thou, O  Lord : teach me thy statutes."        - Psalm 119:12 Dear Friends, May God bless you today as you let your light shine for Him.  Bless God for He teaches us the way of life through the scriptures. Our task is to journey in the Word that we can have a holy boldness knowing that our faith in grounded in truth. Teach us to do thy will O Lord. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

" I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."       - Psalm 119:15 Dear Friends, The only way to stay strong in our faith is through studying,  meditating and applying the  Word of God.   The Bible teaches us:  For the  word   of   God   is   alive  and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes  of  the heart.  - Hebrews 4:12 The Word is alive is active is sharp is penetrating Morning, night and noon may the alive, active, sharp and penetrating Word of God be our daily meditation. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

"   With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."     - Psalm 119:10 Dear Friends, May the words to "A Joy in My Heart" encourage you today. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie A Joy In My Heart by Katharine Purvis  (Public Domain) There's a joy in my heart that shall ever abide 'Tis a joy to the world that unknown; For in undying love Jesus came seeking me, And he bro't me again to His own. I am walking with Jesus in fellowship sweet, And His glory sweeps over my soul; All my burdens and sorrows I lay at His feet, And my spirit is ev'ry whit whole. Sin can harm me no more, for my Saviour and Guide Is so near me I never can stray; In His care and protection I safely abide, And His love shelters ne ev'ry day. Chorus O the sweet and precious joy he gives, As I walk by His side day by day, In my heart the blessed Saviour lives, And His love brightens all the way.

1 Chronicles 16:24-26 King James Version (KJV) 24  Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations. 25  For great is the  Lord , and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. 26  For all the gods of the people are idols: but the  Lord  made the heavens. Dear Friends, God is great.  His greatness extends beyond all that we can think or imagine. In His infinite greatness He made a provision for our redemption through His Son Jesus Christ.  How great is God's love for us. God is great and greatly to be praised! in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

Psalm 50:10-11 King James Version (KJV) 10  For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11  I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. Dear Friends, Jesus Our Friend and Elder Brother created for his plan and purpose the beast of the forest, cattle upon a thousand hills.  He knows all the fowl. Everything belongs to God. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie The Friendly Beasts Jesus our brother, kind and good Was humbly born in a stable rude And the friendly beasts around Him stood Jesus our brother, kind and good. "I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown, "I carried His mother up hill and down; I carried her safely to Bethlehem town." "I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown. "I," said the cow, all white and red "I gave Him my manger for a bed; I gave Him my hay to pillow His head." "I," said the cow, all white and red. "I,"

Psalm 1 King James Version (KJV) 1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2  But his delight is in the law of the  Lord ; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6  For the  Lord  knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Dear Friends, The Blessed Life is one devoted to serving the Lord He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water Bringing forth fruit in due season His leaf won't wither Whatsoever He does shall prosper.   Blessed is

  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. - St. John 15:15 Dear Friends,  In St. John 15:15 Jesus calls us "Friend." What a privilege to be a friend, to have a Friend in God.  I am a friend of God.  He is: My Supporter My Confidant My Well-Wisher One Who Sticks Closer than a Brother My Company Keeper I can call on God my Friend at any time He will will always respond I can trust Him with my secrets He loves me unconditionally He will always tell me the truth He is Truth What a blessing to know that Jesus calls me friend. in Christ, Sis. Stephanie

Jeremiah 32:17 King James Version (KJV) 17  Ah Lord  God ! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Dear Friends, Being led by God in the thirty-second chapter of Jeremiah, the prophet buys a field. He purchases the field while in prison.   It is possible that this action taken by Jeremiah did not make sense to those looking on. Yet, Jeremiah as declared in verse 17 knew that the Lord God who made heaven and earth by His great power was able to do anything.  The Word of the Lord is not bound. There is nothing too hard for God. The task may seem too great for you, and the challenges overwhelming.  But God can not be overwhelmed. He is the Rock that is Higher than I. Nothing is too hard for Him to do. God bless....Until we meet again. Sis. Stephanie

Psalm 51:12 King James Version (KJV) 12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Dear Friends, There are times in our lives when the Lord takes us through a period of restoration. Our strength is depleted. We know the Lord is near even when the attacks of the enemy are relentless.  Finding myself in such a place, the Holy Spirit brought to mind the words to a song, "the darkest hour is just before day."   It can be hard to find our way in the dark even in places that are familiar. We bump into things. "Ouch! I hurt my leg on the couch I should have remembered it was there. Now I have a bruise." Well known territory can become a scary place in the dark.  Our saving grace in the darkness is the Light that never grows dim. Jesus illuminates the most powerful darkness. In Him there is no darkness at all. Well, what does all this have to do with the blog? I could not see my way to the blog in the darkness. I had to w