Open Book

Hey followers:) My great friend Johnny told me about some of you posting on her wall wondering if I was okay and it made me feel very loved! Thank you guys. That's what I needed. Well, I've decided to be an open book about ANYTHING. Ask me whatever your heart desires. Comment your questions and I'll get back to you right away!

Staying Too Close--For Comfort

I have reading plans on Youversion.com and this one really spoke to me. Lifetime Daily Devotions is the title of this reading plan. The women who wrote this is named Anabel. While you're reading try to relate Bo to your life.



Meet Bo, our "Heinz 57 Varieties" dog, who is 15" tall, 4'7" long (nose to tail tip) and weighs ninety-seven pounds. You couldn't "pinch an inch" if I offered you a ten-dollar bill!

If Bo just knew how ferocious he looks! Let's pretend you walk into our yard. He has basset ears, so they never stand up; they elevate maybe a quarter of an inch and then he gets this very serious, inquisitive look on his face and saunters casually towards you--all ninety-seven pounds of him. You would slow your pace. Your heart rate would probably elevate and you might be just a tad anxious, if it weren't for that one de-tail--it wags--constantly.

Bo fears only two things, vacuum cleaners (and other such unknown frightening objects that make loud noises) and thunder storms. Now, if a storm were to come and we weren't at home, he'd head for the bed--not under it--on top of it! I guess if I were scared I might head for the bed, too, and put my curls under my pillow!

I'm sure he could smell the change in the weather yesterday, and when it began looking pretty dark and ominous he decided to stay in close proximity to his master--me. I don't know why he has decided that I'm a safer haven than Bill, but he chooses me as his lifesaver in such life-threatening situations. He was "sticking closer than a brother" and he doesn't even know the verse!

Then it happened, a piercing flash of light and a crash of thunder! He was a mass of nerves, and he stayed that way until the storm subsided and the sun peeked out late in the afternoon. He didn't leave my side for the duration. I talked softly to him and from my cooking I shared some chicken tidbits with him every so often to comfort him and keep his mind off the "impending doom" that was in his "horror-scope" for the day. When it was all over, Bo could once more get back to his important "dog-job"--snoozing peacefully, stretched out in the middle of the floor. (He creates quite an imposing "speed bump"!)

All of this to say that sometimes in our own lives, it's ominously dark. We know a storm is on the way and suddenly it hits! A blast of thunder crashes through our front door and a forked flash of lightening pierces our ceiling. (Look out, bed! Here I come!) But wait! Could it be possible that my sweet Bo is smarter than we are? Our Master is at home and He's much safer than the bed! Should we maybe get in very close proximity to Him and stay there? He knows we're scared to death, that we're insecure, that we don't know what's going to happen and that we need a "comfort zone." He will feed us nourishing tidbits from His table and He'll talk to us--consoling us, encouraging us, assuring us of His love and His power to protect us from the devastating storms of life.

Such times are good for us I know--these times of crashing thunder and impending doom. They help to remind us again of our weakness and of His strength, of our complete dependency upon Him. He knew we'd be that way and He says to us, "Don't be afraid. Don't look anxiously about you and be dismayed. Keep your eyes on me. I am with you. I will help you. I'm holding your hand with My strong right hand. It's Me--God--talking to you and saying to you, don't be afraid. I'm God--the One holding you, remember? I remember. I know He says that, but it's still scary. It hurts. I'm terrified. What's going to become of me?

Jesus has forewarned me that bad times will come. He says, "Anabel, in the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration." That couldn't be said more clearly--and it has proven true. Grief, pain, loss, separation, sorrow, loneliness, tears, frustration, death, sadness, disillusionment, disappointment, failure--they and all in their unhappy family are clustered under the column headed, Trials and Tribulations. But He goes on to say, "Be of good cheer--take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted." And I want to say, "How can I be all of those things, Lord? Don't You know I'm hurting? Don't You know I'm scared? Don't You realize the seriousness of this situation?" His answer is soft. There's a note of pleading in His words. There's compassion and love. "Anabel, I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm, I have conquered it for you."

Jesus Christ dwells within me to face life for me. I do not have the power nor the wisdom to meet all of those trials and tribulations in myself--the grief, the financial setbacks, the unexpected tragedies--but He does and He has given me Himself specifically for when the storms are raging without and within. I have been accepted into His family. I am loved and He is my constant companion, the Friend who really does stick closer than the proverbial brother. Those are just a few of the tidbits that He gives us from His table--some of the words He whispers to us when things go wrong.

I communicate something to my Master when I keep telling Him how scared I am--how helpless I feel--when His presence brings no relief and when His words fall on frightened, unhearing ears. I'm saying to Him: I do not believe You, God. I doubt Your word. I doubt Your power. I doubt Your love.

Bo doesn't bother me lying under my feet when the thunder's rattling around in the heavens. I understand. I just wish I could convince sweet, old Bo that everything is going to be all right. I wish I could talk to him and tell him that I'm not going to let anything hurt him. I wish he knew my deep love for him and that I have no intention of deserting him, no matter how loud the rolling thunder, how fiercely the wind blows, or how many seconds away that last jagged bolt of lightening was when it hit. But you know, even if we could talk to each other, I wonder if he would believe me? Bo is just an animal. He cannot reason. He cannot "walk by faith." Bo has an excuse. We don't.

For we live by believing and not by seeing.  (2 Corithians 5:7)

ALL I NEED

I want you to stop what you're doing and lift your hands in the air, close your eyes, and scream, "ALL I NEED IS YOU!" to the Lord. In Matthew 10:32-33(NLT) it states, "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven." Don't deny Him. He's done so much for us it's unbearable! How can you deny the God who's walked on water, healed the wounded, been there all the way, carried us when we're down, died for us...? Don't make the wrong decision. Don't listen to your flesh! Let the spirit of God be stronger than your feelings. Just let it out! In Jesus name you are STRONG!

Footprints in the Sand

 One night I dreamed I was walking

along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, 
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”
 

                                                                                                -Mary Stevenson

TWO SAD EYES

Two Sad Eyes

By Kimberly F. Salazar

Two sad eyes full of hope

a kingdom of jewels they desire

dreams are how they cope

the made up worlds they admire

they dream of a location

where they are free

to be able to choose their destination

to grow up and be who they want to be

America, what has happened

have we forgotten what it is to need?

Have we reached a dead end?

Are we only full of greed?

When will we stop?

When will we slow down?

Our bad habits drop?

Or will we drown?

How is it that we pout

about going to school

why do we shout when our waters are to cool?

When in other places

Kids would love an education

When in other places

water is miles from civilization

How are we able to complain?

About such things 

And let people die in vain

When we live like kings?

The two sad eyes are full of hope

In a nearly hopeless situation

The two sad eyes are full of hope

yet ours don't have appreciation

GOD'S LOVE

Everyone longs to give themselves to someone, to have a deep soul relationship, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God, to a Christian says:

No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content with being loved by me alone. With giving yourself totally and unreserved to me, to having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone, discovering that only in me is your satisfaction to be found.

I want you to stop planning, stop wishing and allow me to give you the most thrilling plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you. You must keep watching me, expecting the greatest things. Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you. Just wait, that's all.

Heey:)

Hey guys!!! It's Katielooya!!! I want you guys to feel free to post any testimonies, prayer requests, and prayer reviews. I am psyched to read what you put! People will be praying:)