Psalm 139 is a wonderful song of praise to God. Verse 14 says, “I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The Psalmist notes that he is imperfect, but that God’s thoughts toward him are wonderful (v. 17), because he will guide anyone through anything, from the usual difficulties – such as when Paul learned God’s strength was made perfect in His weakness – to those not so usual.

Each of us is a miracle, created by God for a specific purpose. He doesn’t want there to be imperfections; He created this world perfect, but then sin entered intot he world through mankind’s free will. So, now, there are people who experience all sorts of difficulties in their lives because of the curse of sin which caused this world to become broken down. It’s not any one person’s sin that causes it – it’s the imperfection which came when this perfect world had imperfection brought into it.

So, because of that imperfection, there are people like me born with low vision (in my case, from Dandy-Walker Syndrome) or hearing (in my case, bad enough to need a hearing aid.) There are those with other things physical or mental. And, there are even those whose creation is really unique – those born with a mix of anatomical traits considered both male and female, or which are atypical for each. Such people are known as intersex.

Intersex has nothing to do with sexual orientation, by the way; that has no relevance to this. In fact, it has nothing to do with homosexuality or the transgender movement. These are among numerous major fallacies. about it. The Bible says nothing specific about the issue, except that obvioulsy we must show the same love Jesus showed everyone. Numerous websites devoted to the issue merely seek to raise awareness of the issue and of difficulties encountered in society which are related to it.

We can’t always figure out why God chose what He did for us. I have a few ideas, based on what I’ve accomplished, of why He gave me low vision, low hearing, a bit of cerebral palsy (enough my feet point out a touch & I couldn’t do little things like open cans or jars as early as some kids), and possible even a touch of mild Asperger’s Syndrome. But the important thing is that He is the God of all comfort who provides a peace which passes understanding when we trust Him to. I’ve been able to do things I never would have, and help people I wouldn’t have, without these – some of which nobody else would have. Even though my body isn’t perfect, like anyone else, I’m a miracle.

God’s most amazing miracles surely include those connected with His birth, death, and resurrection. He came to die for each of us, to take the punishment for our sins, mine as well as others. Then, He rose from the dead, having the victory over everything.

For Him to do this, of course, He had to do as John 1:14 says He did – He “became flesh and dwelt among us.” He was fully God and fully man. While here, He showed great care for the hurting people of this world. While the Pharisees, the religious crowd, cared only for the usual and tried to impress others, Jesus cared for those who were unusual in some way. He performed many healings, not only of physical things but also of broken hearts.

Some of those hearts were broken by the treatment which the Pharisees gave, I’m sure. But, these people recognized that Jesus was special. He was different. He and god the Father are one. (John 10:30) God had ordained the Law in the commandments to teach the people that they couldn’t follow even those laws all the time, because of the nature of their hearts. So, they had to trust Him by faith in order to be saved. Salvation has always had a faith component. However, the Pharisees, as people often do, turned it into a totally works-based system and condemned those who went against it.

They even thought they had answers for why God created people such as the blind man in John chapter 9. They asked a strange question of Jesus – whether the man or his parents had sinned that he was born blind. Jesus told them that neither one had; the man was born blind that the works of God might be made manifest in him. Then, Jesus healed the blind man. The Pharisees were so upset that they threw him out of the synagogue; this man then wound up becoming a follower of Jesus.

We don’t know much about this man as a follower, but his testimony must have been amazing. He had the same testimony as anyone can who has experienced something other than the usual from their physical body. That testimony is that Jesus can and will overcome anything if they trust Him, and help them through anything.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus will heal everyone of physical problems while living. For some, healing won’t come until He calls them home to His perfect Heaven, at which time I will have perfect sight and hearing, those confined to whellchairs will be able to run, and so on. I know of one young man, in fact, who must wear braves on his legs. When he reaches Heaven, the first thing he plans to do is leap 100 feet in the air.

It does, however, mean that Jesus will give anyone the ability to get through anything with His help. It also means that – while not everything is good in this world – all those things we face will work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28) God has a way of taking anything and using it for good. Even the bad things which people do because they have not learned of His love. God lives in each believer through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 113-14, 4;30; John 14-16, etc.) So, it is up to each believer to let Him guide them in the truth, being control by His Spirit. Thankfully, He will always love and cleanse us from sin when we turn to Him by faith. (1 John 1:9-2:1)

What He can’t take are peoples’ sins. No sin can enter Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place which God established so there would be no suffering, no tears, no pain, no parting, no sorrow. No bad stuff can enter there. So, He had to find a way for people like me and you and everyone to get there. Because, while our imperfections aren’t because of our own sin, we do all sin and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) that means each of us comes short of God’s perfect Heaven.

God gave us each a wonderful gift, though. The wages of sin – what we earn because of our sin – is death, separation from God forever in a place called Hell. But, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

That is the awesome gift which we must remember to celebrate, whether or not we celebrate Jesus’ birthday on December 25 or not. That gift of life forever in that perfect Heaven is free; all a person has to do is to receive it.

People have been mistreated throughout history because of differences. That mistreatment comes through actions of various sorts; words play a part, too, but focusing only on surface things like names can make one as bad as the Pharisees, who refused to do as God commands and look at the heart. The important thing is that God loves each of us because of who we are on the inside, not because of what name we go by.

The way to have that personal relationship with God – so you can get His help here and also go to His perfect Heaven someday – is to simply “believe on the Lord Jesus Christm, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) That whosoever means anyone – any person can put their name in there because God is talking about them.

We may each have different physical characteristics. But, we each have one thing in common – a need for God’s love and forgiveness. Our differences are not because of sin – they are because God created each of us in a unique way so that we can glorify Him in who we are and what we do. However, we all do hve sin – myself included. We fall short of God’s perfect glory.

God doesn’t demand works like the Pharisees, though. That would be unfair anyway because some people could work more than others; some can’t do any. God made sure it was all by grace through faith in Him. It is not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians. 2:8-9)

Because it is by faith alone in Christ alone, each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentence to Jesus away from eternal life. The words don’t matter – but it can go something like this. “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I can’t reach your perfect Heaven myself. But, I know you died for my sins and rose from the dead. You took my punishment so I could get to heaven and also have life with you now, so you can guide me and help me on earth. Lrod Jesus, today I choose to turn from my sins and trust you to save me. I call on your name, asking you to save me from my sins and come into my heart to live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

That’s all there is to it. We don’t know what God has planned – I heard about a condition from an online friend and I considered a number of ways to do it. Suddenly, this blog came out of my thoughts and prayers. I know that whatever happens, though, the Christian life is a great adventure in trusting the Lord to see you through everything. He has always been faithful to me, and He wants everyone to not only call on Him but also to let Him guide them in showing His love to others and telling of His great gift to them.

Finding the Right Solution

When life is not turning out the way you planned, where do you turn? Whom do you seek for answers? Unfortunately, many of us turn to all the wrong things, only to be disappointed when our plight grows worse instead of better.

The Bible tells us story after story of people who tried different avenues of “working things out” in their lives. The results were disastrous at best. I believe my favorite tale is that of Jairus and his sick daughter. I’m sure you know the story, but if not, here’s a refresher:

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him . . . While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. – Mark 5:22-24;35-42

Jairus was an important and influential man, but during this time of trial, he learned a great lesson that all of us would do well to learn and heed.

1.) Riches can’t help – We can glean from the story that Jairus is fairly wealthy. He is a ruler of the synogogue. He has servants. I imagine him running down the road, his finely woven robe flapping in the breeze, his crafted sandals beating against the dirt. Yes, I imagine Jairus was quite wealthy. Wealthy enough to buy the finest medicine. Wealthy enough to hire the most competent doctors. But Jairus discovered that his wealth wasn’t enough. The medicine didn’t work, and the doctor’s were baffled. Money couldn’t buy the healing Jairus desired.

2.) Relatives can’t help – It’s nice to have a loving and supportive family, but there are times when even their steadfastness is not enough to get us through. Jairus had a wife, not to mention an entire group of people waiting as his home. I have no doubt many of these people were relatives coming to offer hope, help and encouragement. But in the face of the death, there was really nothing they could do but mourn.

3.) Religion can’t help – Jairus was a ruler of the synogogue. That means he was well-educated in the Scriptures. He was a religious man. He knew the right people and had all the right connections. If anything could help Jairus, it was his religion. Yet, no matter what he did or who he talked to, his daughter’s condition grew worse. His high standing was not enough to protect his family from heartache.

4.) Only the Redeemer can help – When Jairus arrived at the end of his options, he grabbed hold of the one shred of hope he had left. Maybe Jesus can help. In his haste, he left behind the medicines, the doctors, the relatives and his religious traditions. He focused on one thing and one thing only–Jesus. Jairus was not ready to throw in the towel. He was not ready to give up. He was determined to do everything in his power to save his daughter, even if that meant admitting that it was not within his power to accomplish that task. He needed a strength beyond his own. He needed something that neither riches nor relatives nor religion could provide. He needed the Redeemer.

Through Jairus’ story, we are reminded of the remedy for our own situations. Whatever we may face in life, there is only one answer. There is only one solution. There is only one means by which our problem can be fixed. It’s not through riches, relatives or religion. It’s only through the Redeemer. If we can ever get that through our heads, maybe we’ll start bringing our problems to Him in the first place instead of waiting until we’ve exhausted every other option. It will certainly save us a lot of time and heartache, and I’m sure it will thrill the Father that we turn to Him first as He has asked us to do time and time again.

Mary was the Mother of Jesus. She was a virgin and conceived Him miraculously by way of the Holy Spirit of God. She carried Him inside of her. She felt Him Move and kick as He grew and formed within her womb. She labored and went through the pain of child birth. She brought forth Jesus, her LORD and Savior. Jesus is the Messiah and the LORD and Savior of all mankind. She raised Him in the ways of God and taught Him according to the great wisdom of God. She changed His soiled clothes; she bathed Him, nurtured Him, and loved Him with all her heart.
I know that our Heavenly Father prepared Mary to be the Mother Jesus needed. God chose her from all women to be the Mother of God. Yet, I am certain Mary wondered if she would truly be a good enough Mother for Jesus. After all, she might have said to herself, “how could an earthly woman ever be good enough to raise the Son of God?” What thoughts went through her mind? What feelings did she have about this most amazing parenthood? Did she fully understand what would come of her son, the Son of God?
She sang to Him, played games with Him Kissed all His boo-boos, helped Him to study and learn, celebrated all His birthdays, and wanted the very best for Him. This is not at all unlike all loving Mothers. She knew His purpose was from our Heavenly Father. She knew Jesus did not belong to just her. He was the Father’s Son and He was to be the Savior of her people and all the people of the world, from the beginning and for all time. How must that have felt? How did Mary cope with all the knowledge she had and all the knowledge that she did not have?
Did the Father in heaven prepare her for what Jesus would do and accomplish in life? What went through her mind as her son performed great miracles and grew up to be free of sin and full of love? How wonderful it must have been to see her son Jesus mature into a wonderful and loving Man. I am sure she didn’t want Jesus to ever grow up; just like most Moms’ wish their precious babies could stay that precious forever. Yet I also think she dreamed of Him living a long and full life and she believed in Him to do great things and change the world! Just as all loving Mothers believe their children are truly gifted and special.
She was the Mother of Jesus! She was with Him when He was born and she was there for Him throughout His whole childhood. She had to let Him go when He reached the age to fulfill His destiny, and all the prophecies that had been foretold. Yet she was His Mother through it all. She was there with Him as He died upon the cross. She witnessed His love for her, and for all of us in everything Jesus ever did or said throughout His life. She then witnessed her dear Son’s death. How horrible it must have been for Mary to watch her son die on that cross for her sins and for all the sins of every person in this world. I don’t know if anything can prepare a Mother for such loss. As a Mother I know I am prepared to go before my children. I cannot even imagine how awful it would be to lose one of my children that way.
She was a great Mother and a great example for all women. It is my prayer that all Mothers will learn by Mary’s exceptional example and raise their children to love and be reverent of God. Remember they are not just your children. All children belong to God. We are all God’s Children. Know that God chose you from all women to be a Mother to your children and will prepare you to be the best Mother you can be.
As a Mother, you will have to let go of your children and allow them to become the great men and women of God they were born to be. You may even have to face tragedy along the way. Know that as a child of God, He will help you to endure all that comes your way. The love and Strength of God is what makes us strong, compassionate and loving Mothers.
It is also my prayer that all of our children come to believe in Jesus and accept them as their personal Savior. I pray our children will be saved.
I also say a special prayer to all the Mothers that have lost a child or had miscarriages. I pray that God will comfort you and fill you with all the joy and hope that Jesus’ life and death brought for all of us.
You see Jesus died but that is not where His story ended. Jesus was buried in the tomb, but His body did not remain there. Jesus was resurrected and now lives in heaven with our Heavenly Father.
If you have sorrows for the loss of a child allow God to comfort you. Know that the story of your child did not end there either. Your child is now in heaven with God and one day you can be reunited with them.
Everyone, please honor your Mothers and show them how much you love them.
Happy Mother’s Day Mary! Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

My landlord was not willing to give back our security deposit and he was rude and troubled us a lot. He was owing 1,900/ (security deposit of 1,100/- and as a part of agreement he is suppose to pay water and teco gas but he made us to pay which was 900/-).

He was not answering our calls and he was threatening us if we call him to ask deposit he will bring restraining order from court. I asked many people to pray to get back our deposit including my parents and friends and this landlord of the house had always different excuses and he had no intention to give back our money and I was pleading the blood of Jesus On him and on that deposit . So by the grace of God, he answered our phone call and he said he will swap his electronic items like big 55 inch TV, DVD player with stereo and speakers with lawn more. At least something we got back in the form of these electronics things. All things are possible with God. Praise, Praise Praise the Lord. I praise and thank the Blood of Jesus Christ. Thanks you Jesus! God will bless this landlord for being nice to us finally!

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him … Talk of all His wondrous works! … Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth …” (1 Chronicles 16:8-12)

Shining Perspective

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”~Matthew 19:26

Miracles come in all shapes and sizes. How quickly I can forget the miracles that God has richly blessed me with. Recently I have experienced so much of God’s grace. The precious gift of God’s grace is truly a miracle that is so easily taken for granted. His hand has guided my every step and even when I had nothing to put forth, God filled up the space with His amazing grace.

I have come to the end of my first challenging semester in college. I think going back to school after taking 15 years off is a struggle in itself. Taking two classes and a lab, working full time, being a wife, a mother and having all of the commitments that go along with those rolls is well, crazy to say the least. Of course, I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t do it. I know now it was not the wisest choice to take two classes. I could have just taken one class. However, I would have missed an opportunity to watch Romans 8:28 in action. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I watched God make all things work together for my good. I would have missed out on the immense grace that overflowed throughout every difficult day that I put one foot in front of the other. Psalm 34:8 says “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” I saw, felt, tasted and tested God’s promise for myself. By trusting God I was touched by him in a way I never would have been, if I had not made the decisions I did. Some people might say I just took a leap of faith.

How is it so easy to forget? How can you possibly forget in such a short amount of time?  Circumstances come and knock you around and before you know it they are in the spotlight and somehow you have lost sight of the miraculous events that you have been privileged to taste. I witnessed the Lord’s hand upon all that I had been doing for months. I watched in awe as I would pass a test I had no business passing. I felt His overwhelming presence as I sat through the exam. I knew every time I received a test back, the Lord gave me that grade. There is no way possible that I could accomplish what I have. Only by the grace of God could I successfully have made it through this semester.

I still forgot. I let circumstances such as, being sick, the stress of preparing for Christmas (yes, Christmas, you know the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Prince of Peace) and the everyday chaos of this world blind me from the miraculous grace I had experienced. I let the circumstances that arose, change my view.

I have been miserable because I have been focusing on my circumstances and allowing them to dictate all my choices, my mood, my life. Today, I went online to see what books I needed to order for next semester. Once I was there, I was distracted; or shall I say God had something for me to see. I ran across my grades for the semester. That is when I was reminded how amazing God has been to me and how grateful I am for what I had just experienced. My joy is in full bloom as I count the blessings of the lessons I have learned. My hope is renewed as I relive the moments where God held my hand and once again did not fail me. My faith has grown as I have seen firsthand that God makes all things work together for my good, even when I make poor decisions.

What miracles has God done in your life? Are you counting them? Or are you letting them get lost in your circumstances? God is faithful and there is nothing too hard for him. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Mark 9:23 What do you believe? Have you tasted and seen for yourself how great the love of God is?