Monday, December 8, 2008
Hard to breathe
There are things that you think you are over...then you realize that you have just stuck them very deep in your soul for safe keeping. Something happens, you see that boyfriend that you really thought you would spend the rest of your life with, that song on the radio that takes you back to a special moment in time that you have forgotten about, the spider webs that you only saw when you were hugging the one that you love. There are other things that you forgot. The smell of the intensive care unit, the monitors of a heart that you can't live without, the wish that your own son would go to his creator rather than deal with the living hell he is given even knowing that you will die without him. It's unbelievable what can trigger these memories ,but when it happens, you have to surrender to them, as nothing will break them from your soul.
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A Proper Perspective
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3 NASB
At first the standard in that verse seems impossible to meet. Nothing? We shouldn’t do anything for ourselves? No new dress or suit. What about going to school or saving money—couldn’t all of these things be considered selfish?
They could, unless we are careful to understand what Paul is saying. The word the apostle uses for selfishness shares a root form with the words strife and contentious. It suggests a self-preoccupation that hurts others. A divisive arrogance. In fact, first-century writers used the word to describe a politician who procured office by illegal manipulation or a harlot who seduced the client, demeaning both herself and him…
Looking after your personal interests is proper life management. Doing so to the exclusion of the rest of the world is selfishness.
I think this verse has a lot to do with what we talked about last night. When we ask God for something, or pray for something, WE should sit down, and let God stand up. Putting out own wants and desires down, and allowing God to do what's best for our lives, or someone elses. Hope all is well. I thought about all of you non-stop last night. Many many prayers are coming your way!! You all are loved! K8
God’s Ways Are Right
Thursday, December 11, 2008
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.”
Isaiah 43:2-3 NASB
God knows what is best. No struggle will come your way apart from his purpose, presence, and permission. What encouragement this brings! You are never the victim of nature or the prey of fate. Chance is eliminated. You are more than a weather vane whipped about by the winds of fortune. Would God truly abandon you to the whims of drug-crazed thieves, greedy corporate raiders, or evil leaders? Perish the thought!
We live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King who superintends every circumstance of our lives and delights in doing us good.
Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of his love.
God's ways are good and right. Much love to all and continued prayers to all. ~Aunt k8
Prophecy Fulfilled
Friday, December 12, 2008
“Those who look to the LORD will praise him.”
Psalm 22:26
The fulfillment of Scripture is a recurring theme in the passion.
Why, in his final moments, was Jesus determined to fulfill prophecy? He knew we would doubt. He knew we would question. And since he did not want our heads to keep his love from our hearts, he used his final moments to offer proof that he was the Messiah. He systematically fulfilled centuries-old prophecies…
Did you know that in his life Christ fulfilled 332 distinct prophecies in the Old Testament? What are the mathematical possibilities of all these prophecies being fulfilled in the life of one man?
1/840,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
(That’s ninety-seven zeroes!) Amazing!
WOW . . . pretty cool. Much love to all. Christmas party with my department tonight at our home. Busy day! Continued prayers to all! Aunt k8
A Well of Optimism
Saturday, December 13, 2008
“You must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3
Bedtime is a bad time for kids. No child understands the logic of going to bed while there is energy left in the body or hours left in the day.
My children are no exception. A few years ago, after many objections and countless groans, the girls were finally in their gowns, in their beds, and on their pillows. I slipped into the room to give them a final kiss. Andrea, the five-year-old, was still awake, just barely, but awake. After I kissed her, she lifted her eyelids one final time and said, “I can’t wait until I wake up.”
Oh, for the attitude of a five-year-old! That simple uncluttered passion for living that can’t wait for tomorrow. A philosophy of life that reads, “Play hard, laugh hard, and leave the worries to your father.” A bottomless well of optimism flooded by a perpetual spring of faith. Is it any wonder Jesus said we must have the heart of a child before we can enter the kingdom of heaven?
Hey Myles! I have sent the same devotion to Jud. Our prayers will be strong and constant! We'll pray that God will provide Jud and his family with comfort and healing. Much love to you all and absolute continued prayers for you as well. Much love!! Aunt k8
God Sent Himself
Monday, December 15, 2008
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
John 1:14 NKJV
Don’t we love the word “with”? “Will you go with me?” we ask. “To the store, to the hospital, through my life?” God says he will. “I am with you always,” Jesus said before he ascended to heaven, “to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NIV). Search for restrictions on the promise; you’ll find none. You won’t find “I’ll be with you if you behave…when you believe. I’ll be with you on Sundays in worship…at mass.” No, none of that. There’s no withholding tax on God’s “with” promise. He is with us.
God is with us.
Prophets weren’t enough. Apostles wouldn’t do. Angels won’t suffice. God sent more than miracles and messages. He sent himself; he sent his Son. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Hope all is well! Survived holiday parties this weekend , , , ,TIRED!!! aunt k8
What to Do with Worries
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
“God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?”
Romans 8:32 CEV
What do we do with…worries? Take your anxieties to the cross—literally. Next time you’re worried about your health or house or finances or flights, take a mental trip up the hill. Spend a few moments looking again at the pieces of passion.
Run your thumb over the tip of the spear. Balance a spike in the palm of your hand. Read the wooden sign written in your own language. And as you do, touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God.
Blood he bled for you.
The spear he took for you.
The nails he felt for you.
The sign he left for you.
He did all this for you. Knowing this, knowing all he did for you there, don’t you think he’ll look out for you here?
YOU BET HE WILL!! Much love to you all!! K8
God’s Love
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
“God is love.”
I John 4:16
The supreme surprise of God’s love? It has nothing to do with you. Others love you because of you, because your dimples dip when you smile or your rhetoric charms when you flirt. Some people love you because of you. Not God. He loves you because he is he. He loves you because he decides to. Self-generated, uncaused, and spontaneous, his constant–level love depends on his choice to give it. “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you” (Deut. 7:7-8 NIV).
You don’t influence God’s love. You can’t impact the treeness of a tree, the skyness of the sky, or the rockness of a rock. Nor can you affect the love of God.
nothing more to add on this one! It's just about LOVE. ~k8
God Uses People
Thursday, December 18, 2008
“Happy are those who are helped by the God of Jacob.”
Psalm 146:5
Until he was eighty years old he looked like he wouldn’t amount to much more than a once-upon-a-time prince turned outlaw. Would you choose a wanted murderer to lead a nation out of bondage? Would you call upon a fugitive to carry the Ten Commandments? God did. And he called him, of all places, right out of the sheep pasture. Called his name through a burning bush. Scared old Moses right out of his shoes! There, with knees knocking and “Who me?” written all over his face, Moses agreed to go back into the ring…
The reassuring lesson is clear. God used (and uses!) people to change the world. People! Not saints or superhumans or geniuses, but people. Crooks, creeps, lovers, and liars—he uses them all. And what they may lack in perfection, God makes up for in love.
I LOVE this . . . We just need to listen to God, and do the things that he 'asks' us to do! Much love and continued prayers for all!! ~Aunt k8
When the Time Comes
Friday, December 19, 2008
“God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Matthew 6:34 MSG
The last phrase is worthy of your highlighter: “when the time comes.” “I don’t know what I’ll do if my husband dies.” You will, when the time comes.
“When my children leave the house, I don’t think I can take it.” It won’t be easy, but strength will arrive when the time comes.
“I could never lead a church. There is too much I don’t know.” You may be right. Or you may be wanting to know everything too soon. Could it be that God will reveal answers to you when the time comes?
The key is this: Meet today’s problems with today’s strength. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow’s strength yet. You simply have enough for today.
This is a great devotion for us all!! Much love and prayers to all!! I love you!! Aunt k8
A Leaf of Hope
Monday, December 22, 2008
“When the dove returned to [Noah] in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!"
Genesis 8:11 NIV
An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird had brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn’t that what a hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood…
Don’t we love the olive leaves of life? “It appears the cancer may be in remission.” “I can help you with those finances.” “We’ll get through this together.”
What’s more, don’t we love the doves that bring them? When the father walks his son through his first broken heart, he gives him an olive leaf. When the wife of many years consoles the wife of a few months, when she tells her that conflicts come and all husbands are moody and these storms pass, you know what she is doing? She is giving an olive leaf.
We love olive leaves. And we love those who give them.
We do need and love Olive leaves!! Much love to all of you, and continued prayers. Last minute stretch to complete Christmas under the tree! Must get busy!!! ~k8
Love that Lasts Forever
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
“Love never fails.”
I Corinthians 13:8 NIV
“Love,” Paul says, “never fails.”
The verb Paul uses for the word fail is used elsewhere to describe the demise of a flower as it falls to the ground, withers, and decays. It carries the meaning of death and abolishment. God’s love, says the apostle, will never fall to the ground, wither, and decay. By its nature, it is permanent. It is never abolished.
Love “will last forever” (NLT).
It “never dies” (MSG).
It “never ends” (RSV).
Love “is eternal” (TEV).
God’s love “will never come to an end” (NEB)…
Governments will fail, but God’s love will last. Crowns are temporary, but love is eternal. Your money will run out, but his love never will.
That's an awesome PROMISE!! Much love and continued prayers to all!! ~Aunt k8
His Name Is Jesus
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
“Joseph…took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”
Matthew 1:24-25 NKJV
Joseph tanked his reputation. He swapped his tsadiq diploma for a pregnant fiancée and an illegitimate son and made the big decision of discipleship. He placed God’s plan ahead of his own.
Rather than make a name for himself, he made a home for Christ. And because he did, a great reward came his way. “He called His name Jesus.”
Queue up the millions who have spoken the name of Jesus, and look at the person selected to stand at the front to the line. Joseph. Of all the saints, sinners, prodigals, and preachers who have spoken the name, Joseph, a blue-collar, small-town construction worker said it first. He cradled the wrinkle-faced prince of heaven and with an audience of angels and pigs, whispered, “Jesus…You’ll be called Jesus.”
Merry Christmas to ALL!! Much love and continued prayers!! ~Aunt k8
God Came Near
Friday, December 26, 2008
“His kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:33
She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end.”
He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.
Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.
She touches the face of the infant-God.
Hope your Christmas was filled with many many blessings!! Much love and continued prayers for all!! ~k8
Homesick for Heaven
Monday, December 29, 2008
“Our homeland is in heaven.”
Philippians 3:20
This home we’re in won’t last forever. Birthdays remind us of that.
Not long ago I turned fifty. I’m closer to ninety than I am to infancy. All those things they say about aging are coming true. I’m patting myself less on the back and more under the chin. I have everything I had twenty years ago, except now it’s all lower. The other day I tried to straighten out the wrinkles in my socks and found out I wasn’t wearing any.
Aging. It’s no fun. The way we try to avoid it, you’d think we could. We paint the body, preserve the body, protect the body. And well we should. These bodies are God’s gifts. We should be responsible. But we should also be realistic. This body must die so the new body can live. “Flesh and blood cannot have a part in the kingdom of God. Something that will ruin cannot have a part in something that never ruins” (I Cor. 15:50).
Continued prayers, and lots and lots of love! to you ALL~ K8
Our Sure God
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Psalm 23:6 NKJV
Look at the first word: surely. David didn’t say, “Maybe goodness and mercy shall follow me.” Or “Possibly goodness and mercy shall follow me.” Or “I have a hunch that goodness and mercy shall follow me.” David could have used one of those phrases. But he didn’t. He believed in a sure God, who makes sure promises and provides a sure foundation. David would have loved the words of one his great-great-grandsons, the apostle James. He described God as the one “with whom there is never the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency” (James 1:17 Phillips).
Our moods may shift, but God’s doesn’t. Our minds may change, but God’s doesn’t. Our devotion may falter, but God’s never does. Even if we are faithless, he is faithful, for he cannot betray himself (2 Tim. 2:13). He is a sure God.
that's an awesome promise. Much love to you all, and continued prayers. Happy New year!! ~Aunt k8
Packed for a Purpose
Thursday, January 01, 2009
“He has filled them with skill.”
Exodus 35:35 NKJV
You were born prepacked. God looked at your entire life. Determined your assignment, and gave you the tools to do the job.
Before traveling, you do something similar. You consider the demands of the journey and pack accordingly. Cold weather? Bring a jacket. Business meeting? Carry the laptop. Time with grandchildren? Better take some sneakers and pain medication.
God did the same with you. Joe will research animals…install curiosity. Meagan will lead a private school…an extra dose of management. I need Eric to comfort the sick…include a healthy share of compassion. Denalyn will marry Max…instill a double portion of patience.
God packed you on purpose for a purpose.
Happy Happy New Year!! Much love to you alllllllllllll~ k8e
I would like to contact you and your family as my son is also a burn survivor. It has been 10 years since his accident but we live it daily. You can contact me at gewizzz@yahoo.com
If you dont contact I completely understand. I do hope to hear from you.
take care
Michele
God Honors Work
Monday, January 05, 2009
“Whatever you do, do your best.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Heaven’s calendar has seven Sundays a week. God sanctifies each day. He conducts holy business at all hours and in all places. He uncommons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafes into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures.
Workdays? Yes, workdays. He ordained your work as something good. Before he gave Adam a wife or child, even before he gave Adam britches, God gave Adam a job. “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” (Gen 2:15 NASB). Innocence, not indolence, characterized the first family…
God unilaterally calls all the physically able to till the gardens he gives. God honors work. So honor God in your work.
In all we do . . .we should honor God! ~Much love and continued prayers to all!! ~k8 Hope you all had a GREAT new Years!!!
Miraculous Moments
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
“In Christ there is all of God in a human body.”
Colossians 2:9 TLB
Jesus was not a godlike man, nor a manlike God. He was God-man.
Midwifed by a carpenter.
Bathed by a peasant girl.
The maker of the world with the bellybutton.
The author of the Torah being taught the Torah.
Heaven’s human. And because he was, we are left with scratch-your-head, double-blink, what’s-wrong-with-this-picture? Moments like these:
A cripple sponsoring the town dance.
A sack lunch satisfying five thousand tummies.
What do we do with such moments?
What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things?
One thing is certain, we can’t ignore him
That's for sure!! Getting some wintry weather here in No. Virginia, but more ice than snow :o(, would just like to get a big snow storm!! Hope all is well! Much love and continued prayers for all!! Aunt k8
A Yoke of Kindness
Thursday, January 08, 2009
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29 NKJV
Farmers in ancient Israel used to train an inexperienced ox by yoking it to an experienced one with a wooden harness. The straps around the older animal were tightly drawn. He carried the load. But the yoke around the younger animal was loose. He walked alongside the more mature ox, but his burden was light. In this verse Jesus is saying, “I walk alongside you. We are yoked together. But I pull the weight and carry the burden.”
I wonder, how many burdens is Jesus carrying for us that we know nothing about? We’re aware of some. He carries our sin. He carries our shame. He carries our eternal debt. But are there others? Has he lifted fears before we felt them? Has he carried our confusion so we wouldn’t have to? Those times when we have been surprised by our own sense of peace? Could it be that Jesus has lifted our anxiety onto his shoulders and placed a yoke of kindness on ours?
LOVE this devotion . . . Much love and continued prayers to all!!
~aunt k8
He Lives In You
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
“I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.”
Colossians 1:29
God was with Adam and Eve, walking with them in the cool of the evening.
God was with Abraham, even calling the patriarch his friend.
God was with Moses and the children of Israel…He was with the apostles. Peter could touch God’s beard. John could watch God sleep. Multitudes could hear his voice. God was with them!
But he is in you…He will do what you cannot. Imagine a million dollars being deposited into your checking account. To any observer you look the same, except for the goofy smile, but are you? Not at all! With God in you, you have a million resources that you did not have before!
Can’t stop worrying? Christ can. And he lives within you.
Can’t forgive the jerk, forget the past, or forsake you bad habits? Christ can! And he lives within you.
Hope all is well, and everyone is enjoying the New Year. t's getting super D duper cold here, but I'm sure that you've been pounded with snow. We've seen . . .ZERO!! Much love and continued prayers to all!! ~k8
Divine Miracles
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
“All things were made by him, and nothing was made without him.”
John 1:3
From where I write I can see several miracles.
White-crested waves slap the beach with rhythmic regularity. One after the other the rising swells of salt water gain momentum, humping, rising, then standing to salute the beach before crashing onto the sand. How many billions of times has this simple mystery repeated itself since time began?
In the distance lies a miracle of colors—twins of blue. The ocean-blue of the Atlantic encounters the pale blue of the sky, separated only by the horizon…
Miracles. Divine miracles.
These are miracles because they are mysteries. Scientifically explainable? Yes. Reproducible? To a degree.
But they are still mysteries. Events that stretch beyond our understanding and find their origins in another realm. They are every bit as divine as divided seas, walking cripples, and empty tombs
It's cold here, it's going to be crazy busy with the upcoming festivities . . . we'll see what the cold weather does in terms of crowd control. Much love and continued prayers to all ~ Aunt k8
Hi Myles,
First of all Happy New Year...Things have been busy here..Family, Friends, and John is back to Africa on a peace keeping mission...So here I am with your Young Ned helping me keep things together here in Florida. I think we need to find a good time to put you on an Flight to Orlando and enjoy the warm weather. It's going to be 53 tomorrow...We can make it work.. Besides I know you want to meet your Aunt Therese (Aunt Kate thinks everyone likes her best)!! She is totally awesome ~~ but there is so many more Ganley's you need to meet.
I love you ~~ Keep Warm ~~ Aunt Therese and John
Know Your Knack
Thursday, January 15, 2009
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.”
Galatians 6:4 MSG
God never prefabs or mass-produces people. No slapdash shaping. “I make all things new,” he declares (Rev. 21:5 NKJV). He didn’t hand you your granddad’s bag or your aunt’s life; he personally and deliberately packed you…
You can do something no one else can do in a fashion no one else can do it. Exploring and extracting your uniqueness excites you, honors God, and expands his kingdom. So “make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.”
Discover and deploy your knacks…When you do the most what you do the best, you put a smile on God’s face. What could be better than that?
I LOVE this devotion!! It really comfirms that I am doing what I'm supposed to do! Hope all is well, and you're doing a okay. Terry's funny!! I just tell everybody I'm their FAVORITE Aunt K8, but everybody is definitely special!! You're loved!!! Much love, and continued prayers to ALL!! ~Aunt K8
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