I'll Rest When I get to Heaven. Right now, I am busy doing my Father's work!

The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid. — Deuteronomy 7:19 (KJV)

     Our first few weeks in our new location and new home were certainly trying! And learning to live in such a confined space took some getting used to. Outside temperatures soared up over 100 degrees.  Then suddenly, our trailer was inundated with ants. The pestilence continued for days as the small insects even took over improbable places such as the inside of our refrigerator. At one point, ants covered our food and caused our green grapes to look as though they had freckles. 
      Next, we began to hear warnings of baby rattle snakes. Two rattlers had slithered their way into our camp ground. One was killed only two camp sites away from ours.  Still, hiding out in our trailer was not an option.  Our air conditioning simply couldn't keep up with the rising outside temperature and the smell of Raid Ant Killer was too much for our lungs to process. I could feel my temper rise as the thought, "What have I done," continued to flash in my head.
     Right on cue, our youngest son began losing his normal spiritually uplifting character. Now,  I was having to discipline him often Soon, our laundry piled up. So, despite the heat, I needed to visit the park facility laundry mat. Beads of sweat dripped from my face onto our clean clothes, as I folded each item in the overheated facility.  Frustration mounting!  Afterward, I returned to our trailer and began to put stacks of clothes away. That's when I found a new bottle of hidden prescription medication.  Unbelievable!  I threw up my hands, hung my head and began to weep. Lord, after all that we have been through, could this be Your will? http://dlouyoung.blogspot.com/p/official-book-launch.html#!/p/official-book-launch.html  
    Right away, I called my husband at work and unloaded my feelings. "It's hot, there are ants everywhere, rattle snakes and now this? We need to get help!" Have you considered attending the 12 step meeting I spoke to you about?" He remained silent. Earlier in the week, I had researched on line and found a local  Celebrate Recovery http://www.celebraterecovery.com/  meeting that offered inexpensive childcare. Once and for all, I wanted my husband to make a decision about getting help.   Before we ended the call, my husband agreed to go to the next scheduled meeting. Hope began to rise!
     During the next few days,  I asked friends and family members to pray for our marriage. I prayed too. “Please God, convict a believer's heart at this meeting to reach out to my husband.”
      Meanwhile, I remained busy about my Father's work. Each time, the Holy Spirit prompted me to reach out to someone, I responded. As a result, the week flew by. Finally, it was Friday! My heart filled with hope. "Perhaps, I too will receive the loving support I need to lead my husband to fully surrender." I thought.
     Amazingly, by mid-day Friday, my husband had contacted me three times.  "Looking forward to tonight." He said. Wow! After nine years of dealing with his addiction, I could barely comprehend his willingness and excitement. I told our young son, “God bless Daddy for his desire to attend this meeting tonight. Now, I can't wait to go. Thank You Jesus!"
     Then an hour before the meeting was scheduled to begin, my soul began to feel restless.  So, I drove our youngest son to my husband’s job site.  At the time, it seemed silly to drive the extra 40 minutes simply to meet my husband and caravan back home together.  However, when I saw the expression on his face, it made perfect sense. He was excited too!
     We arrived early to the meeting location. No cars! I thought, “Maybe I read the information wrong on the computer.” So, I called the number that I had written onto a torn piece of legal pad paper.  Voicemail!  "If you are calling after hours, please call Pastor Jim at..." The voice on the message said. Quickly, I called the Pastor's number. No answer. So, I left a message. Meanwhile my husband attempted to search the church website, using his cell phone’s Internet page, for more information. Unbelievably, my husband was able to search any other website except this church's website.  Instantly, I felt myself becoming angry at Satan. "Was the devil trying to hinder our family from obtaining God's help?" I wondered. Then, I started to pray, “Please God give me the confidence to withstand the devil’s schemes. Thank you for your Spirit who helps even now by interceding for me as I pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.”
    Yet, after 25 minutes of waiting and not having received a response from the Pastor, we decided to leave. On the drive home, I explained to my husband how disappointed I felt about missing the meeting. Yet at the same time, I felt an inexplicable feeling. I felt joy! “How could this be?” I wondered.
    When, we arrived home my husband offered to take our young son swimming in the community pool. I asked if I could stay in the trailer and be alone for awhile.  He obliged.  Then, with my head resting against our living room rocking chair, I began to pray, "Lord, thank You for moments like these when You teach me to rely on You. In Your precious Son's name, Amen."

    Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!  

To read this author's personal testimony please go to: http://dlouyoung.blogspot.com/p/store.html

God's Word to A Soldier!

Dear Soldier,

Merry Christmas! I am writing to you today in response to a burden God has laid on my heart. One recent morning, while opening my bible, the pages landed on Isaiah, Chapter 52 . Although I had read this chapter many times before, this time the verses carried with them a new weight on my shoulders.

As I put my bible aside, God called to mind a documentary I had watched not so long ago. It aired on the Public Broadcast System (PBS). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/badvoodoo/

In the documentary, United States Soldiers openly spoke of what it felt like to fight in a war zone. As their words echoed in my head, I felt my heart begin to ache. One Soldier spoke of his constant feeling of fear. He said,"You can't see the enemy firing at you. We're like sitting ducks out here!"

Another soldier spoke about feeling lonely. He said, "Since I have been out here, my girlfriend has broke up with me. I guess this was all too much for her to handle."  Still, one soldier expressed the reason he no longer believed in God. He sadly announced, "I used to believe in God. I prayed everyday. But after praying for safety one day, one of my best friends was killed. How can I still believe in God?"

While I remembered what these Soldiers had said, I allowed my thoughts to drift back to those painful memories from my own past. Then, while feelings of fear, loneliness and disbelief resurfaced, I began to pray, "Lord, if you want me to reach the hearts of these brave men and woman, Give me the words to speak."

Immediately, I had the desire to run to the computer and write the following letter to you. I pray that God will reach your heart this Christmas with His words of Comfort and Love. May He keep you safe and bring you back home soon!



My Child,


Let not your heart be troubled. John 14:1
I am your helper, so you need not fear. Besides, what can mere people do to you? Hebrews 13:5-6If you trust in Me, you will find new strength. You will soar high on wings like eagles. And you will run and not grow weary. You will walk and not grow faint. Isaiah 40:31.


Humble yourself under My mighty power, then at the right time, I will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to Me, for I care about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free. Isaiah 44:22


I will turn your mourning into joy. I will comfort you and exchange your sorrow for rejoicing. Jeremiah 31:13.So work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for me rather than for people. Remember that I will give you inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23-24


Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell Me what you need. My peace will guard your heart and mind as you live in my Son, Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7. I am your refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1. I am your shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right. Psalm 7:10


So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6

To obtain a free copy of a bible please visit: http://www.soldiersbibleministry.org 

  

Navy Retirement

Donna L. Young is the wife of a Retired Navy Seabee.

She has a Master's Degree in Theology from Liberty Baptist University 

and is the Author of the book Apologies From a Repentant Christian.

I had a dream about Abraham. What is God trying to tell me?

"Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" 

Matthew 6:27 (NKJV).

A few mornings ago, I had a dream I will not soon forget. In my dream, I was standing on the front end of a long ocean pier while watching ocean waves roll under foot. By my side, stood a teenager from my church congregation. Next to him, were a few other people I wasn't well acquainted with.

Within minutes of watching the waves crash against the shore and deep in conversation, I noticed that the portion of the pier we stood on had detached from the rest of the pier and we had begun to drift. Somehow, I still felt at peace, as though we were simply bobbing up and down on the porch of a houseboat. So, the young man continued our conversation.

Then, all of a sudden the waves increased in size. And, a tall and overbearing wave crashed violently against the front of the pier. Its force tossed a woman in our company into the water. I helplessly watched as her long black hair sank in the water below. As she barely kept her head above water, she reached one arm out of the water to signal for help. Against my normal character, I hesitated in assisting her and began to worry instead.

Next, several men wearing long, off-white linen robes with maroon and white striped sashes over their heads and across their shoulders, floated across the water to where I stood. The men stood in a long row, spanning out to the right of the front of the pier. I could only make out the face of the one man who had long, white hair and a white beard and who stood directly in front of me. He had positioned himself between me and the oncoming, enormous wave.

The young man immediately to my left, grabbed my hand and screamed with delight, "Oh my Gosh, do you know who that is? Do you know who that is?" From his reaction and my own inner childlike excitement, I was certain that the person standing directly in front of me was Abraham from the bible. Like a child who needs confirmation that man was real, and without consideration, I stretched out my right hand and laid it on his left shoulder. Immediately, the man turned around, pointed his long finger directly at my heart and said in an unforgettable tone, "Inch by inch our Souls!"

Then I woke up from the dream. I felt confused. Abraham's tone and words smoldered in my heart. I was  curious to discover more about this father of religion. Perhaps scripture would confirm what I had dreamed. I went to my writing station and grabbed my bible. As the pages fell open and started to settle, confusion turned to shame. I started to feel as though I had just been chastized for a lack of indisputable faith. What did Abraham mean when he said, "In by Inch Our Souls?" Gradually, the pages settled on Matthew 6:27.  I began to read, "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (NKJV).

Needing further explanation, I then read commentary on the verse.  In Albert Barnes [1834], explanation, he first noted the size of a cubit. He said, "The cubit of the Scriptures is not far from 22 inches." Then, he added that the terms of "length" are often applied to life. I started to believe that I was being told not to worry because worrying wouldn't add a single minute to my life here on earth.

I felt my shoulders slump forward as I started to weep. I had been worrying about money for awhile. I had conducted online job searches and been checking sales records for the book the Lord led me to write. Now I was feeling foolish. Why had I worried so.

Later that day, for some reason unknown to me at the time, I felt compelled to attend mass at a Catholic Church. I hadn't been to a Catholic service in approximately three years. Yet, I knew I had to attend. Oddly enough, I felt comfortable just walking in the door. Perhaps it was all of those years I spent in the rectory or up in that balcony preparing to sing to the Lord that allowed to me feel at ease.

After mass, I approached the Priest who led the service. I told him, "Father, I have a doosey for you." He said, "Okay..." I told him my testimony and then said, "Why would I have a dream about Abraham?" He smiled and said, "I am not going to touch that!" We laughed and began to exchange pleasantries. I was drawn in by his humility. He said, "We never stop learning about God." Then, he offered a piece of advice. He said, "If your conconscience is clear, there is no need to worry." How could he have known? I hadn't told him about the scripture God led me to ponder earlier the same morning. We said "goodbye" and I quietly smiled as I walked to my car.

Later that night, I decided to watch a little television before bedtime. I turned on TBN and noticed that the movie "King of Kings" was playing. The movie was more than halfway over, so I flipped through the channels to see what else was on. Soon, I found myself watching TBN again. Just at the moment I returned to the movie, Jesus started to speak to the people. I chuckled out loud, and looked up towards the heavens when I realized Jesus was speaking the words of Matthew chapter six. Then, Jesus said, "Which of you by worrying can add one inch to his life?" Under my breath, I said, "Okay Lord, I understand. I'm Sorry. From now on, I'll put all of my trust in You!"

Perhaps the Lord was offering me a gift through the dream I had. I realize now, that worrying is useless. Because I have surrendered my life into the Lord's hands, I know now, I must learn trust Him.

To read my personal testimony, please go to:  

www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781613791936

God has foreordained the works to which He has called you.

This week, I combed through old birthday cards and cinema ticket stubs, attempting to condense my personal boxes. I was hoping to let go of some old memorabilia. With each piece of paper, I reminisced of times spent with my family, going to the theater and other entertainment venues. Soon, I found myself holding a card with the word 'GOD' written across the top. I began to read.  The card said,

"GOD has foreordained the works to which He has called you. He has been ahead of you preparing the place to which you are coming and manipulating all the resources of the universe in order that the work you do may be part of His whole great and gracious work." -G. Campell Morgan. 

The card made me consider the past three years of my life. As I remembered the significant issues I had faced, I tried to remember even one moment, when I hadn't felt God's hands on a situation, or when He wasn't ahead of me solving one of life's problems.

I opened the card. I was surprised to find the name of a past work supervisor. Beside her kind words was a verse from Ephesians 2:10, which says, 

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

I started to digest all that had happened recently. For the past few weeks, I had focused on making a profit from the book God led me to write. Yet, after the day of the launch when it didn't appear that I had sold any books, I decided to revise my resume and conduct a serious job search. I had allowed anxiety over money to to creep in and take over God's plan. Still, God had prepared a way.

20 minutes after applying for job in nearby hospital, the phone rang. I answered the call, but couldn't completely understand what was said by the woman on the other end of the line. I heard, "Something, something job." Just then, the phone call dropped. Curious, I looked the number up using the computer Internet and found that it was most likely attached to the hospital care system I had applied to.  Oh how great it would feel to have a steady paycheck!

Bewildered, I stared at an unpaid cable bill and wondered, "How am I going to continue to pay for this service?  I decided to call the cable company and discontinue services. The man who answered my call was a believer. His name? Michael which means, "A gift from God." Micheal lowered my bill significantly without changing any of my services. All I had to do was say, "Okay."

Next, I reviewed my bank account. Surprisingly, there was an extra $125.00! Excited, I paid my car payment the cable bill and transferred the extra money to my credit card. God was ahead of me, taking care of my financial situation!

The next day, the phone rang again. When I looked at the caller identification on my phone, I noticed the number was the same as the call I received the day prior when the call dropped. I answered the call. Once again, the call was dropped. I began to shake my head and giggle.

I put my resume back in the desk drawer and sat at my computer desk. Instantly, a feeling of joy and contentment filled my heart.  I began to write again about God's love for me and the joy I find in submitting my life to the works which He has called me to do!

How God led me to first listen to Christian Music

I remember when God first communicated with me through
music. I had just moved into the new apartment to provide
a safe place for my younger son. The apartment was
small compared to our family home. Reception for a
cellular phone and radio stations were limited in the
area. I felt the effects of the poor radio reception right
away and found myself listening to static when I tried
to tune into my usual Country radio station. After a
week, I became frustrated and began to tune through
radio stations to find another with clearer reception.
One day, while moving the station dial back and
forth, I came across a song which grabbed my attention
immediately. I cried as God tugged on my heart.
The artist sang, “I’m coming back to a heart of worship,
and it’s all about you, all about you Jesus.” I
sobbed as I knelt on my knees. I began to pray and
apologize to God. I admitted that my life to that point
had been about me. I had worshiped myself. My
life was about how I wanted my house to be, how I
wanted others to behave, how I expected to be treated
and how I defined love. I was focused on myself, my
needs and what pleased me. It was the first moment
I realized God should have priority-even over my
family. I decided to turn my life over to God and
began to worship Him.

With the hopes of hearing the song again, I continued
to listen to the station for the next few weeks.
For the first time, I was listening to spiritual songs
outside of a church choir. I was surprised at how
much I enjoyed the songs that played. For years, I
was under the impression that I was “too cool” to
listen to Christian radio and that the songs were
corny. Now, I was finding comfort in every song and
beginning to feel uncomfortable with the songs I listened
to in the past.

Around the same time, God led me to an internet
site that streamed Christian music. I began downloading
songs and playing them repeatedly. Each
time, I cried as I heard artists sing about their lives
and the words of scripture. I couldn’t explain the
sense of comfort and change I was going through,
but God was reaching out to me through spiritual
songs and my heart was softening.

Over the past three years, I have only listened to one type of music, Christian. 

Amazingly through this medium, many times, God has lifted my spirit, taught me scripture and reminded me that He is always with me.

Writing a Book was never about becoming rich!

It took yesterday's official book launch for me to search my soul regarding why God led me to write a book. I spent many nights, staying up late, creating videos for YouTube, a personal blog and a facebook page. I even began to read books on how to utilize Inbound Marketing techniques. However, in the process of marking the book, I lost the desire to simply tell my story. I had forgotten the joy I felt in offering a free copy of the book to someone who was experiencing pain.

This morning, my husband woke up before me. He quietly tiptoed into the kitchen to get a Mountain Dew. When I heard him, I opened my eyes. Then, he came to sit by my side. We talked briefly about the change in weather. He said, "It's gorgeous outside." So, I encouraged him to go play a round of golf. I said, "I need to do some soul searching and truly listen to God's direction. Somehow, I have gotten off track."

Then, soon after my husband left, I opened my bible and began to read a chapter. The pages settled on Judges Chapter 5. At first, I read that God doesn't need human help, yet is pleased to accept the services of those use their talents to advance His cause.  As my eyes welled with tears, I spoke to God. "I am sorry I made the past few months about money. Providing hope to others by sharing my testimony is the real reason you allowed me to write the book! I'm sorry God!"

I continued to read and discovered that those who serve the Lord with the talents He has given them will not lose their reward. I started to wonder, "What was I hoping to accomplish with the book launch? Generate a bunch of money? Had I forgotten all those times God handed me unexpected money when I focused my efforts solely on Him?"

By the time I finished writing this blog, everything I heard, saw or read was about money. First, I read a bible verse that told me "Narrow, selfish spirits care not what becomes the church but worry about getting, keeping and saving money." Next, I watched my youngest son dump his piggy bank and complain about how much money he lacked. Then, a commercial for a Capital One credit card aired on the television. The actor said, "Do you want more cash? Who doesn't want more cash?"

I thought back over the past few years. I remembered how I had relied on the Lord to provide for my needs and that He had never let me down. Of course sharing the hope that I have found through Jesus Christ is far more rewarding than any amount of riches this world can offer!