I'm A Christian

I could not have said it better...

Without Him, I would be lost! He is my rock, my strength, my Father.

1 Chronicles 28:20

"Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished." (ESV)

Dear Lord, I know that You are here with me and that You are guiding me through this difficult time of hurt and confusion. Lift my heart, Lord, and give me the strength to raise my head and speak confidently. You are my rock, You are my courage. Guide my steps, guard my tongue and lift my heart while draping your shield of protection around my family. Amen.

Be blessed my fellow Christian brothers and sisters!

Urgent Prayer Request

To all my readers,

I generally only send out prayer requests to my prayer chains, but I think that more prayer warriors are needed at this time. My dear friend, Melissa, had to rush her husband, Chuck, to the emergency room this afternoon.

Chuck was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013 and after being in remission for about six months, the cancer has come back. They received that news last week. Chuck has been very ill this week, unable to eat and excessive vomiting. He is dehydrated and the hospital has admitted him. But the healing power of the Lord. Also, pray that the doctors have the knowledge to treat him and find out what the stomach issues are and treat them properly.

Cover both Chuck and Melissa in prayer for healing. It is a stressful time for this lovely couple and satan is hard at work breaking them down. The Lord will hear our prayers and His will shall be done.

Thank you to all who come along side my other prayer warriors and lift this couple up.

Blessings to you,
Rev. Michelle
www.prayersandpromisesministry.com

Finding The Right Path

Finding the right path is something you figure our in high school or college, right? That is what I thought, but when it came right down to it, even after nine years of college, I settled into my field. I was not passionate about it. Someone said to be why don’t you major in computers and so I did. There was never a fire there for the things I was learning or the job I was doing. I was listless and everything seemed mundane.

Then I switched gears and pursued teaching. For the past 16 years that is what has defined me. I was the computer guru who taught unruly, unwanted high school students. However, with the rules and regulations changing, the field of education has become more of a diploma mill than an actual learning environment. I started experiencing burn out and I had not wanted to continue after last year, but I stuck with it.

My dissatisfaction has grown exponentially since August and I think it is time to switch gears again. The path that seemed so right 16 years ago is becoming overgrown and difficult to travel. So, I come back to the question; how to find the right path? Where do I belong? Am I following the Lord’s plan for my life?

After a heated, condescending phone call from the Human Resources Director at the school district I am currently employed, I took time to pray and study the Word of God. Every morning I dread getting up and going into the viper pit – that is my nickname for the school district. It is eight hours of insolent, defiant and down right rude co-workers chirping in your ear about this person or that one. They make me question my sanity sometimes! Then it is the needy, clingy students who make it all worth it. Not a day goes by that I do not pray for those students who have touched my heart.

If I could be in a district where I could hand pick my co-workers I would be in heaven! But, alas, we live in a fallen world and must interact with these vipers who are clamoring for superiority. I take that back, we are called to minister to and show the love of Jesus to these vipers.

I have veered from my original thoughts again! Seeking your path at any age can be frustrating, more so when you have meandered down so many that had to be “the right one”. As I combed through the Scriptures regarding trust in the Lord for your future, I came up with over 70, there was a sense of hope and peace that enveloped me. As long as God is in control, how can something be wrong? He knows where I belong and if I diligently seek him, He will reveal it to me.

I knew there had to be a reason why the thought of stepping back from teaching did not send me into a frenzied terror. There was a calm understanding that another transition was close at hand. The Lord has not yet revealed what my new direction will be or where He is leading me. But I am trusting in Him that my eyes will soon be opened and I will find enjoyment and fulfillment wherever the Lord leads me. 

I will praise the Lord in hard times and in good times!

~Rev. Michelle

www.prayersandpromisesministry.com

God Hears My Plea

We have been experiencing some pretty harsh weather lately. Severe cold and nasty snow have blanketed the region. My dad (gotta love my invincible dad), decided that he needed to go to Home Depot (kitchen remodel not going as expected) at 6:00 p.m. in his well-loved van. The temperatures were beginning to dip, the weather prediction for that night was -2.

My phone rang at about 7:00 p.m. It was dad and he was stuck on the side of the road, in the dark, with a flat tire and a deflated spare tire, After searching his shed for his portable air compressor and coming up with nothing, I took off with my emergency air compressor and found him trying to jack up the big old monster.

After trying to re-inflate the tire that was currently on the beast, and getting nowhere, I began to earnestly pray for the Lord's hand to be on us as we froze in the frigid night air while trying to get this big beast back on the road and headed home. The jack was not working well, but as I called out the Lord, my dad was able to get the jack working. What a testimony!! The Lord heard my plea and was there with us on the side of the road in the super cold weather!

Using my emergency air compressor, we were able to get the spare inflated and functional. The Lord did not leave us as we struggled with the weather, the dark and less than ideal working conditions. He stayed right there with us, protecting us and helping us when we could not possibly do it ourselves.

It may seem like such a small thing, a flat tire. But without our trust in the Lord and His love, we would not have been able to get the flat tire off the big van or the spare inflated and onto the van. He was there with us, keeping us safe and ensuring that we made it back to the house, a little chilled, but without any lasting ill-effects.

My God is true and faithful. He is there in my time of need and I will forever praise Him!! I will praise Him in times of distress just as I praise Him in times of happiness.

~Rev. Michelle
www.prayersandpromisesministry.com

Little Blessings Uplift Me

After a week of the stomach flu and then a weekend of playing "catch-up" on my work, I have to say that was feeling down in the dumps on Sunday. Then my good friend, Kristy, calls me to tell me that her mom was diagnosed with cancer. This is Connie's third battle with the dreaded "C" word and that family is feeling the grip of Satan tightening on them.

Taking time to pray with Kristy and share her mom's needs with my prayer chains, I went back to figuring out things in my life and getting the ball rolling on a few projects. The ho-hum of the daily grind was starting to get to me last evening and I took a few hours to spend just sitting with my family and enjoying time with them. That was the first little blessing that lifted my spirit and gave me the ability to rest well through the night.

This morning, the dreaded Monday, I felt refreshed and ready to face the day. Even though I was somewhat dreading having my 1999 minivan inspected and emissions done that afternoon, I was feeling optimistic and happy. I took that feeling and reached out to an old friend who has been heavily weighing on my heart. I am prayerfully waiting for a reply.

Then I called Kristy to let her know she was in my thoughts. She was feeling down and depressed, I remember the horror I felt when my own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. We spent about 10 minutes talking and praying. I told her that the Lord was in control and that He would knock Satan's discouragement from them so they could focus on His healing love. She did not seem overly open to believing that, which saddened me because she always seemed so strong in her walk with the Lord.

Feeling somewhat discouraged, I drove my slightly stubborn minivan to the garage for its inspection. It choked and sputtered a little on its way there and I prayed. Once the inspection was over and the mechanic handed me my paperwork, I praised God right then and there. I am sure that the mechanic has never had a woman throw her hands in the air and thank Jesus for His love and protection! Brian, the mechanic took it in stride and told me to have a blessed day.

Even though I have gone through some interesting trials this past week, there have been little blessings along the way that I was too blinded to fully see. Connie being diagnosed with cancer was not a blessing, but Kristy being currently unemployed and in the position to help take care of her mom through treatments is a blessing. My getting ill was actually a blessing because it showed me that in the rat race of life, time must be set aside for family, friends and a deeper relationship with the Lord.

My ill-tempered car is sometimes not a blessing, but the fact that it behaved and passed inspection was a true blessing and as funny as it sounds, Brian the mechanic witnessed someone praising the Lord over just a small thing in their life. It was a testimony to him about the love that the Lord has for me and the love that I try wholeheartedly to return.

So, as you walk through your day, take a moment to think through where you have been and who you have seen. What blessings have been staring you in the face today?

In darkness we will praise Him and in light we will praise Him. Do not be afraid to lift up your hands in thanksgiving no matter where you are!

Scriptures to Help You Overcome Fear

Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his first inaugural speech, “the only thing to fear is fear itself.”  It seems that FDR is referring to the effects of fear on a person not the actual fear that is felt. So how do you alleviate fear? Many turn to the Bible for comfort when fear creeps into their lives.

“Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4). This is probably one of the most well-known Scriptures quoted from the Bible. Its words provide such comfort and peacefulness to those who hear them. The fear that has built within your heart seems to just dissipate.

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13) This Scripture evokes an image of a father lovingly extending his hand to a frightened child and lends his strength and comfort to that child. One of the most comforting things is to have someone sit beside you and just hold your hand. This comforting gesture gives you a feeling of safety, that you are not alone and that you just need to reach out and your heavenly Father will grab hold and walk you through your fears.

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” (Exodus 13:14-15)Even though Moses lived centuries ago, in a land so far removed from modern day life, his words still ring out and hold the same conviction as they did all those years ago. The Lord will always wrap his arms around you and keep you safe from your adversaries. He will remove the fear from your heart and guide you towards a peacefulness that calms your spirit and gives you renewed hope and strength.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) Stand firm, even when you are feeling defeated and the fear has seeped into your entire being. The Lord is there beside through your trials and He will continue to lift you up and ease the fears that are entrenched in your heart. He knows every secret crevice of your heart and He knows the fear that is residing there, he will never leave you even though he knows your deepest terrors and secrets.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) The Lord gave us the power within ourselves to stand up to the fears that invade our beings. He has empowered us and given us the tools to not cower in the corner but to step forth and defeat those who are trying to intimidate us and make us cower in a corner and from the bullies of this world, whether these bullies be human or circumstance.

“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?...Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” (Psalm 27:1, 3) This is another very well-known Scripture that calms the fears of people and makes the fears recede to the background and empowers you to stand against the fear that is gnawing at your heart and soul. With the Lord standing beside you, there is no one or nothing that can embed fear into you. He will keep his arms around you and protect you from any fear that tries to invade your calmness.

There are many more Scriptures that address fear and how to help alleviate it before it becomes all-consuming, paralyzing fear. With the Lord standing guard over you and swatting all the enemies away before they can fully embed within your soul and cause you an uneasiness that alters the way you live your life. The enemy will try to force his way into your heart and cause you to doubt the love that the Lord has for you, but remember the promises that the Lord has given throughout the Bible to always stand with you. “The only thing to fear is fear itself”, fear is only a feeling that can be dispelled by grabbing hold of the Lord’s hand and keeping your eyes firmly focused upon the cross.