Unforgiveness

I felt led to write on the subject that was spoken of today in my church. So many people today that I know are so bound with unforgiveness. It makes me very sad for them because they think they are hurting the person that hurt them when in fact they are only hurting themselves.

Remember Joseph in the bible, the guy with the coat of many colors? His brothers were really hateful toward him because he was the youngest and the favorite of his father Jacob and he was also very handsome and had a great body, yes the bible does say that, not exactly as I put it here but it does say that. So when they were out one day, tending to their chores they plotted to kill Joseph, but instead one of the older brothers said lets just sell him to the Egyptians and so they did. He was 17 years old when this happened to him, fast forward 20 years, he is now 37(read the bible to get the rest of the story and how he got to where he is now)Genesis Chapters 37-50 yes a long story but so very interesting.

At this point Joseph is a very important man in Pharaoh's house, in fact the only one above Joseph is Pharaoh himself.

Did Joseph have a reason to be hurt, angry, bitter or mad, he sure did. BUT what Satan meant for harm, God used for good.

It's all about perspective. If you fear God, you don't have to fear people or their actions. The fear of man is a trap.

Whenever you REFUSE to embrace bitterness you make God the author of your story. When you are bitter you give those that hurt you the pen to write your story.

When you refuse to embrace bitterness that your enemy sends to make you weak, you reverse it's power. When you hold on to what your enemy has done to you, you give them power over your life.

Lastly is this, When you walk in forgiveness you discover no one can do anything to you that God will not turn to your good.

I hope this has brought a new perspective to anyone out there that is holding onto unforgiveness, look what Jesus did for us, He is the all forgiving one, don't you think if He can forgive us we can forgive others?

Entertaining Angels!

Hebrews 13:3 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

Sometimes you have a plan and then God comes in and totally changes the whole scenario for you. This is what happened in our apartment last night. Pauline and I had a plan, I was to take a shower and go to bed early, we both were up very early that day. Pauline was working on computer and getting letters written.

As I was finishing up my shower I heard some voices in the living room. When I came out I saw 3 beautiful young women sitting there with Pauline and I was invited to join them, and I'm so glad I did, it was destined to be.

It is a long story on how these women came to be here at this time but lets just say, it was a "God" thing and they followed His lead. He had words for us and it was through these ladies that we were to hear them.

As I sit here remembering the prayers, the songs and the encouraging words not to mention the prophesy that they brought forth for both Pauline and myself, it could only be God orchestrating such a night!

"We would be honored", they said "to wash your feet", if you have ever been blessed in such a way then you know exactly how we felt. They sat at our feet and did as Jesus did when He washed the disciples feet before He gave the the great commission of going out to preach the gospel to all the world. That is exactly what these women did for us, we am the ones who felt honored.

The words that they spoke over us were life-giving. Words that we knew could only come from someone who heard from God, He knows our hearts and our inward desires and needs, these ladies spoke life into us.

I only hope and pray that they know how blessed we feel and we thank them Sara, Jenny-Jo and Denise for having such a listening ear and obeying Gods direction.

Never turn away strangers,,,,,,,,

The next journey begins,,,,Brazil or Bust!!

Ok so once again I start a blog about yet another journey. The difference is this is a journey God is sending me on, not one that I put myself on. So, here we go, I will try my best to keep you all updated.

So, most of you, my friends and family know what has transpired in the past 6 weeks, but if you don't and you are somehow living under a rock or haven't heard I'M GOING TO BRAZIL. There I said it, not just me but my rommie Pauline as well. I have all the necessary information in a support letter that by now a lot of you have received, if not, give me time YOU will get one! Not only to ask you to help send me on this journey but to seriously request your prayers, God answers prayers, I know it and you know it, so pray!

Before all this came to pass, I had plans to do some foot surgery, bunions and a large cyst that had decided to plant itself on the top of some nerve on my foot. So, that was going to go to. I told my physician/surgeon my plans for Brazil and she said "oh sure, you will be ready by then". So, I went ahead with the scheduled surgery.

Everything my doc told me about this surgery has come to pass. She said the first few days she would "snow" me with good drugs, ha that was sooo true! Y'all I had to stop at McDonald's on the way home after the surgery, I had my friend Liz stop and I actually walked in went to the rest room and got back in the car, I have no idea how I did it or how I walked on crutches to my apt. without falling flat on my face, but I did!

So, that was true, I was on this medication for several days and was coming out of the anesthesia slowly but surely and started remembering things. My doc also said this surgery would hurt like H-E double hockey sticks, but I was like, having no pain, until the last few days, and it all started and she was right and then some. But I have come along very well in the healing process and even doc said she was very impressed with my healing(it's all God)and I will be ready by July 28th to get on that plane with a fully recovered foot to travel the hills of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Pauline and I are at the point of writing support letters, getting Visa's and packing our things to go to Brazil for 6 months. Wow, now that I say that out loud it is extremely exciting. Although we are leaving family, friends, parents and selling our "worldly" goods, we know it is the thing God has called us to do, we both have a peace that passes all understanding in our heart.

We both feel that God is sending us to Brazil to learn from these people something more, something we can bring back to our own country. God doesn't show us the whole picture, we have to go by faith and believe God's plan is the best plan and we have to seek His face daily to learn the next step. This is another step of faith we take daily, I like adventure and this is certainly an adventure instituted by God for His glory.