In our family birthdays have been important as a day to celebrate the honored person as God’s special gift in our lives. We are thankful to the Lord for them and we want to let them know they are loved. When the kids were young, we invited the whole neighborhood of kids to their parties but now it is mostly just family, since we live in a small place. Recently I was getting ready to celebrate Ann’s birthday and had much joy as I blew up balloons, got the meal ready, presents wrapped, and wanted Ann to know how much we love her. When she and Leif came their arms were full, and at first, I thought they were bringing groceries in from their truck so they wouldn’t freeze while we celebrated. But I was wrong, and they said it was all for me. Guess what it was! I couldn’t believe it, but buckets of cards that had been Leif’s mother, who recently died. She was like me and loved to give cards and now I was the recipient of her treasure. I was so blessed and happy that as soon as I cleaned up after the party, I sorted through the many cards, until bedtime. I thanked the Lord over and over for this unexpected gift and thought of Jesus words for truly abundant gifts were poured out upon me in overflowing measure!
May we not hold back when it is in our power to give and serve others, for the Lord is waiting to release abundant gifts to us, but more importantly to open our hearts to Him and to others.

Happy weekend! Hope you are keeping warm during this cold weather. Today we are going to celebrate our daughter’s birthday and the meal is ready for the oven and cake all frosted.

  The enemy uses many devious ways to get at them and one of the biggest ways is to attack their self-worth and even give them suicidal thoughts. One friend wrote recently that her granddaughter has tried suicide unsuccessfully 5 times. Satan tells them they are not loved and a negative message on Facebook can tip them over the edge. But we can share with them how much they are loved by us and especially by the Lord, and let them know they are not alone.

   The enemy sends temptations of all kinds their way. He may tempt them with riches, causing them to feel deprived if they don’t have as much as others. We can point them instead to the riches they have in the Lord and share what is truly important. They can also get confused by the influence of ungodly friendships whose values are of the world. Gangs may also seem an answer to their loneliness and we need to pray for friendships to influence them for God’s kingdom instead. The enemy uses technology in a big way and children become dependent on their phone messages to know their worth.

  But we can pray much for them to have strength to resist the enemy’s tactics and as it says in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” It’s important that we faithfully hold them up in prayers to say no to the enemy and yes to the Lord. Let them know God will provide a way of escape when they are tempted and He will help them to follow and obey the Lord.

Happy weekend to you! Colder temperatures but not any more snow yet.  Today I am cleaning and baking bread and just made a veggie stir-fry. Tomorrow Ann and Leif are coming and we will celebrate Ann’s birthday early.

As I was reading, I thought of the correlation with us when we are uprooted with job changes, life circumstances, health problems and everything is changed overnight. We can spend lots of energy complaining or we can accept what is, and grow and spiritually prosper as we learn from it. Feeling sorry for ourselves will not change the situation, and if we are always looking back on what was and is familiar, we will miss the present blessings God is sending our way. We must focus on the Lord and where He has us right now, and do our best in the circumstances we are in. The Lord is always with us, and He will help us adapt to what is in the present. When we accept the new place He has for us, our energy will be put into our present work and we will grow in new ways.

Change shakes us out of our comfort zones and helps us be totally dependent on the Lord and we can leave the excess baggage behind to be more focused on Him. Let us not complain when we feel like we are in exile but get busy planting seeds that will grow beautiful fruit in our lives and in others.

  Each day the Lord speaks to us and wants to use us and as John Wesley said (1713-17 91)

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

May our lives count for the Lord for all the days we have on this earth and one day we will join Him forever in glory.

I read a devotional by author Alicia Searl who writes on how we can be generous in the new year. When we give to others we are blessed as well as the receiver, and our hearts enlarge as transformation takes place in us. She writes about ways we can be generous and first names generosity with our time. That may be the more difficult one, as needs come up that aren’t always at a convenient time, and we have to drop what we are doing. It could be only taking time to listen to someone who has lost a loved one, or inviting someone for coffee that is going through a hard time. But the Holy Spirit will direct us, and we need to respond as He prompts us.

We also need to be generous with random acts of kindness to others. It can be little things like a smile to the tired cashier at Target or bigger things like serving at a soup kitchen. Each act of kindness not only meets the needs of others, but also fills our hearts with joy.

 Alicia also writes we need to be generous with our gifts and talents that the Lord has given us.  We have all been given gifts at birth and as we flow in them to others, we feel fulfilled ourselves. It can be the gift of speaking truth to others, serving them, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy. (Rom. 12:6-8) May we let the Lord reveal our gifts and then put them to use!

Another way to give is often a struggle for many but it is giving of our means, our money, our tithe! We may be the answer to another person’s prayers when we respond to their need when led by the Spirit. Let us not withhold when we have the power to give and have been given everything we possess. Let our eyes be open to the needs around us and may we be cheerful givers and also grateful receivers when we have need.