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What Is Beneath Your Surface?

22 Apr

Every morning is another opportunity to greet our God and see what wonders He will perform. Sometimes they seem barely noticeable. Sometimes they are very obvious. It’s up to us to remain sensitive to everything around us. In order to see the wonders of our God, we have to realize that He is everywhere. Nothing happens by chance. We can’t fathom the depths of His understanding or of His love for us. But, if we pay close attention, we can see it in the world around us.

Spring is a wonderful season to see the freshness of new beginnings. Plants that have been dormant begin to wake up and put on new growth.  Some of them produce beautiful life on their old branches that look dead in the winter. Some plants die back completely to the ground. But, when the time is right, they look new all over again. Throughout the winter they may have looked dead, but their roots were alive all along. They were in a season of preparation – a season of growing deep and sturdy roots so they could later spring forth with verdant growth.

We can identify with the dormant plants. Inside of each of us are roots that have been growing deep. They have been receiving nourishment and becoming strong so that when the time comes for us to flourish, we will have been prepared to face life as it comes at us.

God always allows a time of preparation for each of us. He knows life is difficult at times and in His wisdom and His love for us, He takes us through a dormant period of preparation. We are not who we are because we decided to be. We belong to God and He knew us while we were yet in our Mother’s wombs. He had a plan for each one of us and a purpose for our lives.

We may not have been aware of it. We may not consider ourselves worthy. We may think it’s too late for us. But, stop! Think of the root system. It has been through the winter – it may have been a long, rough winter. God knows just when to wake up those roots and give them the nourishment they need to produce the lush, healthy growth that has been there all along.

None of our time has been truly wasted, though it may appear that way to us. The rough, hard times in our lives are not wasted. God turns everything around for our good, if we love Him and acknowledge Him as Lord of our lives. We can’t just give in to defeat.

God sent His son, Jesus, to die for us. We may not have looked so beautiful as some on the outside. But, on the inside, God has been working. He knows what our lives will produce if we will yield to Him. After all, He had a plan from the beginning for us. He knew us before we took our first breath. He knew each step we would take, each mistake we would make, every word we would speak – before any of it happened. His plans for us are good and not evil.

God is calling us to give Him control. Let Him be the loving, forgiving Father we need Him to be. He can make us beautiful. He can take all the unseen root system and make it flourish as He intended from the beginning. We will all be amazed at what God can do with our root system, if we will just let Him. Today is the day!

Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
NIV

Ps 139:13-16
3 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
NIV

 

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Where ARE You, God? How You Can Be Certain God Is Listening.

10 Apr

I have published an eBook which you can find at the following link or you can click on the book cover at the right.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J1906PK.

Where ARE You, God? – is the testimony of a few of the struggles and tragedies that God has walked me through. It also contains documentation of a great many amazing miracles God did for me during this time.

This booklet will encourage anyone who is struggling and questioning God. It will also testify to the fact that even as Christians we are not exempt from adversity. But, if we let Him, God will walk us through the fire and direct every step we take to an outcome that is best for us.

An Excerpt:  At 60 years old, I was taking care of my mother who had advanced Alzheimer’s disease. I was doing all I could to keep my head above water. My financial situation began to fail despite my best efforts to keep things in check. Eventually, I exhausted all possibilities to work things out on my own.

I saw the storm clouds gathering, again. Disaster darkened the horizon. I tried to prepare myself, but there was nothing I could do to stop the disaster from crashing in on me. I faced bankruptcy and foreclosure on the home that God had so miraculously provided for me. 

Nothing in my past struggles prepared me for the frightening ordeal that God was about to walk me through. I had to learn to listen hard to God’s leading—step by step—trusting Him to save me at the very brink of disaster. 

After crying uncontrollably one day, I picked up my Bible and God spoke to me out of I Samuel 12:16 (NIV) “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!”

I felt as though He had seen my tears and my breaking heart and was now telling me He had a great future for me. Yet, here I am at what seems to be one of the most frightening events of my life. And, now, I wasn’t sure what was happening to me.

 

 

 

 

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Faith vs. Doubt

24 Mar

I want to have strong faith. I know I have the faith of a mustard seed, but I want never to doubt! I don’t know if that is possible.

I have lived the majority of my life as a child of God. So, I have had many opportunities to trust God. Sometimes, I didn’t trust Him at all. At other times, my trust was limited.  It was easy to have “faith” when I was fairly certain of the outcome.

Earlier in my walk with God, I knew about doubt and faith and being double minded. I found that I wavered a lot, just not intentionally. I wanted to believe. I knew, in theory, that I could trust God and that He could do anything.  I also knew from sitting under many years of teaching from the Word of God, what faith was all about. But, it took years for me to really get it.

Now that I am a senior citizen, I can say that although I would like to have learned about the subject of God and His ways quickly and then “graduated,” that just isn’t God’s way.  If that were the case, I wouldn’t have need of a day-to-day relationship with Him. My relationship with Him wouldn’t  grow, nor would I have learned what it means to really trust Him – following the Holy Spirit as He leads me through life.

Scripture says that I must pick up my cross daily, and follow Him. I can relate it to a relationship with a significant other. As we grow old together, we continue to learn new things about each other as we face life’s challenges. As I walk daily with Jesus Christ, my Lord, my relationship grows deeper and I come to know Him more as I walk in obedience to Him – I even learn about His ways when I don’t walk in obedience.

With each trial I face, I have the opportunity to either trust Him and follow Him in obedience, or not. Either way, if I am sensitive to the Holy Spirit, I can get to know Him and even myself, better. Trials aren’t sent as punishment or because God doesn’t care. Trials come for many reasons. Possibly, I act in disobedience – maybe not even on purpose. Or, something happens beyond my control. What is important is that I take everything to Him in prayer.

With each step that I take in my daily walk with God, I learn to trust Him more and more. I find contentment and peace as my relationship with Him deepens.

I have reached a place that I know, without any doubt at all, that God knows what is best for me. He will not fail me. Even when I make mistakes, He is there to help me. I have no doubt – none – about that. It doesn’t mean that I won’t have trouble, disappointment, or even sorrow, in my life. It means that God is with me every step of every day. If I allow Him to, He will teach me by His Holy Spirit, to rest in peace and trust Him with the outcome.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have doubts about circumstances and whether I am doing what is right.  And, I even doubt sometimes if God is going to do what I ask – the way I ask – when I ask. But, the bottom line is that I do not doubt that He will do what is best for me in His time, not mine.  My part is to yield to Him, trust Him and know that His ways are higher and better than mine.

What I can’t do is get upset and rebellious when things don’t go the way I want them to.  If I really want God’s best, I have to follow Him and trust Him. Otherwise, I get into trouble and have to humbly ask Him to forgive me and then to show me the way back.

God has proven Himself faithful to me again and again. He knows me so much better than I know myself. He knows what I like and what will make me happy. So, I can trust Him and not doubt that His ways are truly the best for me.

I have witnessed God’s miracles again and again, in the worst of circumstances.  God is so amazing – there aren’t words to express how good He is. Not because of what He can do for me, but because He loves me so much. His love is the same for everyone – we just have to receive it.

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Your Purpose

27 Feb

I’ve been reading in the Book of Acts this month. I read a passage in Acts 11:21, 23, 29  (NKJ) The Scriptures have stayed with me so I want to share them with you.

Acts 11:21 says, “And the hand of the Lord was with them . . .” – Just think about it. The hand of the Almighty God is with me and you as well! An awesome thought. We are never alone. If we belong to Him, His hand is always with us. The hand of God can move mountains – heal the sick – part the Red Sea – Stop the Sun ! Any struggle we have – any doubt we have about our own ability should be put to rest, knowing the hand of God is with us. On our own we can’t do a lot, but with the hand of God, we can do anything!

The next verse that grabbed my heart was Acts 11:23 – This Scripture is talking about Barnabas when he saw the grace of God. The Scripture says “He was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart, they should continue with the Lord.” The phrase “purpose of heart” was what touched my heart. It tells me that we have to be deliberate in our devotion to God. We have to make it a purpose of our  heart. The dictionary’s definition of “purpose” is “the reason for existence”!! Oh my –  this means that the reason for our existence is that we continue with the Lord. The meaning of “continue” is “throughout a period of  time”. For us, as Christians, that means throughout all of time.

Then, Acts 11:29 – hits home again, “Then, the disciples each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling Judea.” Let this take root in your heart. Each of us has different abilities. We don’t need to look at others and wish we were like them. Our purpose is gifted to us individually. God knew us before we took our first breath. He formed us in His image. His image is greater than we can know – containing many attributes. He imparts particular characteristics to each of us, according to His will.  He made us, breathed life into us, knew everything there about us before we were born. He planted abilities within us for His purposes, custom-made to fit our personalities. If we look to another wanting to be like them, then we are fighting against who God made us to be and the purpose He created us for.

This should take a lot of stress from us. God just wants us to be free – from guilt, condemnation, worry, and anything else that takes our attention away from Him and His purpose for our lives. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He is indescribable.  Be at peace in your own skin. Let your light shine through your own personality. God made you who you are. Don’t change anything He doesn’t tell you to change. Rest in His arms and quit struggling. He made you. He likes you just the way you are. He will train you up in the way you should go. No one else can do that.

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Which Way?

24 Feb

In Seeking God’s Will – Paul was an apostle, yet he did not always know the direction God wanted him to take. He took steps, God closed doors, so he waited; and then God showed him the way.  Acts: 6-10 (Everyday Essential Bible Commentary)

We can all relate to this. The problem is sometimes we don’t take steps and/or we don’t wait. I heard our Pastor say “Don’t kick in a door that God may not want opened.”  Some doors need to remain closed. It’s hard for us not to go by what we see. And, in today’s world, we are accustomed to “instant everything”.

God is definitely not behind the times. Yet, He still doesn’t get in a hurry. Some things just cannot be rushed. God’s will should always be foremost in our hearts. That being said, let us not get ahead of God and take matters into our own hands. If we do, we may then be praying for God to rescue us!

Waiting is not easy for most of us. We have so many resources at our fingertips that we sometimes jump off the cliff and then scream out for God to save us on the way down. Selah, pause and calmly think of that.

As hard as it may be to accept, God isn’t as interested in our happiness as He is in our spiritual growth and relationship with  Him. Waiting is a virtue that we may as well adjust to if we truly want God’s best in our lives. God gives the very best to those who wait for Him! If you don’t wait for a cake to be baked – well, you get the picture.

The world moves so quickly around us. At times it just seems like God takes too long! But, friends, God is smarter than we are. He has the advantage of knowing what is ahead of us. He knows just the very moment we should take our next step.

Don’t settle for second best.  His timing is not always the same as yours.  Trust God and follow peace. If a deadline comes and goes, God has a better way. Wait until you have peace within – then take the step God has ordained.  That is the way to walk in God’s perfect will for your life.

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A Done Deal

24 Jan

Following is my latest entry to a weekly writing challenge at FaithWriters.com:

Pat Robertson said, “The Bible is not only a book about an ancient people but also a book as current as today’s newspaper headlines.” I would add that the same goes for God. He is not ancient. He is just as relevant today as He was when the Bible was written.

Having said that, let me introduce you to the God of the universe whose being is endless – whose love is endless – whose understanding is endless – and whose forgiveness is endless. He is my creator – my redeemer – my constant companion and my friend. You can have all of this – His love and His friendship, too. God made it simple. All you have to do is ask!

There is no form to fill out, no special requirements, no ceremony required. You don’t have to change anything to make yourself acceptable. Your invitation for Him to come into your heart, and your request for Him to forgive your sins, is all that is required. He loves you just as you are and wants you as His own. He won’t turn you away.

We were all born into a world full of sin and somehow inclined to discriminate about it. We have the idea that there are some sins that aren’t as bad as others. That is just not true. To God, sin is sin.

From the moment – the very moment – you invite Jesus into your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins, it is a done deal! You have a brand new, clean heart and are instantly a part of the family of God – His child. The simplicity of it may be hard to accept. He is, after all, the God of the universe and everything in it.

Jesus paid an enormous price so we wouldn’t have to. He died on the cross to make it happen. I can’t explain it. But, I experience His love, His guidance and His friendship every day.

When you invite Him into your life, you may not feel any different, but you will be. Your heart will be cleansed of all sin and the Holy Spirit of God enters into your clean heart. He then becomes your teacher, your helper and your counselor. He speaks to you by making an impression in your spirit (your heart) of what is true and what is false.

God is a Spirit. We relate to Him with our spirits (hearts), not our souls (emotions), or our bodies (flesh). Being a child of God is all about faith. Living by faith means we don’t make decisions by what we see or by circumstances that may pressure us. We go to God in prayer, and apply our faith. We believe that He hears us and will guide us into all truth by His Holy Spirit as He promised.

The next step is to become acquainted with God. You can get to know Him intimately by reading the Bible. The deep things of God can only be understood by those who have accepted Him.

God inspired men long ago to record the events that were taking place before and after Jesus was born, so we would have examples to follow and could learn about His ways. In Bible times people were ordinary, like us. They made mistakes, big ones. But God loved them enough to use many of them to do great things. We too, can learn how to know God’s will and how to avoid making bad choices as we study His Word and the Holy Spirit reveals truth to us.

You can also talk with God any time – He is always listening. He will communicate with you and He will make certain you recognize His voice in your spirit. As you make decisions, the Holy Spirit will guide you through a situation with peace in your heart or the absence of it, depending on the course of action He wants you to take.

Knowing and experiencing God is like nothing you have ever known. Your relationship with Him will be unique. He will make Himself known to you so that you will experience Him personally and learn just how much He loves you.

Becoming a child of God doesn’t mean that you will have no more adversity. Indeed, you will. But, He will be with you every step of the way. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is yours and you are His through all eternity.

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To The Care-Giver

16 Jan

This is an article I wrote several years ago. I was taking care of my Mother – my favorite person in the world. She had Alzheimer’s and I was doing all I could to keep her at home with me. I loved her with a love I can’t explain. I wanted so much to take care of her until her time came to leave this earth. Being a care-giver is the hardest thing I’ve had to endure in my lifetime.

My Mother was used by God on this earth to bless so many people – she was, and still is, my hero. She was the perfect example of what a disciple of Jesus should be. The love of God was with her every moment and drew everyone to her side. Taking care of her was the biggest gift God has given me.

As hard as the task was, God was with me every step of the way. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t hesitate. I cherished the time we had together. The biggest blessing of all was that my Mother remembered me on the day she died. What a gift from God!

If you are a care-giver – please know that God knew you would be the one He could trust with the care of the one He loves so much. He sees all you have to endure – Lean heavily on Him. Don’t fret over any guilt about how you feel. Take good care of yourself and don’t let the enemy make accusations that take away your joy. This, too, shall pass, and, when it does, you have fulfilled the Scripture as follows:

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

NIV

 

 If all that a man has he will give for his life, he that gives this for his friend gives all, and can give no more; this may sometimes be our duty, 1 John 3:16.

(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

 

I like what Matthew Henry’s Commentary has to say about these words that Jesus spoke in the book of John. Somehow it gives me great satisfaction to know that as I give my life to take care of my loved one, I give all that I am and can give no more. My own interpretation of this would be that God sees the sacrifices that I am making for my loved one and He knows I am doing my best. It also makes me feel better to know that it is okay if I am doing this as a duty and not because I think I am qualified or even good at it! This takes some of the pressure and guilt from me, since I don’t always perform my care-giving with the right attitude.

Some of the pressure I place on myself comes from my own idea that I should like what I am doing – but I don’t.  Most of the time, I feel angry that I have no choice.  Because this is one of those things I do as a duty and not necessarily because I want to, it doesn’t take away from what Jesus said in this Scripture from the Book of John. Duty is a good thing – it comes from internal integrity.

I am grateful that God’s Word ( John 15) it  doesn’t say I have to feel a certain way in order to demonstrate my love. It is the act of providing daily care for my loved one that God wants from me. I’m not saying that my attitude shouldn’t be right. I know it should. But, at least God knows my heart and He knows what a struggle this is. I have to seek God continually to help me correct my attitude as I am doing things I would rather not be doing.  This brings a greater peace to my heart and helps me feel less stressful.

As I write about my care-giving experience, I notice how many times I use the word “feel”. Truthfully, I’ve never been so aware of my feelings – possibly because I’ve never walked through such agonizing pain, or experienced such intense emotions.

As care-givers, we find ourselves so entangled with our loved one that we can’t deny the heaviness of it.  Therefore, we are forced to deal with our feelings and emotions. And there are soooo many!

President Reagan’s wife, Nancy,  put it this way,  “. . . it is like saying a long goodbye”.

The good news is that we will meet again in Heaven one day.

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There Is No Line To See Jesus

24 Dec

My story based on Becky Kelley’s music video located at  http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=OExXItDyWEY&vq=medium.

God wants us to be deliberate disciples. He opens our individual spirits and pours out a richness of invigorating truths that we can only see through His eyes. He is the way. He is the truth. He is life.

We miss so many of Jesus’gifts to us. We have so let the Christmas season be an excuse for indulgence in material things and tempting delicacies that the line to see Jesus during His own birthday celebration doesn’t appear to hold the same excitement as the one to see what Santa can give us.

Jesus doesn’t entice us just for one decorated holiday out of the year with temptations of material possessions that give us a few moments of pleasure and a few days of brightly lit trees leaving behind a pile of debt.

A line draws attention and indicates there is a wait for some brief encounter. The line to see Jesus is only an illusion of our ability to comprehend at a material level. Jesus does not limit us to a brief season with promises of toys to delight and entertain us. The throne of Jesus is not a temporary one. He doesn’t dress in special attire and allow us a few minutes of His time to tell him what our carnal desires are. He is always available to us without waiting. His capacity to give was proven at Calvary. His life is the ultimate gift. Jesus gives without ulterior motives and His life made the line unnecessary. Hence, we can’t see the line to Jesus because there isn’t one. Jesus is always available to us – no waiting. The gift of eternal life has already been bought and paid for. There is nothing standing in the way of His immediate availability to any one of us.

Jesus’ gift to us is truly priceless. It is life everlasting. It is a gift that cannot be purchased or compared to anything on our earth. We only need to invite Him into our hearts. With His gift of eternal life comes the knowledge that He will not disappear into the night promising to return at the same time next year. Jesus offers us life with the promise that He is with us at all time – every moment – good and bad, fun or no fun. His gift of life to us is ours for the asking. We only need ask Him to forgive our sin and invite Him in to our hearts to live.

Jesus is the one waiting in line. Don’t make Him wait any longer. He is waiting for your invitation today.He won’t say no. You will  never again stand in any line alone. He will accept you with open arms and give you eternal life and His constant companionship.

Read more about the Good News at .http://faithwritersjesuspage.weebly.com/.

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Elephant? What Elephant?

20 Dec

Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate) Faithwriters Challenge
Topic: Elephant in the Room (12/05/13) –  Highly Commended – Top 5 Award

There is an elephant in the room. What, you don’t see it? Oh, you see it but you prefer to ignore it. That’s typical. Confrontation is something most of us don’t like.

It’s easier to pretend all is well. Besides, confronting the elephant could mean we might get stomped on or at the very least come out bruised and scarred. Easier just to look the other way.

What would God have us do in this kind of situation? Confrontation doesn’t necessarily mean attacking someone or condemning them. Nor does it mean controlling a situation to gain power and have it our way.

Keep in mind that Scripture tells us to avoid strife. So, confronting the elephant in the room isn’t a license to attack. Proverbs tells us that a fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. Wow! That says a lot. Further we are told that a fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. Therefore, we are to avoid strife.

Hummmm. What does that leave us? We are taught by Jesus, that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Is it possible to face an elephant with those attributes? There is a simple answer to this question. If you can’t, then don’t. Recognizing an elephant in the room doesn’t always mean overt action is called for. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, your soul and your mind and then to love your neighbor as yourself.

Prayer is the first step. Seek God for the answer to this dilemma. Don’t get in a hurry to come face to face with that elephant! Pray for guidance. Pray for God’s timing. Pray that God create circumstances that open a door to the situation and give you the wisdom to speak into the situation in a way you can be helpful without condemnation or judgment.

It is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to do the convicting and the teaching. So, prayer is first. If God has a part for you to play in the situation He will make it clear and the timing will be right.

God doesn’t get in a hurry. Neither should we. Leave the elephant alone unless God directs you otherwise. Keep the Scriptures mentioned in mind to avoid costly circumstances.

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God Supplies Our Need Before We Know We Have One!

16 Dec

God just amazes me more every day. Lately I have become aware of just how much more God knows about me than I do. I know I shouldn’t be surprised. His Word does tell us in Psalms 139 that He knew us while we were still in our Mother’s womb. He knew every step we would take, each time we would stand up and sit down and every word that would come out of our mouths, before we speak! So, why in the world should I be surprised at His knowing what I need before I do?

A couple of weeks ago my refrigerator starting going out. I pampered it as much as I could but it finally died! I called a repair man and made the dreaded appointment. After all, it’s Christmas. What timing! Anyway, I braced myself for the worst (sad that we do that) and began to wonder how I would manage the repairs or worse, a new refrigerator.

I was talking to my son a couple of days later, before the repair man came. I was kind of whining to my son about my dilemma. He said, “Mom, not to worry. I have a side by side in my store-room, plugged in and ready to go. You can have it if you need it.” Right then I knew my refrigerator was dead and God had already provided what I needed. So, I could face the repairman without so much anxiety.

Sure enough, my refrigerator was dead and the repair was going to cost way more than I could afford. I loved that refrigerator. I was kind of worried about loosing my really nice Amana, stainless, side by side refrigerator to an unknown sitting in a storage unit. Well, beggars can’t be choosers, as they say.

That next Sunday my son came with the refrigerator in tow. I could see it from the front door. It was white. I was a little hesitant to check it out. But, I walked out to the trailer and took a look at it. Hummmm, not too bad.

My sons and I got the old frig out and the new one in. We plugged it in and said our goodbyes. I proceeded to clean the refrigerator and put all the shelves in. Goodness, it cleaned up very well. Wow! I liked it even better than the beautiful Amana stainless. It looked much better in my kitchen than the sparkling stainless.

Once again I had to apologize to my Lord. He never, never lets me down. Who new He’s a decorator? He knew I would like how this white refrigerator looked in my white kitchen much  better than the stainless.  So, why was I so worried about it?

This may seem a little silly as you read about it. But, it really isn’t. The point is God always knows what we need before we do. And, He cares right down to the color. He provided the new refrigerator before I really knew if I needed it or not. And, better yet, my son had bought it because the price was so good and kept it plugged in all this time, not knowing what he would use it for. But God knew all along. He knew way back when my son bought it that I had a need coming up and I would need that refrigerator.

Now, how can we doubt our God’s provision? This wasn’t a silly thing to Him. He loves me (and you) and knows what our needs are. He loves us so much that He gives, and gives and gives. After all, He gave His Son that we might have life – what’s a ‘lil ‘ole refrigerator?

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