MaggieBelle

Beloved–

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and our judgment against me is just.   For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.  But you desire honesty from the womb,  teaching me wisdom even there.  Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. (from Psalms)

My prayer as well.

Beloved–

… rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer…   Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (from Romans & Matthew)

Persevering in prayer?  Praise and thankfulness is to be the first request in prayer,  Hallowed be your name, right? … I praise and thank you Father God in Jesus’ name because you are Almighty, all powerful and the most high God. I praise and thank you because you willingly sacrificed your only beloved son; you shed his blood on Calvary’s tree to wash away my sins so that I might be saved. I praise and thank you Father God for the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide my life …

I haven’t even got to my tribulation request before I’m rejoicing in renewed hope and joy.  What a wonderful God we have who answers our prayers before we can even start to pray!

Luv Ya!

The History of “It’s Wednesday”

The power of praise and prayer has been a passion of mine since I was a very young Christian.  As a church secretary, I took on the prayer ministry, especially for students and teachers at the preschool located on the church campus.

The prayer ministry came to include actual hands-on prayer, Wednesday was the designated day.  One particular teacher would often say to me “It’s Wednesday, isn’t it?” When she resigned to return to school, she said she would miss our weekly prayer time.  I told her, “don’t worry I’ll email you your prayer.”

In her first emailed prayer I wrote on the subject line “It’s Wednesday” and the title just stuck.  I would like to introduce you to that weekly email known as It’s Wednesday, that began in 2003.

I’m praying daily for YOU and that you will fall in love with Jesus more and more everyday; He has taken out your heart of stone and given you a heart of flesh and blood … His blood!  

Luv Ya!

     H A P P Y    N E W Y E A R    M Y    B E L O V E D

… Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  (from Romans)

God’s will for me is good, pleasing and perfect.  When all my world is crashing down around me —-  it’s not good or pleasing much less perfect. Since his word is always true, and by faith trusted that word to save me, then I must trust his word even if I can not feel or see that perfection.  Praise the God who is … Father, Son and Holy Spirit!    

Beloved–

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (from Luke)

I remember the Christmas my father said we were moving.  I was 10. I would be leaving all that I had ever known, all that was safe and familiar.  Going to a distant part of the country where people wouldn’t love me, because they wouldn’t know who I was or wouldn’t know who my father was.

Christ knew he wouldn’t be loved or respected, that people wouldn’t know who his  father was. He knew he would be hated and murdered, yet he came, because he knew who his father is.  He came to lay in a manger knowing that it would lead to the cross of Easter and the salvation of my soul!

WHAT A SAVIOR !!

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (from Luke)

Oh, beloved friends, what a gracious gift the Lord God Almighty has given to us.  Let us be glad and rejoice in it. Have a joyous CHRISTmas season.

Beloved–

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think …   (from Romans)

As a young “modern female” of shallow character, I was always taking up the latest idea that came along; and I had dug myself into a hole so deep that I couldn’t find my way out. The Word says, “Be a new person by changing the way I think …  Be transformed from the inside out … Fix my attention on God … “ So I cried out and he showed me what he wanted to do for me. I learned what a patient, gracious and loving God he is! If I don’t read the Word regularly, I don’t have peace of mind and heart.  

 Luv Ya!

Beloved–

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  (from Romans)

Even when it doesn’t look like anything good can possibly come from the current chaos in my life, I know God is working.  Sometimes he has blessed me with 20/20 hindsight, sometimes I have yet to understand. One thing that I know for sure — God loves me!  So, you can be sure he loves you, too!

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.  Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.  Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and

the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts

with praise.  Give thanks to Him, bless His name.  For the Lord is good;

His loving kindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. (from Psalms)

                                                             H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G

Beloved–

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.  (from Hebrews)

Sacrifices of praise.  Sometimes, the chaos is so loud and overwhelming that the only prayer for help is …  “thank you Jesus” over-and–over until you can see a clear path to follow! Praise is always the best prayer to utter.

Luv Ya!