Rejoice in all circumstances!

Good Afternoon, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

Well, since the last post, the days have flown by - quite literally. You do what you have to do each day, living one day at a time; and then night comes and goes, and so forth. And here we are, to today; and it has been a wonderfuly rewarding one thus far! I will share some bittids, in the next post!

First of all, to recap. Earlier in the week, when I was reading through some of Dr. Charles Stanley's messages of Hope and Encouragement, I came across an awesome passage from the Bible: "Isaiah 58:11 (New American Standard Bible)

11"And the (A)LORD will continually guide you,
And (B)satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And (C)give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a (D)watered garden,
And like a (E)spring of water whose waters do not fail."

This verse has hugely refreshed my spirits; and perhaps it may do the same for those of you (or others you know = 'Pat it Forward'), who would like a bit of a tidbit uplift!

As mentioned previously in various and in recent posts, Alan and I have gone through a number of 'trials and tribulations'; and there have been some tid moments when we have been dismayed by unforseen and unsuspecting circumstances.

We must never forget that our loving Father in Heaven, through Christ, empowers each and every one of us with gifts and blessings, that are designed to help us in our walk to continue to share the message of the Good News of Grace and Everlasting Life. In this regard, Pastor Jim Penner, has been wonderfully Blessed. Also, He uses each of us regardless, whether or not we feel or think we are worthy.

Therefore, here is a tidbitz of a very appropro message, given by Pastor Jim Penner. 'You Can Have a Fantastic Future' is the theme. As a bittid of background, "JIM PENNER has been a member of the Crystal Cathedral since 1987 and, since 1994, has served as the producer of the "Hour of Power," and its executive producer since 1999. Also a talented and insightful speaker, Jim is now regularly delivering encouraging messages to the Crystal Cathedral congregation and on the "Hour of Power."

A bittidz suggestion: For greater clarity, methinks, it would be more beneficial to you, if you were to read a) more about Jim's background and b)read his empowering message in full. I am simply touching upon a portion of Jim's thoughts, which are a joyful uplift. Here is part of the message.

"So what you need to do is sit or kneel down somewhere and start saying, "'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice.' Lord, thank You for this circumstance. Lord, thank You for this trauma. Lord, thank You that my bank account is empty because You're teaching me something. Lord, thank You that You're going to bless me tomorrow because You promised me blessings." Whatever you're going through, it doesn't matter. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.
So, you CAN have a fantastic future, and guess what? It's your choice. You can choose to check your attitude at the door and have your thinking become Christ-centered thinking. You can choose to roll up your sleeves and work hard for somebody else. You can choose not to be afraid of failure. And you can choose to glorify God in all things.

Now, how can you do that? That's a tall order. You may walk out and say, "Man Jim, that's tough."

I encourage you that you can do it because there's a promise right here in Philippians 4:13, and it says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." That doesn't say I can do SOME things; it says I can do ALL things. Repeat it with me: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Do yourself a favor this week. Take this book of Philippians - it's four chapters long, a very short book in the Bible - and read it. It will change your life.

Let's pray: Heavenly Father, we do have a fantastic future thanks to Your guiding hand. The best future is in Your loving embrace. And for someone listening (or reading) right now who does not know Christ, simply say "yes" today. Yes, I believe in You, Jesus, as my personal Savior. I believe You died for me, for my sin. Forgive me, Lord, for what I've done. I invite You, Jesus, to be Lord of my life. Take my life today and make it new, holy, and acceptable to You. Lord, let us go out today with our possibility thinking caps on knowing that we can do all things through You who gives us strength. Hallelujah. Amen."

I will read the four chapters of Philippians! This one verse, Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" has made such an impact on me!

Also, Jim's words in his Prayer, really touched a chord in my heart. ie. Thanking Him for our traumas, circumstances, empty bank accounts, etc, that was a major comfort. Never thought of Thanking Him for an 'empty bank account!' As soon as I repeated the same Prayer, my despair, overwhelming sadness etc, turned into a celebration of genuine rejoicing! It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from my heart; and instead, was replaced with a restoration of confidence, a calm, and a peace. I have always been an opptimist; however, the light truly went on!

As mentioned earlier, I will share in a later post, some tidbits / scenarios that Alan and I have experienced since having Prayed that particular Prayer. As well as the restful message from Isaiah 58:11 providing me with the positive and reassuring resolve to 'keep on trekking' - regardless. 'Praise Him In ALL Things' is more true than ever! All of us have many Blessings; and each and every day is like a 'mini thanksgiving'- regardless of circumstances.

The above fun picture is of our dear family member 'Blue', a six year young 'pup.' Eventhough, he is primarily an Australian Blue Heeler, he also has a bit of the Shepherd Sheep Dog in him. Great herders and smart! (A tidbit of info. LOL! Many people think he looks like 'Fido'). Blue has provided us with many a tid laugh! Pets certainly do have their bittid ways of keeping you in line. LOL!

Peace and God Bless.