You Never Let Go - song by Matt Redman

The comfort is ours in knowing that with God in our lives, there is always hope and we just cannot afford to let go. Hold on friends, through the storm...calm...high..low...God is there and will never let go of you.

Daily Bread

Hey my friends. How was your day? Hope that whatever your experience was, you can find renewed strength from knowing that GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL! I just want to share with you one of my devotional readings...Be Blessed.

"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread." by Max Lucado

What a statement of trust! Whatever you want me to have is all I want. Some days the plate runs over. God keeps bringing out more food and we keep loosening our belt. A promotion. A privilege. A friendship. A gift. A lifetime of grace. An eternity of joy. There are times when we literally push ourselves back from the table, amazed at God's kindness. "You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup fills with blessing" (Ps. 23:5 MSG).

And then there are those days when, well, when we have to eat our broccoli. Our daily bread could be tears or sorrow or discipline. Our portion may include adversity as well as opportunity.
This verse was on my mind last night during family devotions. I called my daughters to the table and set a plate in front of each. In the center of the table I placed a collection of food: some fruit, some raw vegetables and some Oreo cookies. "Every day," I explained, "God prepares for us a plate of experiences. What kind of plate do you most enjoy?"

The answer was easy. Sara put three cookies on her plate. Some days are like that, aren't they? Some days are "three cookie days." Many are not. Sometimes our plate has nothing but vegetables--twenty-four hours of celery, carrots, and squash. Apparently God knows we need some strength, and though the portion may be hard to swallow, isn't it for our own good? Most days, however, have a bit of it all. Vegetables, which are healthy but dull. Fruit, which tastes better and we enjoy. And even an Oreo, which does little for our nutrition, but a lot for our attitude. All are important and all are from God.

The next time your plate has more broccoli than apple pie, remember who prepared the meal. And the next time your plate has a portion you find hard to swallow, talk to God about it. Jesus did. In the garden of Gethsemane his Father handed him a cup of suffering so sour, so vile, that Jesus handed it back to heaven. "My Father," he prayed, "if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matt. 26:39).

Even Jesus was given a portion he found hard to swallow. But with God's help, he did. And with God's help, you can too

Check-up

We are now at the beginning of the second month in this new year. It is a good point at which to look back over January and see how your walk with the Lord has been. I was helped with this through an email that a friend sent me. As you know my prayer for this year is to grow to be more like the Saviour (see my previous blog entry for January 8). So, lets do a check-up together.


I went to the Lord's clinic to have my routine check-up and it was confirmed I was ill.


When Jesus took my blood pressure, He saw I was low on tenderness. When he read my temperature, the thermometer registered 40 degrees of anxiety. He ran an elctrocardiogram and found that I needed several 'love bypasses' since my arteries were blocked with loneliness and could not provide for an empty heart.


I went to orthopedics because I could not walk by my brother's side and I could not hug my friends since I had fractured myself when tripping with envy. He also found I was shortsighted when I could not see beyond the shortcomings of my brothers and sisters. When I complained about deafness, the diagnosis was that I had stopped listening to Jesus' voice talking to me on a daily basis.


For all of that Jesus gave me a free consultation, thanks to his mercifulness. So, my pledge is to, once I leave the clinic, only take the natural remedies He prescribed through His words of truth.

• Every morning take a glassful of gratitude
• When getting to work, take one spoon of peace
• Every hour take one pill of patience, one cup of brotherhood and one glass of humility
• When getting home, take on dose of love
• When getting to bed take two capsules of clear conscience

Do not give in to sadness or desperation for what you are going through today. God knows how you feel...God knows exactly and with perfection what is to happen to you in your life at this precise moment. God's purpose for you is simply perfect. He wants to show you that things that only you can understand by living what you are living, and by being in the place you are now.

May God give you for every storm, a rainbow; for every tear, a smile; for every care, a promise and a blessing in each trial; for every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share; for every sigh, a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.

My prayer is that this check-up and advice will help to guide you as you continue on in your walk with the Lord. It is indeed challenging times so continue to visit the clinic and allow the Great Physician to heal the soul.

Shalom