
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalms 27:14)

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalms 27:14)
I am excited to be a part of Heart2Heart Ministry’s Summer Bible Study of “War Room”. This 5 week study, based on the movie of the same name, will focus on the powerful weapon of prayer.
Thanks to modern technology, anyone, anywhere can participate. The study is being offered on multiple days and times which means you can choose what works best for you.
This is a great opportunity to make some new friends while studying God’s Word. I hope you will join us.

Click here to enjoy a short clip from the movie War Room.

Online study via ZOOM
Meeting each Wednesday Morning
11:00 AM-12:00 noon
Hosted by Sandra Smith
Meeting each Friday Afternoon
2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Hosted by Mikki Halbach
Meeting each Monday Evening
7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Host TBA

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” (Psalms 27:8)

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! (Psalms 27:7)

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. (Psalms 27:5)
I recently had the privilege of speaking to a group of amazing women at the annual Baptist Women’s Banquet. This ministry takes the love of Jesus to some of the poorest regions of the United States through their Backpack Ministry and their Shoebox Ministry and I am thankful to have been invited to be a part of their annual fundraiser event. 
Baptist Women’s Banquet message: “Journey To The Well”With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought we would pause in our “Lessons From Jonah” study and take a moment to think about what it means to be thankful. It’s true, we should give thanks every day for every blessing, but many of us just don’t.
“Season of Thanks” was first published on my blog in 2010. A lot has happened in our world over these past five years; a lot has happened in my life and I would imagine you could say the same. While I’ve dusted off and made a few tweaks to the original post, the message hasn’t changed. That’s one of the things I love about God’s word, no matter how our world or our lives change, we can count on His word, His message to remain the same. Reading this article again has given me a lot to think about as I prepare for the holiday, I pray you will find some inspiration from it as well.
yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:18-19)
The above verses are called “A Hymn of Faith.” As I read the words of this scripture, I feel proud that I can claim them as my own testimony faith. Do I rejoice in the Lord? Of course I do! Do I take joy in the God of my salvation? You bet! I believe that God is my strength, that He makes me sure-footed and makes me walk on the high places. So, I guess my faith is in pretty good shape, pretty solid. I imagine that most of you would read these verses and join me as I proclaim “amen and praise the Lord”. But, to borrow a phrase from Paul Harvey we have “the rest of the story”; or should I say “the first of the story?”
We need to back up just a bit, back to verse 17. You see, Habakkuk begins his Hymn with these word –
” For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:”
Hmmm. Question. If we include verse 17, can we still claim verses 18 and 19 as our testimony? Do we really praise the LORD when there is no fruit on our vines, no food in our fields? How about when we get a bad report from the doctor or a pink slip from our boss? What if our marriage is struggling or our child is rebelling? During those hard days and dark nights, do we find our joy in the God of our salvation? Do we still proclaim “I will rejoice in the LORD”? If we’re honest with ourselves, probably not, however rejoice is just what God wants us to do. When we’re living in verse 17 and struggling to believe verse 18 God asks us to trust Him to fulfill verse 19.
The LORD wants us to learn that our joy doesn’t come from our blessings, our joy IS our blessing. As we enter into this season of thanksgiving and as we focus on the many blessings God has bestowed upon our lives, let us remember that even if all that we give thanks for were to be taken away, we still have cause to rejoice. He is I AM and no matter what comes against us – God is able. He is our strength. He has planted our feet on the Solid Rock of Calvary and because of Him, you and I can freely say “Amen and Praise The Lord!”
Until next time,
בּרכה Sandra
Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8) Continue reading
Her children rise up and call her blessed … (Proverbs 31:28)
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:10-31)
Margaret (Maggie) Bivens
There are so many things I remember about Mamma, but above all I remember how selfless she was. She raised four children. She frequently worked outside the home to help make ends meet. She too often did without the things she needed so that her children could have the things they wanted. She didn’t have the conveniences we enjoy today; I remember her excitement when she got a wringer type washing machine because that meant she no longer had to make her weekly trek to the laundromat. She was not only content with what she had, she was thankful. And in all this, she never complained – at least not for herself. Everyone who knew her loved her. Age combined with wear and tear took a toll on her body, Alzheimer’s took her mind, but nothing could take away the love she had for her family. Mamma went home to be with the Lord going on 10 years now. I miss her every day.
~Sandra