Comforter

This is a really important one to me as my uncle (my dad's twin brother) changed his citizenship to Heaven on Friday. While we rejoice that He is with the Lord, we are in need of earthly comfort. How wonderful that we have our Comforter only a prayer away!! Jesus comforts me in ways that only He can...I can't even describe them. All I know is that He wraps me in His arms, breathes into my soul and holds me close. And I am comforted.

Redeemer

The dictionary defines REDEEMER as "to buy back; to release from blame or debt". Isn't that just what Jesus has done for us? He has bought us back from a life of hopelessness and sin, a life that would end in despair and a life that would not be worth the living. He has released us from all blame. Imagine - He who was blameless bore it all; we who are full of blame have been released - redeemed!! Jesus has canceled (redeemed) our debt - He has released us from certain death!

It's hard to wrap my mind around that concept. One who was pure, blameless, and perfect took it upon Himself to redeem us...can you fathom the love?

"Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb" - Sandra

No Other Name But The Name of Jesus

This year I want to try something. I want to name all the things Jesus is to me and I think it just might take a year. First of all, Jesus is my SAVIOR! He wraps His righteous robe around my wretched, sinful, dirty body...so that when God looks at me, He does not see the vile soul that I am; all He sees is Jesus' righteous, glorious robe that is covering me. He saved me! He saved me from a life of aimless wandering, saved me worthless living, saved me from eternal death. Oh, what a Savior!

Thankful - Sandra

America, The Beautiful

Yesterday, I watched or listened to the inaguration of our president throughout the day. And, while I don't agree with many things our new president stands for, I came away impressed with a new sense of pride in our country. We are among the very few nations in this world who transfer power peacefully, gracefully and beautifully. I went to bed last night with a deeper feeling of thankfulness that I am an American...battered and bruised as she is...and that we have a freedom that very few nations enjoy.

I got teary-eyed when Aretha Franklin sang "My Country Tis Of Thee" so soulfully and chills when the band was playing. I felt appreciation for our country's leaders, gratitude for the foundations we are built on and love for our nation's wealth of spirit. I am a PATRIOT!!

With hand over heart - Sandra

The Air We Breathe

How much we take for granted. The sun that suns, the rain that falls, the air we breathe. This week I am going to make a conscience effort to appreciate the simple things in life, the things we take so much for granted, the things, that without, we could not live. For once, I'm going to focus on standing in the sun, listening to the rain, breathing in the air. I will not complain that the sun's too hot, the rain's too wet, or the air is too heavy. The week will not go by without me being thankful for small pleasures. I will embrace the sun, dance in the rain and take deep gulps of air. Embrace, dance and breathe...

Lovingly - Sandra

Homework for this week!

Okay. Here's the challenge...this week, I want everyone who reads this to send an email, make a phone call, write a letter or personally speak to someone who needs a word of encouragement! I just sent an appreciative email to someone about something they did and, unbeknown to me, it was the exact thing they needed at the moment!! We never know what God's prompting will lead to - in this case, it was a word of encouragement that was badly needed. Who is in your life that needs encouraging? Who has God laid on your heart this week? I encourage all of you to take the challenge...

With encouragement - Sandra

Satan is Alive, Well AND Kicking...

...as was evidenced to me yesterday! The Bible Study I attend on Tuesday's is a BIG commitment, both in time and energy, and I was very excited when a friend of mine joined last week. She attended the "new members" lecture and was also told that it was a commitment. Yesterday, before our study started, my friend said to me: "The strangest thing happened this morning. My boss, who has NEVER asked me to change ANYTHING before, asked me to be at work this morning (Bible Study day). I told him that I couldn't as I already had a commitment; he asked me again to PLEASE change my mind, but I told him that I couldn't." She was very puzzled as to why this had happened and I told her that "Satan is starting a war with you as he doesn't want you to attend this study." I told her that she is winning this war as she stuck with her commitment to Bible Study and encouraged her to keep at it! She was amazed that Satan would try this tactic and resovled to keep coming to Bible Study - praise God!

It was a good reminder to me that Satan is indeed alive and well, and these days, he is busy kicking - trying to get his foot in the door of our lives...trying to upsurp God's number one position in our hearts. Are we letting him win the battle?

I feel at war with spending time in prayer with God. I have an established time that I spend in prayer, but it doesn't always work out the way I want it to. "Things" tend to get in the way, "things" happen that take my mind away from God and my time with Him, "things" intrude in ways I don't want them to.

What are you at war with Satan with? Am I alone in this area?!!

Trying to always win the war but not always succeeding - Sandra