Welcome To October!

Fall is here! It won't be long and this will be the type of view
that I'll have from my house. The Appalachian hills will be covered with color! I love Fall. Maybe it's because my Birthday is in the Fall or maybe it's because I hate summer... I don't know but I'm glad Fall is here. My morning walks are now invigorating instead of a drain. I look forward to playing with my wood cook stove and I'm already collecting and pressing fallen leaves with my young son.

I hope you'll find encouragement here, this month. Many of these posts came out the desperateness of my own heart at one time or another. Through those desperate times, I came to know the Lord more. It's my prayer that you will, too.

A friend who cares,

Holly

Faith

~Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ~

Never give up!
Are you saying, "Oh, But it hurts!"
Ahhhh... here's the key:

We all have something that we're praying about and hoping for. BUT don't make the thing you're hoping for into an idol.
Don't make "the thing" more important than your true God.
We shouldn't have the attitude that we can't REALLY be happy until "it' comes true.
Our peace, joy, and reason for living HAS to be in the Lord Jesus Christ-
NO MATTER what's going on around you.
He's the only Way we'll ever truly be happy.

I want to join with you in prayer today-
Whatever it is you're hoping for- if it is truly God's will- that He will bring it to pass.

And then- you press on!
Confidently go on in the knowledge that we serve the God of all creation. And remember- He's REALLY GOOD and He's really good at answering prayers.

Never Let Go Of Your Hand

Please believe the words of this song today.


NEVER LET GO OF YOUR HAND
BY DON FRANSICO


I know what you’ve been hearing
I’ve seen you hide your fears
Embarrassed by your weaknesses
Afraid to let me near
I wish you knew how much I long
For you to understand
No matter what may happen child-
I’ll never let go of your hand


I know you’ve been forsaken
By all you’ve known before
When you failed their expectations
They frowned and closed the door
But even though your heart itself
Should loose the will to stand
No matter what may happen child-
I’ll never let go of your hand


The life that I have given you- No one can take away
I’ve sealed it with my Spirit, blood and word
The everlasting Father has made His covenant with you
And He’s stronger than the world you’ve seen and heard


So don’t you fear to show them
All the love I have for you
I’ll be with you everywhere
In everything you do
And even if you do it wrong and miss the joy I planned
No matter what may happen child I’ll never let go of your hand

Please Don't Give Up!

Please don't give up!
The journey isn't over yet.
Please don't give up the fight.
I know it's hard- It's really, really hard!
But you *can* go on.
You can do it- You really can!
You can do it through Christ.
God really *does* care.
He knows your pain

and He knows your weaknesses.
God loves you, precious lamb.
Keep following the Good Shepherd.
I'm praying for you.

Let God Arise

Let God arise and all your enemies be scattered!

Through your God, you shall do valiantly,
for it is He that shall tread down your enemies!

You are more than a conqueror through Him that loves you- therefore greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

God always causes you to triumph in Christ and no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper!

If God our Father be for you, who can be against you?
No one!

So be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might because you are on the winning side!

*Faith is the victory- His faith!

Jesus Never Fails

I was reminded of this simple song this morning:

Jesus never fails
Never, never fails
I'm glad, so glad
Jesus never fails

It doesn't matter what it is!
Doubt says "but this is different".
Nope! Not true. Jesus is true and He never fails.
What ever it is today,
let's cast it all over on the Lord.
He can handle it.
He never fails!

Worthy Vessels

Don't think you're not worthy to be used by God.
You are a cleansed vessel for the Master's use.
You are more than a conqueror!
Doubts might come in and say that you are

too much of a failure to reach out to anyone else.
Don't you believe it!
Let our Father, the Father of lights,
fill you with the oil of His Spirit today.
Let Him make you a shinning lamp for His glory.
You are so delightfully precious to God.
He wants to see you shine.

Arise Shine!

Arise shine for thy light is come

Arise shine for thy Light is come

And the glory of the Lord is risen

The glory of the Lord is come

The glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.



Arise people!

We have been given a great Light!

The Light has come!

The things which were hidden have been uncovered.

God's heart and plan have been revealed!

Mysteries have been solved.

We don't have to wait and wait for some great day to dawn!

It is here!

The Forest Floor

My Lord has given me a forest to tend.

It's a secret garden type of forest and I have loads of fun working in it! It seems as though there is more dead wood than live wood there. My young son and I laughingly refer to it as "dead wood forest". But then we tell our selves that we must think positively and believe for the good wood.

Every time I'm working out there, I feel an excitement in my spirit, soul and body. (Until the next day when I'm teeeeribly sore!) I pull down strong, dead branches out of the tree limbs. They have been trapped there for years and years. Sometimes I have to pull REALLY hard before that death looses its hold and then the branch comes crashing down as I tuck my head and laugh. The whole tree is shaken and sometimes other dead branches that were trapped there come crashing down too.

Fun!

Then there are the vines. Vines, vines, vines. They are long, overgrown, bossy vines that tangle and choke the tress and bushes. You can hardly tell the tree from the vine! Although the vines are lighter and never come crashing down, they take even more work because they twist and turn and go all through the trees. They want to become a part of the tree. I pull, pull, pull, and then SNAP! The tree is free!

It is incredibly rewarding work.

Then there's dry, dry, doubly dead branches that are ALL OVER the ground. They have to be collected, too and cast into the fire. You can hardly walk through the forest as long as they are lying around.

Then finally, I rake up all the small branches, bark, twigs, leaves, dead grass, weeds and trash. Ah-h-h-h. The forest is clean from top to bottom!

Now you probably have guessed that the Lord has spoken to me through my work and perhaps HE has already spoken to you, too. Mainly- dead works have to go! They are worth nothing. They weigh on us and the good life that God wants us to have. When the dead works are moved out of the way, the good life can flourish.

The little twisty vines that strangle our life in Christ have got to go, too. They are not so noticeable all the time but they are there. They quietly do their spoiling work and they must be pulled down. Our life needs to be exchanged for HIS.

Then there's the obvious useless, stumbling logs that are in our path or maybe our eye... Yup! Gotta go!
Finally- He wants to plow, and cleanse us down to our very depths so that new life can spring up EVERY WHERE! He wants HIS fresh and invigorating life to flow through every part of our being! He wants us FULL of HIS life - full of HIM with nothing hindering!! Life is so much better than death!

I want to totally yield myself to HIM today and let HIM tend to me; to thoroughly purge me right down to the forest floor.
If you also want this, I must prepare you, you will be shaken but it will be GOOD!