Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Day 4 Today's theme: SERVICE

Serve Him
We know we love God's children if we love God
and obey his commandments.
1 John 5:2 NLT
The teachings of Jesus are clear: We achieve greatness through service to others. But, as weak human beings, we sometimes fall short as we seek to puff ourselves up and glorify our own accomplishments. Jesus commands otherwise. He teaches us that the most esteemed men and women are not the self~congratulatory leaders of society but are instead the humblest of servants.
Today, you may feel the temptation to build yourself up in the eyes of your neighbors. Resist that temptation. instead, serve your neighbors quietly and without fanfare
Find a need and fill it...humbly. Lend a helping hand and share the words of kindness....anonymously, for this is God's way. As a humble servant, you will glorify yourself not before men. but before God, and that's what God intends. After all, earthly glory is fleeting: here today and all too soon gone.
But, heavenly glory endues throughout eternity. So, the choice is yours:Either you can lift yourself up here on earth and be humbled in heaven, or vice versa. Choose vice versa.
__________________________
I remember after my mom passed away in November of 1996 I was lost, I been taking care of her cause her health wasn't good, raising four little kids alone, I thought I wasn't going to be able to make it, Even though I hated it, I hated taking care of my mom, she was young, she was the Ma maw of seven. What was I going to do now. I remember feeling relieve and sadness when she died. relieve cause I didn't have to take care of her anymore and sadness because she was my mommy, We had our arguments but we were able to let is go and move on.
So when I woke up on November 21st 1996 to get the kids ready for school, I went down to put laundry in the dryer, came back up to wake the kids and mom's machines sounded different. I said mom, mom shook her then it hit me, Oh God no!!!! my mom passed sometime in the night, I called my grandparents first then my step dad then 911 had to get the kids up send them to the neighbor I had laundry folded in piles all over the living room.
When the ambulance came, I don't remember much except I walked around our neighborhood while they were in my house taking care of what needed to be done, didn't go back in till they left with my mom on the streatcher. I just couldn't deal with it, I was 30 then, and lost in no mans land, I hadn't turned my life over to God yet, only because I didn't know thats what I was to do.
December of that same year around Christmas everyone I knew brought gifts for the kids, food for the house, there was sooooo much of it that the gifts filled our dinning room, and it was big! the food filled every cabinet I had with more to be put somewhere. And still I didn't know it was God's work at hand, I thanked God But it never really hit me. I thought these people felt sorry for me, which I am sure they did, it's hard not to at a time like that.
God was by my side through all of this and I still felt like I was alone with four kids, Oh God what am I going to do I kept asking, how am I going to get through this, oh God please help me I begged over and over again. That was the year my world started falling apart.
And here I am today. What I didn't know then and what I know now is God sent his servent's to help me when I was in great need and he always had been I just never realized it at the time. Keep in mind you do not always have to have money to be God's sevent, most of the time it only cost time out of your life. Praise God for he never gives up on us, nor leaves us alone, We are the ones who give up on God, We are the ones who make ourselves lonely, Please turn that around let God help you, He loves us more then we can comprehend, and only wants us to love him, live for him, praise him.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to a part of my life story.
___________________________
Today's prayer of Praise
Dear Lord, in weak moments, I seek to build myself up by placing myself ahead of others. But Your commandment, Father, is that I become a humble servent to those who need my encouragement, my help, and my love. create in me a servent's heart. And let me be the person who follows in the footsteps of your Son Jesus who taught us by example that to be great in Your eyes, lord, is to serve others humbly, faithfully, and lovingly.
Amen

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Day 3 Todays theme: Christ's love

DAY 3

Praising God For The Gifts Of Christ's Love

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,

nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present

nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other

created thing, shall be able to separate us from

the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord

Romans 8:38-39


How much does Christ love us?
More than we, as mere mortals, can comprehend. His love

is perfect and steadfast. Even though we are fallible and wayward, the Good Shepherd cares for us still. Even though we have fallen far short of the Father's commandments,
Christ loves us with a power and depth that are beyond our understanding The sacrifice that Jesus
made upon the cross was made for each of us, and His love
endures to the edge of eternity and beyond.
Christ is the ultimate Savior of mankind and the personal Savior of those who believe in him.

Christ's love changes everything. When you accept His gift of grace, you are transformed, not only for today, but also for all eternity. If you haven't already done so, accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. He's waiting patiently for you to invite him into your heart. Please don't make Him wait a single minute longer.


I am the good shepherd

The good shepherd lays down his life

for the sheep.

john 10: 11 HCSB


Pastor Terri helped me to understand just how much God loves me.. One Sunday he said, When my (his) granddaughter raises her little arms up to him it warms his heart, and those of you have have Grandchildren know what I am talking about, I was in my seat and I smiled cause I knew exactly what he meant since I have grandchildren of my own.

Pastor Terri also said, You know how much you love that grand baby, and there isn't a thing in this world that you wouldn't do for her/him Well that is only a little of how much God loves us, I cried because I knew that I had that love for my kids and now my grand kids but never did i realize that someone could love me that much. And there I stood in church feeling that love run through my whole entire body, like nothing I have every felt before,

I have watched all Six of my grand babies come into this world, I thought that was the most assume feeling ever, But, it is Gods love that is the best feeling ever!
When you doubt that you are not good enough, or that he doens't love you because of something you have done whatever the case may be, remember that love you have for you children, and your grand children, and times that by a billion, thats how much God loves us,
He has been following us all of our lives, when we fall he is there, when our heart is breaking he is there, when we feel like our world is falling apart, he is there, waiting for us to accept him, not just cry out to him in need. but to accept him, Get to know him, Talk to him, Turn our problems over to him.
For God knows what the out come is long before it ever started.


Today's Prayer Of Praise

Dear Jesus, I praise you for Your love, a love that never ends.

Today, I will return Your love and I will share it with the World.

Amen

I haven't forgotten ......

Good morning everyone,
I was talking to my brother he thinks that a forum would be better for what I am wanting to do, but I have decided after spending most of yesterday morning trying to again understand something else I had not clue about and prayed about, That this will be the home of Days Of Praise. I will continue to check it out, I haven't closed the door on a forum just yet. I want to see how this grows, see how many people visit and join leave their comments and their word for us to read. This blog is not just my blog, It is "OUR" home This is a place for people to learn and grow as a whole and to grow closer to God, I want this to be fun, exciting, and heartfelt. You may also invite people to come visit or join Days Of Praise. If you know anything about forums please fill me in, as I have said I haven't closed the door on it.
Thank you for your patients and understanding
Denise

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Hello

Hello, I am sorry I have been so confused with this blog thing it is all new to me. I hope you have found it with the last link I sent to you, I had to have my niece help me figure it out, goodness thank God kids know something that we don't.
I haven't been able to blog this weekend my brother is town I will get back at it Monday morning. I stole a few minutes to let you know I haven't given up on this blog. I pray that it gets easier to do and lots of people join. I hope to see more people visit.
Have a Great Weekend.
Always Denise

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Today's Prayer Of Praise (July 24, 2008

I praise you Lord, for the abundant life given through Your Son Jesus Chris. You have blessed me beyond measure. Make me a faithful steward of the gifts You have given me so that I may share Your abundance with all who cross my path. Amen

Day 2 Today's Theme; Abundance

Praising God For His Abundance
I came that they have may have life, and have it abundantly
John 10:10 NASB
God's gifts are available to all, but they are not guaranteed; those gifts must be claimed by those who choose to follow Christ. As believers, we are free to accept god's gifts, or not; that choice and the consequences that result from it, are ours and ours alone. The 10th chapter of John tells us that Christ came to earth so that our lives might be filled with abundance.
But what, exactly did Jesus mean when he promised "life...more abundantly"?Was Jesus referring to material possessions or financial wealth? HARDLY.! When Jesus declared himself the shepherd of mankind (John 10:7-9), He offered a different kind of abundance: a spiritual richness that extends beyond the temporal boundaries of this world.
If you are a thoughtful believer, you will open yourself to Christ's spiritual abundance by following Him completely and without reservations. When you do, you will receive the love, and the peace, and the joy that he has promised.
______________________________________

Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the vine, you are the branches, When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
John 15 4-5 MSG

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Day 1 July 23,2008

100 Days of praising God

Because we have been saved by God's only Son, we must never lose hope in the priceless gifts of eternal love and eternal life.

Sometimes in our rush "to get things done," we simply don't stop long enough to pause and thank our creator for the countless blessings he has bestowed upon us.

But when we sit down and express our gratitude to the one who made us, we enrich our own lives and the lives of those around us,

Today's prayer of Praise

Dear Lord, today and every day I will praise You. i come to You with hope in my heart and words of thanksgiving on my lips. Let me follow in Christ's footsteps, and let my thoughts, and prayers, my words, and my deeds honor You now and forever Amen