Come and sit a while beneath my tree or upon its billowy branches and rest a while with me.....

Part 2

What is a stronghold of fear? Very simply put, it is something that has a STRONG HOLD on you! Vain imaginations, ungodly beliefs, fear of man, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of death, fear of the devil-and the list goes on and on. We must learn to identify our fears, confront our fears and destroy our fears in order to be all God has called us to be.

Apostle Paul recognized that the young man he was mentoring in ministry was not pressing in to the fulness of his potential. He knew that Timothy had many gifts that were imparted to him by God, nevertheless, they were lying dormant within him. Fear had paralyzed Timothy's giftings and caused him to be ineffective.

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. Fot God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:6-7

Scripture is clear that God is not the author of fear. There is an appropriate fear of God, born out of respect and awe for His sovereignty. But it is not this type of fear that controls and dominates men's and women's lives and keeps them from fulfilling destiny. This type of fear is from the devil and from our own minds coming into agreement with the powers of darkness. It will torment us, paralyze us and prevent us from receiving all the good things God has for us. It is a bondage that shows no mercy and keeps us from walking in the life of His great love towards us.

" There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment . He that feareth is not made perfect in love." I John 4:18

By the annointing of His Holy Spirit, God has given us the power to be free from tormenting spirits of fear. As we break our agreement with the power of fear, and receive instead the power of God to deliver us and make us free, God releases faith ... which is opposite of fear... to go in and possess our promise.

"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. " Hebrews 2:15

I believe that God has a people of courage who are ready to venture into uncharted territory to explore and discover qualities of that area. They have to face a world of uncertain dangers in order to settle and establish their new land and make it fruitful. They are a people who have a spirit of adventure, who are willing to risk safety and security in order to obtain a better way of life. Much like the pioneers of old.

I believe these people will walk in courage and release an impartation of courage, both to those they directly effected, as well as throughout the land. Many settlements in America's far west were birthed with only a couple of families who forged ahead through many trials, oppositions, hardships and adversities to settle the land. Later, others followed in the path that had been laid down, and they shared in the blessings of the land.

I think we can agree that there is land here that needs "settled". There are things that the people of God need to take back and possess. There is a "settling of the land" that is about to happen. You see, courage, born out of faith and trust in God, can accomplish His purposes in this land.

God is looking for a people of courage. God is looking for those who are willing to pray as the prophet Isaiah prayed when he said:

"Here I am; send me." Isaiah 6:8

"Here am I, send me." Isaiah 6:8

Fear is contagious, but so is courage! God is looking for those who are willing to pray as the prophet Isaiah prayed.

Whenever God speaks to us regarding our call or destiny, it may seem that what He is saying will be too impossible to accomplish. We must always remember that God's perspective and our perspective are usually two different things. Words such as "impossible" and "can't" are simply not in God's vocabulary. Unfortunately, they are in ours.

By definition, courage is not the absence of fear but the "capacity to meet danger without giving way to fear." (Websters)

One should not feel condemned because fear is present; it is what you do in the face of fear that counts. Do you press through to freedom and victory, or do you give in, give up and retreat?

In order to embrace the fulness of our calling we must be willing to face our fears. The term "fear not" appears over one hundred times in scripture. Why? Because God knew, when He was writing to us that we would have cause and reason to be afraid.

In Joshua chapter one, God tells Joshua to go in to possess the land that He had already given to him. But he also told him four times in that chapter to "be strong and of good courage". Why did he say this so many times when He was clearly saying that the land was already theirs, and all they would have to do is go in and take it? Because God knew that there would be plenty of opportunities for Joshua and the people of Israel to look at the natural circumstances and become overwhelmed by the impossibility of the situation. After all, there were mighty giants in the land! Some of them even stood nine to ten feet tall!

God instructed Joshua to possess all that He had promised them and settle for second best on the other side of the Jordan. God was letting them know that he would have to face his fears and overcome them before he could overcome his enemies.

Many times God speaks something wonderful to us in the same manner that He spoke to Joshua. "I've given you your healing, your finances, your family, your ministry, etc... . Don't be afraid, go on and take it!! Oh, by the way, did I mention tht you'd have to face, and defeat, a few hundred giants along the way? But don't worry! Don't be afraid! I've already said you could do it!"

Most of us turn and run at the first sign of opposition. We then try to convince ourselves that the word we heard must not have been God after all. How many times have we sold ourselves short of reaping all the blessings and doing all the possessing that God has made available to us because of a stronghold of fear over our lives?

......to be continued......God Bless...

If you don't deal with your emotional pain, it will deal with you and your loved ones. Pretending it doesn't exist won't help you get emotionally fit.

When a warning light comes on in a car, putting a piece of black tape over it won't fix the car. When a car is broken, it needs to be taken to someone who knows how the car works and understands how to fix it.

For a long time, I pretended that my pain didn't exist. I covered up my warning signs. My life did break down, and I was forced to face my feelings.

I walked away from God, telling HIM that I wanted no part of Him or His church. I made the statement to God that if and when His church became real, then I would come back. I was a divorced mother of one, no job, living on $120.00 a month, going from one bad relationship to another, hoping someone would rescue me. But not God! I was angry and hurt. I couldn't believe the infidelity I saw in the church. In the natural and spiritual! I didn't realize from what height I was about to fall.

I had to "get real" about who I was and who I was becoming. A few years later, I finally got real with God.

If we are not honest with Him about our emotions, we will die inwardly. God is the God of truth-and only the truth can set you free (see John 8:32).

If you are having trouble identifying what you are really feeling, and why it's affecting you, pray and ask God to show you any hidden hurts that need to be healed. Come out of the shadows into His light and be set free to fly!

Have you ever thought to yourself, I shouldn't be feeling this way? Why can't I be joyful about this?

It's time to get real with God. Voice to God your bitterness, your jealousy, your envy, your hatred, and your resentment.

The Scripture says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4-6, NKJ).

Many times we tell everybody, but God, how we feel, but we must never forget that He loves us despite any emotions that we are experiencing.

God sees behind the curtain that covers your heart. Don't give a performance for God; invite Him into the dark rooms where you hide your pain.

He promises to be your strength when you are weak. He will be a light in your darkness.

So get real with Him. Don't hide your emotions in your heart. Confess them to God, and ask Him to give you His strength to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

In closing, He has promised that when we "walk through the water, He will be with us and the river will not overflow us......."

Grace, grace, His marvelous Grace!

In, through and to HIM,
Deborha

Oiy! I'm not feeling well tonight! Took advantage of the weather the last couple of days and over-done-it....so ....35 bags of mulch and 10 of topsoil later...my back is killing me! Not to say the nausea that goes along with the pain. How does that old song go..."I haven't got time for the pain..."? Well, I don't ...have to start my work schedule tomorrow, need to get groceries, get laundry caught up, study for recertification in emergency nursing, take mom to the doctor.....it is definately time to delegate...!

Sunday morning my pastor shared something that I would like to relay to you ...

During the worship service his grandson came up to him and wanted to be held.
I was sitting behind them a couple of rows and could see the look on that little guys face! He just nestled into his grandpa's arms and nuzzled the back of his head into grandpa's neck. So sweet. Pastor related that he began to thank god for his grandchildren and his family. Then, he started to feel guilty about taking his thoughts off of God, (during some awesome worship!) and thinking about his family. He stated that God doesn't usually audibly speak to him; however, at that very moment the 'guilty' thought came in -- the Lord said, "That's okay Bob, I feel the same way when I'm holding you." Enough said.
When was the last time you let God hold you?

Grab a cup of coffee and come sit a while beneath my tree or upon its billowy branches and rest a while with me....

IT TAKES A CHURCH ...

During the last few generations we have watched the gradual deterioration of the "community" in our nation. With much grief we must agree that our communities are in great need of major renovation- physically, socially, economically and spiritually.

The deterioating conditions have resulted in further breaking down of the family and a general disrespect for life. Regrettably, the village has abandoned the children, leaving them unsupervised and hopelessly alone.

The community is no longer qualified or adequately prepared to raise a child because the community itself must be raised. But who will do it?

There can only be one answer: the church. This is our day, church, and we must rise up and take responsibility for the community. It is the church that must establish integrity and biblical standards. We must turn to our Lord for a new empowerment and a fresh filling of HIS love.

The community is filled with the oppressed and brokenhearted. A spirit of heaviness pervades the atmosphere, culturally, naturally, and spiritually.

Will we choose to focus on building our own impressive empires of religion, or will we turn our attention to building a new community, empowering those who sit at our very gates?

Now is the time to stand up and extend our hands to these victims, lifting them up into the loving arms of the Lord who can heal them and give them a living hope.

Acts 3:1-10 is the account of a man who was carried daily to the temple gate.
Religion offered him no other alternative but a beggar's lifestyle.

The story is set outside the gate "Beautiful," a very ornate and impressive doorway into the temple that was covered with gold and other precious metals. Throughout his years of begging thousands of people had passed him by oblivious to his desperate need. His misery provided an opportunity for devout Jews to display their generosity as they quickly entered the temple to get on with their religious exercises. He was the object of the righteous pity of a religious system but remained unhealed.

Then one day Peter and John passed by at the hour of sacrifice, the time when religious men perform their duties. As Peter was about to enter the temple, his heart was seized by this man's condition.

On his way to church, Peter shifted his attention away from the opulent beauty of the religious structure and locked his eyes on the lame man. Out of the deep compassion of his heart, Peter said, " I don't have any worldly thing to impress you with , but I do have something that will change your life and put you on your feet. Rise up in Jesus Christ!" (see v. 6).

Peter chose to set aside religious duty and righteous appearance so that he could change one man's life forever. He did not look upon this poverty-stricken man as an outsider but welcomed him into the community and that day gave him a purpose and an inheritance.

There are so many who sit at our gates - socially and spiritually lame from the womb, disenfranchised, generationally dysfunctional, educationally disadvantaged, and impoverished. What will we do?

Will we continue to pass them by as we make our way to our houses of worship?
Or will we reach out and take them by the hand, as Peter did, and raise them up in the of Jesus Christ? Will we seek to impress the community with our pious efforts or will we impact it eternally with our compassionate exploits?

How can we as a church continue to take up building fund offerings when our church attendance is the lowest it has ever been? Why not call it a "building up fund"? We can use these moneys to contribute to the needs of those in the community.

God is calling us out of the temple and into the community. If we want to make a difference, we will have to move away from impressing the community and ourselves with our religious structure to impacting it with the power of God through the tools that He has provided. The future of our community is in our hands.

We must get involved in the life of the community. We cannot restrict the body of Christ to ministering solely inside the church walls. We need to focus on the believer's effective involvement in the world around him. Jesus was concerned with reaching those on the outer fringes of society and lifting them out of their misery. As the body of Christ, His concern should be ours, too.

My prayer is that not only the spiritual gifts of His church will be used but the plumbers, electricians, carpenters, housewives, nurses, doctors, beauticians, seamstresses, etc.....will be used to improve our community. Each one of us has something we can offer someone in the community.

Karen, a dear intercessor had a vision of what this community would "look like"
in the future. She said the Lord showed her that if one congregation did not have someone gifted in marriage reconciliation then they would be referred to another that was. If one church didn't have a drug addiction program and another did, or one church had an unusual number of single mothers who need help with parenting skills and job training and another church in the community has a person or group established for this..send them to that group!

Lets empower one another, give God the Glory, give up "ownership" of the lambs. A team effort, churches united in the community, can bring awesome results.

To God be all the Glory....

In, through and to HIM...
Deborha

something to think about as you 'sit beneath my tree or upon its billowy branches and rest a while with me...

My name is God.

And I am lonely.

I walk within the Wind,
Whispering
For my Beloved without
Who cannot hear within
Except we breathe together.

I cannot speak a word
That is heard...unless I'm Lov'd

And so I live alone
In silence.
Mostly alone I wait
And watch for my Belov'd
Who is unlov'd ...without ME.

Lies supplant Words not heard.
Truth is heed and deed of Word.

Life without Love is death...!
My Word lives...
Oh dear Love! I whisper
to you. I speak softly
So only Love will hear me.

Oh! My Belov'd. My love!
Will you hear?...It is I... ...

My name is God
And I am lonely.
I cannot speak a word
That is heard...unless I am Lov'd.

Pastor Darrell requested prayer for a man , please pray with me....


I will extol You Lord! Your Love stands forever! Faithfulness...in Your Faithfulness You provide redemption Lord. How can I measure your Faithfulness? With all my heart I will extol YOU! Great are Your works Oh Lord, I ponder them and delight in them. You are Glorious and Majestic. You have caused my heart to know YOUR wonders. You have always provided for those who fear you. You remember Your covenants. You show Yourself Faithful
Lord. Everything You do Lord, In everything you do , You are totally trustworthy Lord. Your Love stands forever! Your love stands firm forever...
Holy, and awesome are YOU Lord. Holy, Awesome and True. You are so Holy...
I just want to say.....i Love You ....for you have caused my heart to sing. My heart sings praise unto You. Most Holy God. Father I thank You for our Pastors and Leaders...strengthen them, encourage them. Father give them fresh revelation of Your Word. Father I stand declaring that the visions and dreams that You have given our Pastors shall come forth in the name of Your Son , Jesus Christ....Praise You Father...Father as we approach the Resurrection Day in the natural, I ask that You would resurrect in the Spiritual,the things that we as the Body of Christ have allowed to die that are of You and are needed in this hour. Help us to see that we arose on that day with You. We are mighty people because of Your great Love. We have power because of Your Great LOVE. Father, we are seeking and knocking ...may we enter in to Your chamber ...we want to be closer to You. ...... we want more of You Lord....we simply got to have more of You...more of Your love and compassion Lord. Father I pray for the athlete that Pastor Garrett mentioned ...I lift him up to You. You are the author and Finisher of his faith. You are his Healer, Restorer and Deliverer. Father, we rebuke the devourer right now, in the name of Jesus, and spoil his goods. We ask that Your Holy Spirit will encamp about him and minister to him in those ways that only You can do. Father we ask that that which the palmer worm, canker worm and locust has taken that You would restore it back to him 10-100 fold, Father that is Your word. Father, we pray for the enemies of this man...we ask that You would bless them with every good thing from Your throne room. Father, bless those who are persecuting ....and bless this dear man. Father, use him for Your Glory and we give You all the Praise, Honor and Glory. For You, Oh God, are High and lifted up above that city and every city.
You rule and reign ...let Your Kingdom purposes come forth...In Your precious , Holy Name, Name above all names.....JESUS. Amen and Amen

Colossians 1:29 (Living Bible)

"This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me."

He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul...


Today Pastor Mary Anne Giminez called me to ask for my "bio" as she is putting together the brochure/flyer for the Women's conference in June. How do you begin to express what God has done in ones life and how HE uses us ? Those who know me know that I am very unassuming and much like "Mrs. Cellophane" (see right through me!) . While talking with her, the trail of my 'salt' became very evident. You know, the Word says that we" are the salt of the earth". Today, more than ever, I believe those first words that the Lord spoke to me..." don't be concerned about your future with Me, be concerned with Me, because I am your future." When we keep Him first, He takes care of the rest. HE has always opened doors for me to serve HIM. In my home, workplace, community, and in HIS Church. I have not had to make a way..He has made a way. I am not ignorant of the fact that the enemy has his plans as well. As a matter of fact there have been some serious battles , but GOD, in HIS Sovereignty, HIS timing, and HIS annointing...broke through!

Well, enough said...I guess what I am trying to say ...is be encouraged...stop beside the still waters today and reflect upon the goodness of GOD in, through and to your lives. Give HIM all the praise, honor and glory HE deserves today. Because of WHO HE IS !

What an awesome privilege to be a part of HIS work in this hour. Let's appreciate the miracle, signs and wonders HE has done in our lives and in the lives of others. Take a moment and really praise HIM.

Time for me to go to bed..got to work tonight.......

God Bless,
In, through and to HIM,
Deborha

BROKENNESS.....

OUR LIFE IS FULL OF BROKENNESS--Broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives?

Thank you God that you are Sovereign ...I ask that you strengthen my heels this day God, that I may continue to crush the works of the enemy in my life and in that of others. I love YOU Lord. Praises to YOU my Lord, my beloved Elohim!
Thank You for Your Holy Presence...

Amen......

just a thought to share...


God wrapped HIS love
Into my days...

And bound
in infiniteness
I found
infiniteness

My weakness and
My stamm'ring fright
Released complete
His Spirit's might

The holes in which
I fell and bled
As holy steps
to God have led

And sweaty steeps
At Christ's dear calls
Turned into fresh
Cool waterfalls

I followed where
My Savior loved
And found that I
Am His beloved

Oiy! I have been told that I need to be more brief in my writings. :(
k....

Wow! The air is so fresh this morning! I really enjoyed the torrential downpour last night.
The wind was awesome. Some of the wicker on my porch had to be retrieved from the neighbors yard. That happens, sometimes we have to go get our "stuff" back after a storm.
I just want to praise HIM this morning. Last nights intercessory prayer time was sooooo wonderful. God showed up in a miraculous way. The air was thick with HIS annointing. We lifted up the pastors in this community and there was such a spirit of intercession that came forth on their behalf. Well, enough said. I could go on and on (obviously by the length of some of the other writings). God is doing something different in our prayer group, like a repositioning. We are finding that we are doing more warfare through worship than through actual prayer. HE is amazing....and HE has HIS way. It isn't our agenda, but HIS.

God Bless You and Yours,

In, through and to HIM,
Deborha

MY SALT

I have spent my salt
to season HIS good earth.
I have spiraled my thoughts
to trace HIS ways
throughout the star-spun skies.

I have loved my life
upon HIS trail,
Hounding for HIS aroma.
Squinting for each sight of HIM
Who is my own dear image
And my Home, my Kin.

Other trails, are lost to me,
I now no longer know them:
My nose to HIS fragrance
My eye to HIS form
My ear to HIS whisper
My foot to HIS earth
My hand to HIS kingdom
My love for HIS own....

Wow...
The Holy Spirit is really flowing today. .
Has anyone ever felt like a song seeking sound?

Guess there's a lot in my spirit today...come and rest...

WHY THE BOX MUST BE BROKEN...

The bible tells of the pure spikenard. God purposely used this term "pure" in His Word to show that it is truly spiritual. But if the albaster box is not broken, the pure spikenard will not flow forth.
Strange to say, many are still treasuring the alabaster box, thinking that its value exceeds that of the ointment. Many think that their outward man is more precious than their inward man. This is problematic in the church.
One will treasure his cleverness, thinking he is quite important, another will treasure his own emotions, esteeming himself as an important person; others highly regard themselves, feeling they are better than others, there eloquence of speech surpasses that of others, their quickness of action, discernment, giftedness are superior, and so forth. However, we are not antique collectors; we are not vase admirers; we are those who desire to smell only the fragrance of the ointment.
Without the breaking of the outward, the inward will not come forth. So, individually we have no flowing out, and the church doesn't have a 'living way'.
Why then should we hold ourselves as so precious, if our outward man contains, instead of releases, the fragrance?
The Holy Spirit has not ceased working. One event after another, one thing after another, comes to us. Each disciplinary working of the Holy Spirit has but one purpose: to break our outward man so that our inward man may come through.
Yet here is the difficulty: We fret over offenses, trifle things, we murmur at small losses. The Lord is preparing a way to use us , yet scarcely has His hand touched us when we feel unhappy, even to the extent of quarrelling with God and becoming negative in our attitude.
Since being saved, we have been touched many times in various ways by the Lord, all with the purpose of breaking our outward man. Whether we are conscious of it or not, the aim of the Lord is to break this outward man.
So the Treasure is in the earthen vessel, but if the earthen vessel is not broken, who can see the treasure within? What is the final objective of the Lord's working in our lives?
It is to break this earthen vessel, to break our alabaster box, to crack open our shell. The Lord longs to find a way to bless the world through those who belong to HIM. Brokeness is is the way of blessing, the way of fragrance, the way of fruitfullness*, but it is also a path sprinkled with blood. Yes, there is blood from many wounds.
When we offer ourselves to the Lord to be at His service, we cannot afford to be lenient, to spare ourselves. We must allow the Lord utterly to crack our hardness, our shells, the outward man so that He may find a way for His working to come forth.
We can preach by using our mind' we can stir others by using our emotions, yet, if we do not know how to use the Spirit of God within us, the Spirit of God cannot touch people through us. The loss is great, and is greivous, prolonging time...God's time.
Therefore, if we have never consecrated ourselves to God, let us do so now. Say, "Lord, for the future of the church, for the future of the gospel, for Your way, and also for my own life, I offer myself into your hands. Lord, I delight to offer myself to You and am willing to let You have Your full way in through me."
Let us prepare for the breaking of the box and the release of HIS fragrance within.

In, through and to HIM...Deborha

* In my initial entry I expressed I would give more insight into my statement that the seed is in the fruit. I think this is it! The flesh of the fruit is sweet, but the seed itself comes forth from the fruit. It's outer surface has to be broken to allow a shoot to come. Be blessed...

Glad to be a fool ...
Come and sit awhile beneath my tree or upon my billowy branches and rest a while with me....


My work schedule is one 12 hour shift on, one twelve hour shift off, then, five 12 hour shifts in a row. That is 72 hours in 7 days if I don't pick up any extra shifts. Needless to say, by the end of my 72 hours I am quite tired, physically, emotionally and mentally. I am saying this because I have learned that on that 5th twelve hour shift, the enemy will try to do his best to distract, deceive, and disassociate. Notice that I said "try".

A conversation recently on prejudice took place in my workplace. Also, the issue of gay rights, elimination of 10 commandments and prayer from public places etc... . Anyway, I just sat and listened to the opinions of those around me. My spirit was grieved. Several people were (are) so steeped in the world's ideas of being "politically correct" and acceptance of alternate lifestyles, and the mind set of social, political and cultural tolerance.
(Honestly, I was hoping a new patient would come into the Emergency Dept. so I could escape this one!) But, as God would have it...no one did. I began to silently pray in the Spirit.
Soon I was reminded that Ephesians 4:15 says that a sign of Christian maturity is to be able to speak the truth in love. As a believer in Christ, who will be forever growing in HIM, I succumbed to the Spirit of truth....Saying, " I have observed some in this place exhibiting prejudice speech and comments toward those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Stating that you don't have a problem with so and so's lifestyle or anothers social status and need for public assistance. Then, in the next breath, making durogatory statements about them through what some call "joking". For me to remain silent is to remain part of the problem, as I see it. Personally, I feel that Christians are the ones who are most discriminated against in this country. It doesn't matter what color the christian is, they are discriminated against. Pharmacists who don't want to dispense the "morning after" pill because of their faith, children and young adults who love the Lord and want to practice or share their faith are being constrained to certain times and places this can be done. Well, for the sake of time I won't bring up the rest of the conversation and the things that were discussed. Someone stated, "Debi, I'm sorry if we offended you." I stated, " I am not offended. I have a great concern for our nation and the citizens of it. Especially our children and young people. My concern is the legacy/ inheretance we are leaving them. Is everything acceptable? Is everything tolerable? We need to visit this. How far do we go as a nation without standing up and saying , 'enough is enough'? Have we cast aside the foundations that this country was established on and allow it to crumble? Do we want our children's minds and spirits polluted with the garbage that is handed to them in the name of tolerance and acceptability? I don't."

Well, the comments were, "Religion is for the weak, wounded females of the world! You notice that there aren't as many men as there are women in the churches."

" What about the Catholic priests molesting all those boys?"

" How do you feel about the prejudice between Catholic and Protestant?"

I just replied that I was sorry for what has happened and is happening and that my only hope is that my story will really be about what God can do despite--no, because of--my weakness. I hope that you will see a story of His love for me and how that love can change not just a person but a community. Because that, is the cry of my heart, and the prayer in my spirit.

I was told I was foolish in believing this.....lol...well, we know what the foolish things of this earth do don't we...nothing else was said...all went about their work after that....confounded.... there was such an awesome presence of God in that place...hmmm. I love it when God shows up like that!

In , through and to HIM,
Deborha

Come and sit a while beneath my tree or upon its billowy branches and rest a while with me ... SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T FIND A VEIN!

This was my 4th 12-hour shift in the emergency room. Early on in my shift I was called to the medical floor to start an IV on a "difficult stick" (Nurse jargon for "this guy has crap for veins"!) Anyway I went to this person's room and he promptly exclaims, "Thank God! I was hoping it would be you! I couldn't remember your name, but I was praying it would be you!" I recognized this man because I had put an IV in him 4 weeks ago. He said, "You're the only one that seems to be able to get this done".
Very quickly I told him to not brag too much, I may not get it! He said that he had faith that I would. Immediately I recognized this man and thought to myself, "Oiy, they (the other nurses) were right! So, I felt a vein pop up and attempted to thread an IV into it and there was no blood return. I apologized to him and told him that he would have to be stuck again. Ugh!( Personally, I hate needles! I can stick anybody. But, when it comes to me ... lay me down cause the minute I smell the alcohol swab, I'm swooning!) He had such confidence in me and I didn't get it. He said, "Honey, last time you asked Jesus to help you before you tried to find the vein. Maybe that's what you ought to do this time." So, I did. I put the torniquet on his arm, placed my hand onto his forearm and asked Jesus for just the right vein so this man would not have to endure another needle stick. His poor arms were bruised so bad from prior pokes. I lifted my hand and felt around thanking Jesus for providing a vein and...THERE IT WAS! Perfect, bouncy, wonderful vein! The catheter went right in and halleluja the man was able to get his medications again. I asked God to bless this man and left to go back to my department and on the way back I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me: There is a "vein of the Holy Ghost" that many are trying to get in without prayer and praise. We want to plug in, we try different ways, techniques, but, sometimes we just can't find it. We say, "Let's try this song or that word...it worked last time". But what we need to do is just ask HIM to come and provide the perfect vein for HIS spirit to flow through. It may not be the one that worked last time! It may not be in the same place it was last time! Just ask...

Lesson learned...
In, through and to HIM
Deborha

Good morning everyone!

Be encouraged~
for the Giver of Good Things,
the Renewer of Hope,
and the Dispenser of Wonderful Surprises
is on your side.
He loves you...and He never fails.

Be blessed!

In, through and to HIM,
Deborha