Giving Thanks – December 10, 2016

Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Art by Julie Sheppard

Today I give thanks for the friends God has blessed me with.

John 15:12-15   My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Proverbs 17:17   A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Friends are gifts from God. They come into your life unexpectedly, and they love by choice not out of obligation. They are not perfect but neither am I. We accept each other for who we are and become better people for the love we share. For the love comes from Jesus who is the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Art by Julie Sheppard

Who are you thankful for?

 

Please Help!

I normally would not ask for help from strangers. I actually have a hard enough time asking for help for myself. Yet in this instance the help I am asking for is not for myself. It is for a couple I have known for almost four years now. I met them shortly after my mother passed away and I had just finished a terrible court battle where I had been falsely charged and the final outcome had been against me. Devastated and my life turned upside down I went to Full Armor Biker Church in Alvord Texas. Where I met Doc and Cheryl Dennis, the pastors of the church. You might of read my post where I had interviewed Cheryl.

 https://emotionalpeace.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/an-interview-a-woman-a-wife-a-mother-and-a-woman-of-god/

 

This couple was and still is an inspiration to me. I can still remember her words to me during a conversation we had. She was needing help in the children’s ministry and the church needed volunteers. I was at that time a member of another wonderful church but felt like I was becoming a pew warmer and wanted to do more than just attend services. Yet because of my legal situation was not called upon to serve. So when I approached Cheryl I told her of my situation and how the charges had been false but I had not been cleared. So I understood if they could not use me but I was  willing if they wanted me to serve I would. Her response even four years later is still treasured in my memory, “Even if you had been guilty we still want you because you are forgiven.”  She has so much love that her beauty is more than her outward appearance it truly comes from her heart. Then there is her husband ‘Doc’ Kenneth Dennis.

He is so full of Christ that the love of Jesus pours out of him like a river. He has a contagious joy for the Lord. He is humble yet the boldness of a lion comes out of Him when he shares the Word of God. Yet this is not the only things about these two amazing people who love Jesus. It is how I have witnessed them face loss and adversity. This witness of theirs helped me hold on to my relationship with Christ when I had lost all that was special to me. They have face many attacks and had many heartbreaks, but their walk with the Lord has not wavered.Nor have they held back loving anyone. The church moved from Alvord to Decatur, Texas, and they have continued to face one battle after the next while staying true to Christ Jesus. If you were to meet them in person you would never know the burdens they carry nor the trials they face, all that you would see is love. So this is why I am writing for help today. This couple is facing a major battle. I have copied this of another’s Facebook post.

Cheryl Dennis and husband Kenneth Dennis (Doc) were both informed in August that the company who employed them both was closing their branch, leaving them unemployed on September 12, 2016. Later in August Cheryl was diagnosed with stage 3b-4 Cancer. Doc, Cheryl, and their 7 year old son Logan need your prayers and support during this time of need. Please follow the link below to learn about their specific story, they need all the help they can get to fight this horrible disease.

Another couple has started this fund-raiser and here is the link

https://www.youcaring.com/cheryl-dennis-652691

If the you can please help them, and pray for them. I am asking because they are vessel’s of His Light in a dark world and I want to see His Light continue to to shine. Doc and Cheryl are true servants of Jesus Christ, husband and wife, mother and father, and are real friends. They are loving and giving without compromising their faith in Jesus. They love freely and do no harm. God bless them and get them through this storm.

20. Dear Abel (Letters from God Volume II)

Dear Abel,

     You are the second child of Adam and Eve. You are also my child. I love you my son. You are obedient and faithful to Me. You made a proper offering to me. You worked tending to the flock and you offered the best that you have raised.

     Your brother was jealous of your offering and became angry with you because I did not accept his offering. You showed him concern when you saw that he was not happy. He then asked you to go to the field with him where he killed you. His action came as a great surprise to you because you were his brother and you loved him.

     I love you and you are now with me.  I know you miss your mother and father. I will care for them and they will be blessed with a son. They will name him Seth. He is not you, but he will be their child and I will comfort them.

    Do not be afraid for Cain. I will place a mark on him to warn others not to take his life. He will not have an easy life, but he will live with the consequences of his actions. Live in peace with Me my child and know My love.

Love,

 Your Heavenly Father

   

Read

Genesis Chpt. 4

19. Dear Uriah

Dear Uriah,

   You are a faithful and devoted soldier and a man of great character. While you were serving your king in battle your king betrayed you and took your wife into his bed, and there she conceived a child. Out of fear of his sin being exposed, he called you home. You did not go home but slept at the entrance of his palace where his other servants slept.

   David asked you to come to him and he asked you ‘Why did you not go home as you were instructed?’ Your response showed what great character you have. You answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” You acknowledged the condition of the lives of those you served with, and would not take personal comfort when you knew where they were and what they were doing.

   David became more afraid of his affair with your wife becoming exposed, so he had you eat with him and he proceeded to get you drunk. His plan did not work though; you still did not go home, but slept again with the servants on your mat.

     In David’s final attempt to cover his sin, he sent you into the most dangerous battle. He hoped that you would die in battle. Here you were faithful to a man and a king who took your wife as his own, and then he used a war to have you killed. I am sorry for what was done to you, but I am happy that you are now with Me. I am proud of you my child. I love you and I admire you.

Love,

your God

Read

2 Samuel Chpt. 11

14. Dear Abigail (Letters from God Volume II)

Dear Abigail,

     You are a loving and faithful woman. Your husband was truly a fool not to recognize how blessed he was to have you for a wife. How brave it was of you to approach King David. You also used wisdom because you brought food and provisions for him and his men. You knew your husband was wrong but you petitioned for his life and kept David from shedding his blood as David had planned on doing. For your husband had been more than disrespectful to David and his men. He was known to be a cruel man and you being his wife knew this. Yet you did not waste one moment when you received the news of what your husband had done. You took two hundred loaves of bread; two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. You sent all this with your servant to David and then came yourself to plead for your husband.

    David heard your plea and called your words blessed. David received your words and your gifts, and left Nabal to be dealt with by Me alone. When you shared this story with your husband his heart turned to stone, then ten days later I struck him down. When David heard that your husband was dead he sent for you and made you his wife. I bless you my sweet woman, and I am with you always.

Love,

 your Heavenly Father

Read

1Samuel Chapter 25

10. Dear Widow /Two Coins(Letters from God Volume II)

My Dear Widow,

      My heart certainly goes to you. You are faithful and giving. If only others would learn from you. You gave me your last two coins and they judged you poorly for this. Yet I gratefully received your gift and I know this cost you more than you had to give. Their ridicule only showed their ignorance, and how empty their hearts are. Your possessions on earth may be few, but my loving woman you have treasures untold in heaven waiting for your generosity. Thank you for not withholding any of your belongings from Me. I love you beautiful woman. You are a treasure to me. May the days you spend on earth be comforted by My Spirit. I wait with open arms for your entrance into My home.

 

Love Your Heavenly Father

 Read

Luke 21:1-4

3. Dear Esther (Volume II Letters from God)

Dear Esther,

     You are truly a beautiful young woman. Your outer beauty is only a mere reflection of the beauty that is within you. You are a beacon of light because My love lives inside of you. You have hidden from those around you who you really are. The king chose you to be his wife not only because of your appearance but because you were attractive in a deeper level. He did not know what this was because he only knew you outwardly. It was the woman I created you to be that made you be his queen.

     I Am your Maker, and I am your God. Yet the people around you have not known this. You have kept this secret, as Mordecai had instructed you. The time is coming when you must announce who you truly are. I know this is causing you to be afraid, because there are those who would want to see you dead when they learn of this.

     You did not marry king Ahasuerus so you could be queen in title only. You are in a position to save your people. There is an enemy who has been planning to kill all the Jews. He does not know that you are both a queen and a Jew. He has tricked your husband into executing your people.

     It is now the time to reveal your true identity. Yes you will be risking your life. Approaching the king, even though he is your husband without an invitation is not permitted and punished with death. Yet you cannot let this stop you. More than your life is at stake now. If you choose to refuse to do this, thinking that you will be safe, you are wrong. Your fate is the same as your people. You had a difficult decision to make, and I am glad you chose to do what is right.

     Before you go to the king you will prepare yourself with fasting and prayer. Then anoint yourself, and I will make the way for you. You need not fear for I am with you. When you go to the king, he will receive you. You will then invite the king and Haman to dinner. This is when you make known your true identity. Your enemy and the enemy of your people, Haman will be exposed as a deceiver and a murderer and will be executed in the way he had planned on executing the Jews.

     The woman that I have created you to be will be what I will use to save your people. You will know then you are loved for more than your appearance. You are beautiful, wise and faithful. I love you.

 

Yours Faithfully,

God Almighty

Read

The book of Esther

2. Dear Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego(Letters from God Volume II)

Dear Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego,

     Such faithful and loyal men are few. You are an example to others who will come after you. Even when you were faced with death you still would not bow down and worship any other god. In the pit of fire you walked without getting burned, and not even the hem of your clothing or your hair was burned.

      Living captive in Babylon you never left your one true God. You were courageous in the midst of your enemies. You boldly declared your faith in Me. I am so proud of how you stood and did not cower, even though your lives were being threatened. You were given an opportunity to have your lives spared all you had to do was bow down to their idol. Yet you did not do this instead you spoke out and said “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” So they threw you into the furnace.

     You were not alone in the fire were you? You knew I would not forsake you. What strong faith and you even accepted dying before you would deny Me and defile yourself with idolatry. Your story will be one to encourage others as they face the fiery trials in their own lives. You have pleased Me, and I am glad to call you Mine. Well done my faithful servants.

Faithfully,

Your God Almighty

Read

Daniel 3

30. Dear Jabez (Letters from God Volume 1 / Fictional letters based on people in the Bible)

Dear Jabez,

      Your birth had caused your mother great pain, so she named you Jabez. You grew up to be a man of great honor. You have sought to serve me with all that you are and all that you have. You have done this seeking and using wisdom.    

      When you prayed it was not for yourself but to serve even more than you had already been doing. You also prayed to do no evil so that you would not cause any pain. So my answer to your prayer is yes Jabez your borders shall be increased, because you did not ask for increase for yourself but to reach even more people for My sake.

     Your heart and mind are set on the right things and I will bless you, providing for all of your needs, and I will protect you all the days of your life. I am always with you. I love you. Thank you for being faithful to Me in all that you do.

Love,

Your Abba Father

Read

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

26.Letters from God (fictional letters to people in the Bible) Dear Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

     You are a faithful and loyal young man. You are a good friend and a loyal son. I can say so much about what is good in you. Yet there is sorrow as well. You love your father the king Saul, and you love your friend David. Yet your father hates David. Worse your father has fallen out of favor with Me. This rips your heart in two. Yet your love is so great. I am so proud of you. You do your best to be a son to a man who has turned from Me, and now he is trying to kill your best friend, because of his jealousy. So what are you going to do? Do you stand up to your father and stand up for a friend who is innocent, or do you step aside and not interfere. Saul is your father and he has done much wrong, yet you love him and want to believe in him. David is your friend and you are loyal to him and you know his life is in danger from your father.

     This leads you to having to make a choice. You will do what you can to protect David, and he will live. You will do this because you know that it is the right thing to do. You know that he is to become the next king of Israel. I know that you are Saul’s son and it should be you, but I know that in your heart you know David was born to be king and he will be a good king. He will not be perfect, but he has a perfect friend in you. This is why when you know of your father’s plans to kill David; you will not hesitate to let David know of these plans. You will help David live and keep him from harm and I love you for all your goodness. Never forget this, I do love you, and I know you are good. I am with you always.

Love,

Your Heavenly Father and your God

Read

1 Samuel 18 – 20