Feeding a Thirsty Soul

We are WELCOMING Tami Van Hoy to the Cafe! She's serving up the devo today!

Psalm 143:6 ~

I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.
Psalm 42: 1-2 ~

As the deer pants for the water so pants my soul for You, o God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When I think about a parched land, I envision hardened ground crisscrossed with wide cracks. And then I think about how hard and cracked I get at times before I realize how thirsty my soul is for the living word of God.

Why is that?


I mean, when my body is thirsty, I don’t hesitate to drink something. Anything. Wait…that’s it! How many times does my soul cry out and I drink something other than the living word of God?


How many times does our attitude reflect a hard, cracked, thirsty soul?


And what do we seek to quench that thirst?


My mind goes to things like chocolate when I am grumpy, or shopping when I am stressed. It’s like my habit of drinking coke when I am thirsty. It’s good going down, but my body soon shows the stressed signs of dehydration because the ‘coke’ did not have the water my body needed.





As a mother, I learned to recognize the stressed signs of dehydration the first time my youngest came dangerously close to being hospitalized while battling the flu. After that, I learned the ‘tricks’ to get water into those little bodies at the first sign of dehydration.


This is our lesson today;


Learn to pay attention to the early signs of dehydration of our souls and know what we must do to douse it with doses of the living water of God. What are your signs of dehydration? Do you know them and can you recognize them early, before your soul is hard and cracked?


For me, the image of a hard and cracked soul brings to mind angry responses, defensive attitudes, bitter thoughts and hateful words. Self pity and depression can be indications as well. What about you? What does your hard and cracked soul look like in the flesh?

Just as I learned to respond quickly to the signs of dehydration in my children, I’ve learned to quickly respond to signs of a parched soul as well. I take a clue from David in our featured Psalm today:

“I spread out my hands to You”

Have you ever tried it?

I highly recommend it. It’s like a child who runs out into the rain, lifts her hands, looks up with mouth wide open and catches the drops that fall from the sky. She finds such joy in this and begins to spin and laugh, all the while catching more of the falling drops. Now I am quiet, reserved and introvert by nature, so I first tried this when I was all alone. It was a day when my parched soul had made me weak and the world around me was pressing in. The Lord led me to this particular Psalm and my heart connected so completely with David’s words. And so I spread out my hands, lifting them up to the Lord as I cried out for Him rain down on me. The tears came as I felt the joy of each drop fall from my Father onto my parched soul. Go ahead try it. If you like, turn on some praise music and sing out to God.


Our recipe today is to Feed Our Thirsty Soul.

The ingredients are from Psalm 143:6 and 42: 1-2. And the directions are to learn to recognize the signs of your parched soul and to lift up your hands to the Lord for His living water.

PRAYER:


Father, hear my cries and rain down Your word on me. I come to You parched and needing a long drink from Your living word. Teach me to recognize the things I turn to when my soul is thirsty; things that fill the place Your word belongs. Give me a desire to turn to You first, Lord. I spread my hands out to You and I find great joy in receiving Your living word into my life today.

Amen

In Him,

Tami

Tami can be found daily serving up inspiration daily at Around the Table with Tami and Food for the Soul, where she shares healthy recipes gleaned from Scripture.

There Are No Orphans of God

The Internet Cafe Welcomes Abbie Bateman today!

“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation." Psalm 68:5 (NKJV)

My sisters and I are scattered all throughout our enormous house. One in the kitchen, one at work, one sitting next to me, and then four others located in places all throughout.

As I sit here, I think about each of my lovely sisters in their uniqueness and I can’t help but ask myself one question,

“Whoa!…How did she get here?”

It amazes me! I know the answer to this question! I know their stories by the back of my hand, in which, I could in which, I could very well quote each one!

My sisters each have an exclusive testimony that only God could give them, and I have the privilege of seeing how God’s unfailing love has worked in each of their precious lives.

We are sisters, but we all come from distinct backgrounds.

We are sisters, but we all have our individual history.

Each young lady in our household originally came from different families and from various parts of the world, but we all came together for one purpose. That purpose being that with or without separation we will boldly stand for our Lord Jesus Christ because our Heavenly Father chose us to be His daughters and that we will stick true to love each other as sisters in Christ. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting!

I know that I personally can tell you a brief snippet of my life story. I am a 22 year old, born-again believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who left behind a past full of neglect, abuse and a “disownment” from my biological family upon my acceptance of Christ. I praise the Lord that He did not leave me orphaned!

He not only gave me my beautiful family that I adore, but more importantly, He gave me eternal life as his daughter! I am truly thankful that there are no orphans of God! I am not an outcast because he chose me despite me!

I am reminded of the beautiful story of Esther. God did not leave her orphaned. He gave her a home with her loving relative after her parents passed away. She stood for the God of Israel with boldness! By walking in the Will of God for her life, and knowing His promises, she won the heart of a king and a kingdom!

“And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.” Esther 2:7 (NKJV)

God has a plan for each one of us and even if we are orphaned, or considered an outcast, He would never look at us that way.

I think of a little child. When you look at a child’s face and you know that nothing in life would make you want to leave that child abandoned, God looks at us the same way. He simply desires our obedience to His Word and for us to be a living sacrifice for Him no matter the cost!

Be encouraged that He loves you! He wipes our past away and He has chosen us, as His daughters, to represent Him while we are here on this earth! I praise God that when you willingly place your life in His hands, He doesn’t leave us orphaned! We are no strangers in His kingdom…we are daughters of the King!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for Your amazing grace! Thank You Lord that you call us Your daughters and that we are all princesses in Your eyes! Lord, continue to mold all of us, as Your daughters, in to the Proverbs 31 women You desire us to be. Lord, direct our steps and let us continually walk in Your ways, in which, we know that to obey is better than sacrifice!

There is no sweeter Name than the precious Name of Jesus, that I pray..

Amen!

Questions to “put your thinking cap on” for…

1. Have you ever been abandoned or orphaned?

2. What would you do if I told you that with God, he will never leave you nor forsake you?

3. Have you ever asked the question “Whoa..how did I get here?” and then recognize God’s sweet grace in your life?

In Him,

Abigail Bateman

Join Abigail at her personal blogspot, Abigail Bateman

Credit Where Credit is Due

“…you treat the potter as a lump of clay. Does a book say to its author,
‘He didn’t write a word of me?’ Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it,
‘She had nothing to do with this?’”
Isaiah 29:16

Wouldn’t it absurd for an art student to go into a Thomas Kinkaid gallery, buy a painting, and then display it in his home as his own masterpiece? What about a woman baking a Mrs. Smith’s frozen pie for her guests, and then claiming that she made it from scratch? We would think that both of these things are preposterous.


The Bible says that we are the clay and God is the Potter. He created us and is molding and shaping our lives to be the Masterpieces He has created us to be. Yet, how many times do we find ourselves gloating in the blessings that He has given? We may not say anything at all, but all too often, if we are honest, we get a little puffed up when it comes to our success, our finances, our home or cars, and even our social status. We get a little too comfortable, prideful, and independent, thinking we can make it all on our own.



For us to take credit for anything at all in our lives is as crazy as a book saying to its author, “he didn’t write a word of me”. When we do this, we are treating God, the Potter, as a lump of clay. We all know that we had absolutely nothing to do with our coming into existence. I would venture to say, that there isn’t anyone who would say that they created themselves.



So, why is it that we are sometimes so quick to take credit for our own financial blessings, our successes, or our talents and abilities?





Even as mothers, we can find ourselves taking “internal” credit for our amazing children or the art of “juggling” all that we do as home managers. However, everything we accomplish, from the smallest to the greatest task, is all because of the gifts HE has entrusted to us. Whether it’s physical, emotional, mental, or social, “every good and perfect gift is from God”.


For example, is it the case that a mother is amazing because she is extremely organized, tidy, and does her job with excellence, or is it that God has chosen to bless her with the gift of organization, the desire to keep her home, and the physical stamina to carry out her calling?


Is it that a man is brilliant when he manages a large company and is financially successful, or did God orchestrate the gifts and opportunities in his life to bring him where he is and to bless him with the wealth he may have?


In other words, everything boils down to one thing and that one ingredient is GOD! We are nothing without him. “All things were created by Him and for Him” and even the things man “thinks” he has invented, came as a result of the brain and intellect that God Himself gave us.



Don’t you want your life to be a beautiful masterpiece that displays the wonder and glory of God? Wouldn’t you like for Him to be able to display your life as a “workmanship that He created” and for Him to receive the honor for it? Let’s acknowledge today that we, in and of ourselves, are nothing, and it is only through Him that we “live, and breath, and have our being”. Today, let’s just give all credit where credit is due!


Lord, thank you for all that you are doing in my life. Thank you for the blessings in my life. Help me today to be quick to give you glory and point people to the real source of my life, success, and blessings.



Your can read more from Tammy at Steps In Our Journey

Generic for a Weak Supply

“Is the generic okay?”

The pharmacist’s voice jolts me out of a waking sleep.

“Um, sure. I guess,” I tell her not knowing enough to voice an opinion. Usually, price is the bottom line in choosing generic versus brand name prescriptions. Generic is much cheaper. But is it as effective?

My close friend’s son has epilepsy. In his case, generic is not the same. That I do know. I know that the FDA allows up to a 20% variation in the active ingredient of generic drugs. For those living with epilepsy, it’s not a variance they can live with. It may be the difference in keeping seizures under control or allowing the seizures to control them.

When I’m buying sour cream, orange juice, or even margarine, I’m fine with the “off-brand.” It’s usually much cheaper. But there are other items for which I’m not willing to accept the substitute. Don’t mess with my Diet Coke, Nilla Wafers, or Doritos.

In life, there is always a substitution for the real thing – including God. Some trade God for tarot cards and crystals, others for money and fame. But some of us substitute our time with the Heavenly Father for church and religion. This perhaps is the most dangerous of all substitutions.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to fall into this exchange. We are too busy going to church, delivering items to the food pantry, singing in the choir, and mailing cards to the shut-ins to actually stop and spend time with Almighty God. On the outside we look like we’ve got it together, but in actuality, we are struggling. Do you know why? Because we accepted a substitute for our personal relationship with Christ, and it left us weak.

The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Isaiah 29:13 NIV

I sat in a parking lot one day when I saw the sign above; God spoke to my heart. He impressed on me “Generics for a Weak Supply” and questioned whether or not I was filling myself with the real thing. I thought about how tired I felt and knew the answer. Would you be willing to live your life with 20% less God?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV

How about you? Have you been trying to get by with a substitution for your time with Christ? Don’t settle for anything less. Remember accepting generic leaves you with a weak supply.

Visit Carol at sheep to the right!

A Place For Everything

"It's time to clean your room," I said.

"But I don't know where to put everything," my daughter answered.

"We'll work on it together," I replied, "and we'll have to organize it. It is always easier to clean up when there is a place for everything."

We worked that day for several hours. My daughter worked on her own for a while sorting Barbie dolls, sea shells, pony tail holders and stickers. I pitched in, bringing in plastic containers and baskets.

She sorted. She threw some things away. It looked like we were making some progress. Toys and clothes were finding their places. Then I found a folder with a very special label of its own.

My daughter had taken an old school folder and filed it with miscellaneous items. There were papers and stickers and scraps of art. Across the front of the folder she had written in crayon, "My Stuff That Didn't Have Anywhere To Go!"

After all of her effort and hard work of sorting and piling and organizing, there were still things that did not have a place. They weren't garbage. They had meaning. They just didn't have anywhere to go.

Sometimes I have things like that in my own life. I've sorted and organized. I've worked it all out. I've even had the courage to throw away some things. Then there's one pile left, my "stuff," with no place to go.

That's when I have to hand it all over to Jesus.

Let me tell you, Jesus has plenty of room for all of our stuff. He tells us that He will carry the load. He's ready and willing to pick up the stack of whatever it is you're dealing with, and take away that burden.

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;

He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. " Psalms 55: 22

What burdens are you dealing with today?

What "stuff" has no place to go?

Give it Him.

Join Melanie at her personal blogspot, "This Ain't New York."

Be of Good Cheer..

Recently I was listening to a message that totally caught my attention. The message itself was a message to encourage us to have unshakable faith! During the message there was a phrase that just stood out and has been with me ever since.

The phrase was this that was said by our Savior Jesus Christ, "Be of Good Cheer!" Wow! Our Savior said that! I want to just name some of the scriptures I have found with that beautiful and encouraging phrase that I hope will encourage you through out those days when things don't necessarily seem so pleasant.

In Matthew 9:2 we find Jesus with the paralytic and when Jesus saw their faith, He said to him, "Son be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you." Do we realize why we need to be of good cheer? Jesus gave His life for us that we should be joyous because we don't earn our salvation but that He freely gives us the faith to believe in Him! We were chosen!

In Matthew 14:27 the disciples were in the boat in the middle of the sea and they notice someone walking on the sea and they were frightened. Our Savior speaks up and says, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Jesus Christ the beloved never leaves us even in these turbulent times. He is telling us not to be afraid when we don't know the outcome of any of our situations we are confronted with. Don't be afraid He says! What a comfort to us.

In John 16:33 our Savior is kindly reminding the disciples that He has overcome the World. They are being reassured by verse 33 where it says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." What a great reminder to us that when we are being put through the ringer either at work or wherever we are to "be of good cheer, pilgrims!" He overcame the world through His death, and resurrection. He arose victoriously from His stronghold. Jesus reminded the disciples that the world would bring them tribulation but the He would bring them peace. This was an encouraging statement of peace for even us!

In Acts 23 we find Paul being almost mauled and killed by the mob. He is then forced into the barracks where our Savior appears to Him and says these words: " Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem so you must also bear witness at Rome." Can you imagine being in Paul's place? Our Savior is saying to Paul not to worry and not to just look at your circumstances for you are going to be okay! That had to be a pretty scary proposal after everything Paul had suffered. Reading further you find Paul thanking the Lord in every situation!

In Acts 27:22 there is a very terrible storm in where Paul and all the sailors were fearing for their life but an angel of the Lord appeared to Paul again and told him to take heart (be of good cheer) there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. Have you ever been in the midst of a hopeless situation and you hear His small voice that says to be of good cheer I have overcome everything? In the storms of life He reaches out His hand and you hold on to it knowing because of His promises that He will lift you up! What a great and faithful friend!

Disillusionment, pain, and sorrow will always be here on this earth but my phrase to you this month is, "Be of Good Cheer!"

Close and Personal:

1. When have you been afraid? How did you handle it?

2. Have you thanked him for Him rescuing you?

My dear sweet and loving Savior, I just want to tell you thank you for cheering us on! Thank you Lord for letting us know through your precious Word how much You want for us to know that you have overcome everything! We are just passing through and that everything in this world is temporary! We love you Lord and thank you, thank you for loving us this much!

In Our Father's Arms

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does
what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 1 John 3:7 (NIV)

The blonde curls bounced as the blue-eyed little girl pranced down the aisle. The pastor had called for all the children to join him at the front of the church for the children’s message. The little blonde-haired girl joined the circle of small boys and girls seated on the carpeted floor.

When the pastor concluded, each child began to find the way back to their seat in the large worship center. As the little girl found her way back to the correct section, she paused as her eyes scanned an endless sea of faces. Not seeing her parents, she bravely proceeded up the aisle with slow, but certain steps, her eyes timidly taking in the faces seated in each row.

As the little girl continued her slow journey, another couple began waving their hands so the little girl would see them and then hopefully notice her parents close by. But as the little girl looked at them, her pretty face frowned with an expression that said, “No, you’re not my mommy and daddy.” And she kept right on walking. As the little girl got closer to her parent’s aisle, her father stood so she could spot him. A smile replaced the frown as the little girl climbed into her daddy’s arms where she felt safe and secure again.

As we go through life, do we let the waving hands of someone else or the distraction of something else take our focus off of following after our Father? Or do we just keep walking with slow, but certain steps until we see Him? We too will feel safe and secure again - in our Father’s arms.

Father, please help us to keep our eyes and hearts focused on You today. Amen

I'd love to have you visit at http://www.inspirationfrommayberry

Are You in Need of a Remodel??

Sawdust, tile, sheet rock, nails….

I am up to my ankles in building materials this week because we are doing a semi-remodel of the kitchen. We had a very old 27” drop-in stove and it finally went up in smoke, literally. We found it was cheaper to get an average range and remodel to accommodate it versus buying another drop-in. The problem we had with this was the inconvenience. We honestly pondered the idea of spending almost $600 more to get around it. I mean, we seriously considered it. Can you believe that?

We finally realized how foolish that was and decided to begin demolition. Of course, I tried to cut every corner possible. “Save that! Maybe we can use if for something else.” I didn't want to get rid of anything. I also gave my $.02 worth when it came to the supplies that were needed. I assumed that we could just use what we had. Why did we need a trowel and tile sponges? Why can’t we use a kitchen sponge and flat blade knife?

My brother the engineer/construction guy insisted that if he was going to do this job then it needed to be done right and he would also need these tools. He said we couldn’t use old warped wood because the tile wouldn’t lay right. He said he was not going to be a part of any project that was done so poorly. Then, my 20 something brother began to preach to me about foundation and structure and how I could make it look like a million bucks cosmetically but it still wouldn’t matter if it collapsed because the structure was weak.

sigh…. Can you hear God’s voice already?

1 Corinthians 11:1
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

Our Lord doesn’t pretend to be good, He is good. He didn’t put a smile on his face and calm the tone of his voice just to be aesthetically pleasing. He did it because that is who He was as a man. If I am to imitate Him then I must do it from the inside out. I need a good structure or else I will collapse under pressure. This has happened to me many times before. I have slipped up and revealed my true insides in front of others. This happened because I tried to modify my behavior instead of letting God change my heart. Being Christlike is a result of loving Him. It can be hard work to change your heart but it is the only way to imitate Christ.

I want to be as true and strong as my new kitchen!


Thank you, Father for speaking to my heart even in day to day tasks. Amen.

Ephesians 6:6
Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.

I'd love for you to visit me at my personal blog: AmyBayliss.com

Mamma, I NEED My Pants!

The Cafe is thrilled to welcome Guest Barista, Theresa Horton Miller today!

It doesn’t matter how many times I offer my two-year-old daughter a solution, she has to try to figure it out all by her self before coming to the conclusion she needs help!

With a little patience on my part, it’s just a matter of time before she asks for the help I am so eager to give her. It’s that innate will to assert her independence. Fortunately, she will grow out of this stage as we all do…or do we?


Often, I see my own independent reflection in my two-year-old daughter, Alexa.


Alexa, at one point this morning, took off her pants because they "got sticky" and then remained in only a diaper, a shirt, and socks. When it was time to pick her older brother, Robby, up from school I told her we needed to put her pants back on.


She replied, "I don't need my pants." I proceeded to try and convince her.


"Let's put your pants on first, then we'll put your pretty shoes on." "Oh! My shoes!!" she replied enthusiastically as she darted up the stairs to retrieve her "pretty shoes.”


She bounced back down and proceeded to wiggle her little toes into the opening of her first shoe. I, once again, encouraged her to let me put her pants on first, then her shoes.


"I don't need my pants," she declared as she pressed her heal down into the shoe. She successfully weaseled both feet into her shoes. They were on the right feet and they matched her shirt beautifully, just no pants.



Now I'm a believer in natural consequences so, I decided this was not a battle I was going to pick.


"Okay, Alexa, let's put your coat on then."


"I don't need my pants or my coat."


"Okay, let's go." We proceeded out the door.


In a high-pitched shrill, Alexa cried, "It's windy."


"Do you need your pants?"


"I need my coat."


We put the coat on. "How about your pants?"


"I don't need my pants."


We proceeded outside again. She made it all the way to the car, stopped and cried in her high-pitched shrill, "It's windy!"


"Do you need your pants?"


"I need my hat."


I went and fetched her hat and put it on her. “How about your pants?"


"I don't need my pants."


She was happy.


Imagine my daughter in 26 degree weather (with the wind-chill) in a coat, hat, socks,
shoes, and a diaper.


Half-way down the road I hear from behind me, in that high-pitched, drama-girl, shrill…

"Maaaamaa...I need my pants!"

Oh, the lessons I learn from my two-year-old daughter! Like Alexa I, too, can be as stubborn with my Heavenly Father as to say, “No thanks, Lord, I have what I need.” I persist determined to try to figure it out all by myself.

Then when a circumstance overwhelms me I, too, cry out in a panic, “Looooord…I need you!” Or maybe just some pants…at any rate, I realize that what I need so desperately in a moments time is something that, just maybe, he’s been offering me all along. Oh, the love and patience of my Heavenly Father when I realize—my way has, once again, fallen short of my needs.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NIV

When was the last time you panicked due to trying to figure it out all by yourself?

At what point did you surrender to the solution God was offering?

Have you ever been disappointed by God’s provision in any given circumstance?

Will you trust Him today for the outcome of a circumstance you feel passionate about?

Prayer:
Father, we thank you for your provision for our lives. We pray for the woman reading this devotion, that she would release control to you in the given situation that has kept her determined to do things one way only. We pray that you would transform her heart so that the one and only way she relies on is your way. Amen.

In Him,

Theresa

Theresa can be found at her blogspot, heavenlyglimpses~

Theresa Horton Miller lives in Sheridan, Wyoming with her husband, Rob, and three children; Robby (5), Alexa (3) and Drew (10 mo.). She attends the Sheridan Classic MOPS Group and is in the process of starting up a local evening MOPS Group. Theresa has written articles for her local MOPS and church newsletters.

Are you Thirsty?

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”
Psalm 63:1

During these hot summer months, I am more mindful of our deep need for water. I find myself thirstier and consuming more amounts of liquid during the day. Our bodies need water to sustain our life. It has been said that we can go quite a while without food, but not very long without water. As much as my body needs water, it has not been my “drink of choice”. In the past, I would much rather have sweet tea, diet coke, or even milk over water, but then the weirdest thing happened. I began to force myself to drink water. As I drank water on a regular basis, I found my body actually cultivating a thirst for more. As my body experienced the benefits of water, I began to yearn for more and more of it. Where I used to have to force myself to drink one glass, now I am usually carrying a bottle around with me throughout the day.


This is much like our spiritual life. While we may think that we are able to go without feeding it, we actually cannot go very long without drinking from the water of His word. We will shrivel up spiritually without the refreshing spiritual nourishment of His word. The Bible tells us, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for His righteousness”. The only way to cultivate a hunger and a thirst is to digest it regularly. As we absorb His word daily, we will find ourselves developing a deeper thirst for it. We will find ourselves taking more and more of it with us and desiring it throughout the day, not just taking a little dab here and there.


No matter where you are in your journey with Christ, whether you are finding it hard to digest His truth, forcing yourself to partake of it when you can, or enjoying its nourishment each and every day, the truth is the same. If you will take the time and enforce the discipline to get into His Word each and every day, you will find that you not only gain spiritual benefits, but come to a place of deep desire for more.

The psalmist said, “as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you”. This is where I want my spiritual appetite to be. I want to absorb God’s Word each day and allow God to increase my hunger and thirst for Him. Just as I physically carry water with me and drink it throughout the day, I want to have such a thirst for God that I am consciously taking His word with me throughout the day.

I want it to soak into my heart and life and overflow into the lives of others. Just like I can see others drinking a cold glass of water and feel thirsty or hear someone talking about a great restaurant and get incredibly hungry, I want others to see my life, and Jesus in me, so much so, that they are drawn to Him. I have found the source of living water and I want to gulp it in and share it with all those around me, as well.

Don’t you?

Lord, thank you that you are the Spring of Living Water. Thank you that when I soak in your Word, my spirit is renewed, refreshed, and nourished. Help me to cultivate a deeper hunger and thirst for You and enable me to share the thirst quenching water you offer with those around me.



You can visit Tammy at Steps In Our Journey

In the Palm of His Hands

The Cafe is thrilled to introduce our Guest Barista of the day, Ruth Wood!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

“Forget it! Why even talk about it anymore,” my husband shouted and slammed the door.


I stood rooted to the floor, reeling against the wave of questions sweeping my imagination. Were we teetering on the brink of divorce? My husband and I had been fighting more and more about issues that seemed to defy resolution. This last argument was off the Richter scale. How could I start a new life with two little boys to support? I couldn’t bear to think of them shuttled between parents.


All this turmoil made my throat and chest hurt so much I could scarcely breathe. For several days I walked around aimlessly and forgot appointments, neglected my work and barely comprehended conversation. In despair and desperation, I cried out to the Lord. He brought to mind the words of Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”


To combat my paralyzing fear, it seemed I needed to repeat this verse every five minutes the first few days. So I composed a simple melody to help me remember the words. Singing pried my thoughts away from circumstances and lifted me into the presence of the Lord. In this way I clung to hope and controlled my panic.


Other passages in Isaiah also ministered to me. “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,” God says. In fact, His great love for me compelled him to lie down on a cross and offer his hands to the executioner’s nails. How could my family and I not be kept safe in such hands?


Eventually my marriage recovered, but I learned an important lesson—regardless of the outcome of circumstances, I have a God who holds me safe in the palm of his hands.


Prayer:

Lord, thank you that I need not struggle with my fears alone for you are with me. Today I choose to rest in the palm of your hands. In Jesus name, Amen.
Putting it into action:

Memorize Isaiah 41:10, 49:15-16; and Philippians 4:6, then meditate on these passages throughout the day. For a deeper understanding of these truths, try rewriting the verses in your own words. Then express your response to the Lord by composing a poem, painting a picture, or writing your own song based on these verses.

In Him,

Ruth


Song: Palm of His Hand, written by Ruth Wood, available to listen at
http://www.indiependencemusic.net/albums.php?artistId=677

©2007 Ruth Wood. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

BIO:
Ruth Wood is an award-winning songwriter and editor of www.Comfort-Cafe.net, an online magazine bringing hope, help and healing to women facing difficult life challenges. She and her husband have been married over quarter of a century, have two grown sons, a delightful new daughter-in-law, and one rambunctious grandcat. She may be reached at ruthywood@gmail.com.

An Unshakeable Hope

When I began praying about what I would share for my next Cafe devotion, little did I know at that time God would give me an opportunity to share with you a very personal story.

Two weeks ago, my son Jordan started complaining about arm and leg pains. At first this didn't alarm me. I simply gave him some Motrin and went about my day. However, as time went on it continued to get worse.

After three days, I got a call from Jordan to come pick him up from work. He was now in serious pain. His arms and legs were swollen about twice their normal size. At that point I knew something serious was going on. So, what did this woman of faith do? I started to panic and immediately called his doctor.

After bringing him to our local hospital for a battery of labs and tests, the waiting game for the results began. Thank God, everything came back negative, except for his muscle enzymes, which were elevated.

His doctor believed it was a viral infection attacking his muscles. I was relieved, and we were asked to come back in a few days to have his labs rechecked. What I didn't expect was Jordan began to feel even worse. His enzymes continued to rise and we were then referred to a rheumatologist.

In the midst of all this, I suddenly realized that God was testing my faith and calling me to put down my anchor of hope. In times like these we need to know that God wants to teach us how to hold on. He is a very strong foundation in whom we can put our complete trust.

In the book of Hebrews 6:19 (amplified version) it says:

“Now we have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil.”

God has given us all we need to stand strong in face of every trial. Jesus is an anchor that is sure, steady, and unmovable. My faith was being tested even as Jordan’s counts continued to rise. In fact, I am still awaiting the results of yet another test to decide what new direction we may have to take. Still I am at peace, because I know that my anchor is in Christ, and He is completely upholding us.

Although things in this natural world are often very uncertain, God is not. He is steady, sure, and a solid rock on which we can stand. God never promised us an easy ride. He warned us that in this life we would face trouble, pain and grief. Yet He also promised to give us the tools to overcome in the midst of every trial.

We read in Hebrews 10: 23:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Also in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT) the Bible says:

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

So hold on to your Hope, for it is the Anchor of your soul.

******************************
Something’s to ponder:

Are you learning to take hold of God in your time of trouble?

Is your anchor holding steady in the midst of your storms?

Think about the last time you had nothing else to hold on to but God? How did things change when you did?

My prayer for you today;

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Join Susan daily at her personal blog,

Runnin' on Empty

Remember the old Jackson Browne song “Runnin’ On Empty”? It was brought back into my recent memory during the last election campaign of John McCain. As I revisited those lyrics, I realized that this could be the theme song for a good many of our lives.

“Running on – running on empty

Running on – running blind

Running on – running into the sun

But I’m running behind.” *

Even as Christians, we can be “runnin’ on empty” and “runnin’ blind.” Do you realize that? We have the race marked out for us, with Christ’s help to run it unwaveringly, but so often we train our own way and race with our own resources.

As I’ve grown in my faith over the past five years, this is a topic I’ve had to wrestle with and allow the Lord to win. It came to a point where, until I dealt with this issue specifically, I’d have to take a water break from the race God had designed for me.

My poor training started in my childhood. With no one to show me how to cope with the horrible realities I faced, I ran. Between choir and theatre and cheerleading and track and student council and color guard and friends’ houses and church events and softball and running blind into wherever I thought the sun was shining, you can bet I was empty. To fill up, I’d watch my regular television programs, all with families I wished were my own. I’d stuff my face with junk food at the same time, knowing that my taste palette would be satisfied eventually. It never was, but I kept swallowing anyway.

“But you were just a kid and weren’t taught any better,” you might say. “Besides, you coped the best you could.” This is true, but I was long into my adulthood before I realized I was still running the same way I had begun many years before. Only now I had my driver’s license.

“Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels,

I don’t know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels.

I look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through.

Looking into their eyes, I see them running too.” *

All of a sudden, it occurred to me that I wasn’t the only one wearing the tread down on my tires. Surprisingly enough, I was in a great deal of traffic, with people just like me. Probably all for different reasons, but pedals to the metal, just the same.

On the race the Lord has marked out for us, sometimes we have to sprint, and sometimes hurdles are a part of our endurance training. Some seasons are busier than others, and we have no control over it. But I’m not necessarily talking about being too busy. I’m talking about running with the wrong source of energy. About becoming distracted with the audience on the sidelines. About taking shortcuts when the path marked before us gets too rocky. About going just because we’ve always gone.

Featuring Browne’s album, Rolling Stone magazine** wrote, “The title track was actually written when Browne was driving back and forth to the studio each day to make The Pretender. ‘I was always driving around with no gas in the car,’ he said. ‘I just never bothered to fill up the tank because -- how far was it anyway? Just a few blocks.’”

Wow. What a description of my life for so many years. Does this apply to you? Are you running on fumes, thinking that your fill-up is only a few blocks away?

The Lord desires that we run our races with a full tank of Him, my friends. For our own good, and also for the sake of those witnessing the race.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

No matter if we are on a city road or a country one, a road under construction or one fully paved—God designed us to live with our eyes fixed on Him and our hearts full of Him. Otherwise, we’ll keep “running behind, running on empty—running blind.” With the joy of Heaven set before us, let’s allow the One who ran the race before us to retrain us, perfect us. Let’s keep running on—running on full.”

*Running On Empty—lyrics by Jackson Browne

**Rollingstone.com—Dec. 9^th, 2004

Selah~ Pause. Ponder. Praise.

UNconditional Love

Please Welcome Guest Barista, Mary Hess, to the Cafe!

Lamentations 3:22-24 – The Message

“God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.”

I'm tired - worn out actually. This has been a crazy week. You know the kind - busy from the time your feet hit the floor in the morning until you lay your head down late, late, late at night. You can't even rest well because your mind is still active while you sleep. So those crazy dreams come. Yeah - the mixed up ones that make no sense. You think "If only this week were finally over, I could calm down and rest."

Busy.

Have I opened my Bible this week to read? Nope.

Have I spent any quality time with God this week? Nope.

And my mind says, "Whoa Mary! You are not doing well on the 'Great Christian Scale' this week. God is probably not very happy with you right now. Don't even think about trying to get Him to show up and help you with that problem. You haven't shown up for Him."

But if there’s one thing I know is true it is this: God Loves Me! He LOVES me! And His love for me isn't conditional.

Now, don't get me wrong. I need to pray. I need to read my Word. Those things help me with my Christian walk. Should I do it every day? Well, I can't say that there is a strict rule for it anywhere. But I will tell you this: When I go a few days and don't communicate with my husband, it sure makes for some strained times. If I don't communicate, how will he (Shannon) know my thoughts, my feelings, my problems, etc? How can we grow in our relationship if there is no intimate, bonding time? So yes, it's extremely important. And we should want to spend time like that with God.

What I'm talking about though is getting the concept, grasping the reality, that God loves us as much today as He did yesterday and as He will 50 years from now. His love for us never changes.

And when we miss a day of intimate time, it’s wonderful to know that every day we get a new chance to start fresh. The Bible tells us that God's mercies are new EVERY morning and His faithfulness is great toward us. Isn't that just awesome?! Even when I'm at my lowest and sometimes honestly don't make the effort to 'do this thing' God still loves me and wants me to succeed.

So I challenge you this week to ask Him to help you understand His unconditional love for you. If, like me, you have a hard time believing it, just tell Him. I can assure you it won't take Him by surprise.

Father, so many times I find myself just wanting to ‘get it right’ instead of just being with You. Thank You for understanding me even when I can’t understand myself. I know You love me unconditionally. Please help me to believe it. Thank You for being so faithful to me. Help me to stir up the passion inside of me that will cause me to look for You every day. I want to be with You. Amen.

In Him,

Mary Hess

Mary can be reached at: www.maryhess.com or maryhess2003@gmail.com

The Women with the Issue of Blood

The Internet Cafe Devotions is thrilled to welcome Paulette Harper today!
Paulette is filling in for Chelsey Hall, who we are THRILLED to announce has safely delivered her 6th baby!!
CONGRATULATIONS CHELSEY!

Mark 5: 25-34 AMPAnd there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.


And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes? And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me?


Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.


What a great story of determination, fortitude and tenacity.


This woman had several issues. These particular issues kept her from enjoying the benefits of living a prosperous and full life. The scriptures notes that she endured must suffering at the hands of many physicians and the scriptures goes on to tell us of her lack of finances. She has many things going against her; first the Jewish custom forbids this woman to intertwine or mingle in society when she has been bleeding outside her customary period of seven days. She is considered an outcast and unclean. Second she has exhausted all her resources. Not only did the doctors abuse her but her finances dried up.


No doubt she is at the end of her road. One of the reasons I love this store is because I can see exactly where I fit into the story. Here we have a woman that has some medical issues in which she hoped that the doctors can heal; she at one time had the resources to seek out for a remedy for her condition but only grew worse; she is not wanted by society, so she is alone. But she hears that Jesus is coming and she brushes off and lays aside the customary laws, she did not look at her condition as if it was too big for Jesus; she believes Jesus could heal her and she seeks for her issues to be removed by Christ.


I found myself like the woman with the issue of blood, faced with several of my own personal issues, overwhelmed with feeling of no self worth, feeling abandoned and alone, faced with an uncertain future and finding that my life was crumbling right before my eyes. I pressed my way through the crowds of the naysayers, haters and even the enemy of my mind. Breaking though all the hurt, pain and disappointments that was a constant reminder of my failed relationship, yet moving ahead to the only one who could make me whole.


Just like this woman with the issue of blood approaching Jesus without any question to His ability to heal, restore and deliver I walked each day with the assurance that my life some how was going to be better. Once realizing that my true source of hope, joy and recovery was only in Christ, I bravely accepted the lot that was given to me and today I can boldly say I stand strong, vibrant and full of purpose because of Christ the one who felt me touch the hem of His garment.
Have you touched the Master’s garment?



Just like the woman with the issue of blood, Christ is standing and waiting on you to approach Him with complete confidence in His power, ability to heal and make you whole.



In Him,


Paulette

Paulette Harper is the Author of “That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Restored”. A
heart-wrenching account of one woman’s true story of determination, loss and triumph. In her book, she outlines how a heart attitude of surrender allows God to use a broken vessel for His
A native of Pittsburg, Ca, Paulette travels as an inspirational speaker teaching people how to
overcome life’s unexpected experiences by delivering a strong message of hope.Her passion is to lead people to a clear and precise understanding of how life challenges can become one’s ultimate source of victory by sharing solid, biblical principles that will enable people to find a way out of every trial so they can reach their God given potential. She has been featured on Comcast Channel 26, Gospel Search TV, San Francisco Radio Station KPOO, Artistfirst Radio Station, Access TV Channel 29 San Francisco, Grace and Mercy Magazine and on aakulturezone.com and WOW magazine.

For more information about “That Was Then, This Is Now visit www.bvministry.org.

Paulette can be reached at: paulet_harper@yahoo.com

Where's the Beef?!~ oops, I mean 'Faith'?!

Do you remember that old commercial? It had an elderly lady hungry for a big juicy hamburger but instead was looking at a burger bun with a tiny little piece of meat in it? Her response was, “Where’s the beef?!”



In the same way, sometimes I look at my own life and ask the question, where’s the faith? I can so easily get myself focusing on the fears and worries of this life that my faith walk starts to deflate and I can quickly become a sad excuse for the woman of faith God that has called me to be.

I want my life to be a reflection of His greatness and love! I know you do too
or you wouldn’t be applying yourself to spending time with the Lord in
devotions!

Instead of others looking at my life asking, where’s the faith??? I want them to see a big juicy hamburger just waiting to be devoured…..oops, sorry-went too far with the analogy. But seriously, I do want them to see a bold, yet humble woman of faith whose life makes others “hungry” for God.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-14
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
NIV

If we believe, then the Word of God will be at work in you and I, and that work will be a clear statement of the faith we have in our God.

I looked up the word WORK in the Greek and it translates:
active, operative,
effectual, powerful.

THAT is what I want in my life, how about you?!

When we choose to believe God’s Word and apply that belief to our everyday life, His Word will be at work in us. No one will be asking, “where’s the faith?!”

What situations in your life right now need to be attended to with the Word of God?
Do you see anything that needs some faith added to it?
God’s Word is full of everything we need.
Dive in and believe!
His Word will become powerful in your life when you believe it!

Here are a few “morsels” to chew on:

Luke 1:37
37 For nothing is impossible with God."
NIV

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
NIV

Psalms 103:2-5
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits —
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
NIV


Father, thank you that we don't have to be ill-equipped and weak Christians. Help us to believe your Word for our lives so that others can see You at work in all we do! We want to live active, operative, effective and powerful lives for You Lord!

Stop over to my blog and enter the July Praise and Coffee Giveaway!

Uprooted

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

The gladiolus plants stood tall and proud in my neighbors’ garden just waiting to burst forth into bloom with their beautiful pink, purple, red, white and orange flowers. But my neighbor decided she was tired of her gladiolus garden so she uprooted them - flowers, stems, bulbs and all.

Tossed into a pile, they were destined to be thrown away.

As any good neighbor would do, I walked over to see what was going on and arrived just in the nick of time. I gathered an armful of the long, green stems with the bulbs still attached and rescued those plants.

Preparing a new home for those orphaned gladiolus plants; I dug little round holes into the rich soil of my flower garden and dropped the bulbs in. As I worked transplanting those brown, onion-looking bulbs, I suddenly realized they were actually, well...ugly. Had I not known the potential inside those bulbs, I certainly wouldn't have put forth the effort to transplant them. But I knew inside the bulb, which at this time appeared to be all dried-up, lived everything needed to once again grow strong, tall stems and produce beautiful flowers. The bulbs just needed someone who cared to replant them in just the right soil.

Sometimes we, too, may be uprooted. Major moves, divorce and loss of loved ones can all leave us feeling uprooted in life. We may feel that we’ve been tossed into a pile and thrown away by those we love and maybe, even by God. We may even feel that our heart has withered down to just an ugly, brown bulb.

But just like that gladiolus bulb, inside we still have everything we need to grow back strong and tall. We just need someone who cares. That Someone is the Lord our God. When we cry out to the Lord, He hears our prayers and sees our tears and will heal our broken hearts.

Just as the flowers from those transplanted gladiolus plants bring beauty and joy to others, the Lord can use us to do the same. Because we’ve been there and survived being “uprooted,” we can reach out and minister to others. And with our mended hearts planted in His love, we’ll survive any uprooting life may bring our way.

• Have you ever been uprooted in life?
• Have you ever felt like you were thrown away by those you love?
• Have you ever felt abandoned by God?

Even when we’re uprooted in life, the Lord our God is always with us. He will quiet us with his love when we cry out to him.

Father, thank you that we are eternally secure in You and that You will never let us go.

I'd love to have you visit at http://www.inspirationfrommayberry.com/.