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Love Joy Peace

Posted By Wanda on July 19, 2010

I had the privilege of growing up with Mom and Dad loving and serving Jesus. It was a mostly wonderful, happy and secure way to grow up.

One night during a fall lightning and hailstorm, I contemplated my eternal existence. I was four years old– and already had a consciousness of heaven and hell. It was while sitting on the deep freeze that night watching the storm, my Mom led me through the sinner’s prayer.

From that time on, which was more than 30 years ago, I have had a close relationship with Him. Most importantly, I know God loves me. The Bible says that I am the apple of His eye. He created me for a purpose and has great plans for my life. I’m God’s favorite and He loves me best. Actually, you’re God’s favorite and He loves you best, too!! We are all created with destiny and purpose. God chose us to be here at this space and time. No matter how we were born into this world, God has created each of us to be here and He has an amazing plan for our lives no matter how we got here. There may be a few accidental parents on this earth but there are no accidental children! You can know that God loves you with an everlasting love. John 3:16.

Secondly, I have joy! Joy is not based on my natural circumstances. It is based on the promise in John 10:10 which says that Jesus came to give life and life abundantly. Abundantly means– superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient. This promise gives me great joy! Jesus has come to bring me life in abundance. God’s plan from the beginning was for man to be enriched and to have a prosperous, abundant life. This brings me great joy! You can have this joy too!

Lastly, I have great peace! This is because Jesus is my Redeemer and He will make up for my shortcomings and failures! Job 19:25 says “For I know that my Redeemer lives!” Redeem means to buy back, to get or win back, to free from what distresses or harms, to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to help overcome something detrimental, to release from blame or debt, clear, to free from the consequences of sin, to change for the better, reform, repair, restore, to convert into something of value, fulfill, to offset the bad effect, to make worthwhile, retrieve, rescue. I know that God has my interests at heart. This gives me peace to know that God will fix whatever needs fixed and restore what’s been lost. Peace means nothing missing, nothing broken. I pray that you will receive His peace today!

You can have what everyone is looking for: love, joy and peace. It’s yours – TAKE IT!

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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Posted By Wanda on September 3, 2009

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” ~Winston Churchill

Our attitude represents 80% of our success and skill makes up for the other 20. As Zig Ziglar says “your attitude not your aptitude will determine your altitude.”

As we waited for the school bus in the mornings, my family and I learned some Bible verses. One that stands out to me is Philippians 4:8 … whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.

I think this verse could be the answer to depression, loneliness, sadness, and the like. If I learn to concentrate on the good, instead of the bad and the ugly, my outlook will be bright and my attitude will be in the right place. It really makes no difference what skills I have or what knowledge I possess if my attitude is negative and pessimistic.

What are we meditating on today? Good things? Or negative reports? As we choose to meditate on what is good, pure, lovely, etc, we will see transformation taking place before our very eyes. Just be aware that you may need to make some changes in your environment. As Zig Ziglar shares, “Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don’t hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people.”

There are many people in the Body of Christ who have optimistic views on life and they are motivating to be around. Search them out and learn from their examples. Read the Bible and find books of testimonies of God working in people’s lives. Listen to godly motivational speakers and be empowered to grow, change and succeed. It will most certainly rub off on you!

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Where Are You Looking?

Posted By Wanda on July 21, 2009

Rodeo, as in many other sports, requires concentration. Where you look is where you’ll end up. If you look for the ground, that’s where you’ll go.

Proverbs 4 gives us some insight about where we should look in our daily life. Starting at verse 20, this is what the Word of God encourages: “Dear friends, listen well to my words; tune your ears to My voice. Keep My message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health. Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.”

Where is our focus? Where are we looking? We need to be intentional to download godliness into our lives – everything from what kind of friends we have, what kind of shows we watch and what kind of music we listen to.

God’s Word, His way of doing and being will bring us life – not just physical life – but the very essence of God: health, wholeness, peace, provision. Intentional living, keeping our heart with all diligence will see the issues of life taken care of.

I know in my own life, when I focus on my problems and issues, I become more discouraged and defeated but when I intentionally determine to think and speak what God says about my problems, life becomes much better; life goes smoother as Proverbs says. I can pass the load on to my Father God and trust him to work it out.

Next time you see a rough stock rider look for the ground, be reminded that where you look is where you’ll end up!

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No Strain

Posted By Wanda on April 21, 2009

Things have a way of piling up in life. Commitments, responsibilities, places to go, people to see and jobs that must be done. I could make a pretty long list of the things I need to master. Probably due to a type A personality, I am routine and orderly. That is fine when it is balanced but over the years, I have struggled to walk in that balance.

We have strengths and weaknesses in our make-up that we need to keep in check. I find myself getting more worked up as things become more and more unraveled and out of routine. This is a struggle I frequently find myself in. At these times, I need to recognize that I probably have unrealistic expectations and that I must rely on the Lord for help.

One little devotion I have turned to several times to remind me of what’s important is found in the book “God Calling”. The title of the devotion for January 9th is NO STRAIN. Here is an excerpt: Be calm no matter what befall you. Rest in Me. Be patient, and let patience have her perfect work. Never think things overwhelming. How can you be overwhelmed when I am with you?
Do not feel the strain of life. There is no strain for My children. Do you not see I am a Master Instrumentmaker? Have I not fashioned each part? Do I not know just what it can bear without strain? Would I, the Maker of so delicate an instrument, ask of it anything that could destroy or strain?
No! The strain is only when you are serving another master, the world, fame, the good opinion of men-or carrying two days’ burden on the same day.
Remember that it must not be so.

I must remember that God’s Word is true and His principles work. As I continue to bring my thoughts into the ‘rest’ of God, I believe I will have less stress and more peace. Let it be so, Lord!

Father, right now, I am asking you to help me to trust you with each of the days’ problems and responsibilities. I choose to settle my spirit and rest in You. I refuse to be overwhelmed with the cares of the days ahead and I walk forward today, letting patience have her perfect work. I trust that you have my best interests at heart and that you will give me all the grace I need to handle today. I bless you, today, Father and thank you for your peace that passes all understanding.

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The Prize

Posted By Wanda on February 23, 2009

I had been feeling discouraged over the last few months, maybe more. But just two weeks ago, God showed me once again that His Word was true and that I could rely on it every time.

Our girls were at their grandma’s for the day, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to catch a ride with Dave as he fed cows with his home-built round bale un-roller. After we had unloaded a bale, we headed back to the stack to get another one. As we rounded the top of a hill, the mechanism that holds the bale on, fell back on the base of the carrier. Something had come undone.

After further examination, Dave realized that we had lost a piece off of the winch system. With discouragement and frustration, we tried to walk through the snow on the hillside where we thought it maybe had fallen off. Nothing. Then we got back on the un-roller and began to retrace our route.

I was reminded of the story of the lost coin. (Luke 15:8) The object we were looking for was small in the large picture of a snow-covered landscape.

From deep within my spirit, I then took the smallest step of faith I could muster and was reminded of the verse in Matthew 17:20 that says if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can have authority and nothing is impossible for you. I quietly confessed that to Dave and said I have about that much faith (showing him with my hands about an inch between my fingers). I had almost no faith at all it seemed. As we retraced back to where the incident happened, we watched the snow as the horses trotted through it. Nothing. Dave stopped the team on top of that hill again and got off to look. I stayed with the team. Nothing.

He came back and I offered to look, not having much hope of ever finding it! I started shuffling my feet through the snow as I walked down the hill. Huh… what was that? It felt like a rock that I kicked. I kicked it again but could see nothing. I kicked it again and nothing. For the third time, I kicked and there it emerged… the exact piece that we had lost.

As I returned to Dave with the prize, deep down in my heart, I felt like God had given me a prize… the return of hope to once again believe for something and to have faith that it will happen. That gray, cloudy, windy day suddenly had promise and hope. A new quietness and strength returned and I was once again reminded that God is faithful and He is well able to perform His Word!

I really believe if I had not confessed the living Word of God, we probably would have never found what we were looking for that day. Yet, the Word of God never let me down and He was ‘…ready to perform (His) Word.’ Jeremiah 1:12

God is ready to perform His word. We just have to be obedient to confess it and believe that what we have confessed WILL come to pass!

Matthew 17:20
… I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Declaration of Faith: My faith is a spiritual force that is alive within me. When I use it, it is like a seed planted at the root of the problem. As I cultivate it (continually believing and speaking the answer), it overtakes and uproots whatever is standing in my way. Even a mountain poses no difficulty for me when I remain stubborn and persistent in my faith. When I tell it to move, it moves. When I tell demons to leave, they leave. When I command an infirmity to come out of a body, it comes out. With the faith that God has given me, nothing is impossible for me.

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Hope Does Not Disappoint

Posted By Wanda on January 14, 2009

Before taking turns opening our gifts at Christmas 2008, I discussed with our family the importance of gifts that aren’t bought with money such as love, kindness, honesty, etc. I asked each person to share what gift they were thankful for. My sister mentioned hope. I’ve pondered on her answer since that day and have to say it gave me hope to be able to hope!

As the media bombards our homes with messages of hopelessness and despair, I have to say be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24)

The hope that we can have is based on God and the promises He has given us. It is based upon the unchanging character and the immeasurable love of God. Romans 5:5 reminds us that hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Somehow the ironic thing is that our hope grows greater when our character is tested and grows stronger. In the verses prior to verse 5 is states that (we) glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

As I grew up, I developed core beliefs that were formed by the influence of my parents and those around me. I distinctly remember Dad sharing at so many Christian Cowboy services about the hope that lieth within him. (He talked in King James language sometimes!) Even though at times, as a teenager it would embarrass me when he spoke in King James, I knew he really did have a hope that was within him… a hope that did not disappoint. Dad raised us to always look at the bright side and to find the good in the situations but even more than that, he trusted in a God who was more-than-enough, One who would always find a way of escape and deliver us out of the difficult situations we’d find ourselves in. 1 Peter 1:15 reminds us to always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…

Fifteen years of marriage, although to some that is not a long time, is time enough to be able to look back and see God’s faithfulness through the storms. This has developed perseverance, character and then hope in my life. We started out in a rented two bedroom house that seemed to let more wind through the electrical outlets than open windows sometimes. After seven years, we moved onto our own piece of land and bought an old, small house trailer that was a roof over our head but not much more. Six years later, we moved a three bedroom 1350 square foot bungalow onto a brand new wood basement and no more do we hear the wind howling or feel the breeze blowing through the walls. What is not mentioned in this history are the many scriptures that I stood on, confessed and believed to bring us to this place of blessing and comfort. God has seen us through times of building our lives, physical and spiritual.

If our mind is allowed to think on, confess and believe in the fear of crime, extreme poverty and economic collapse that is bombarding us, we will become hopeless and helpless. However, life does not need to be hopeless for any of us who choose to go against the negativity. Abraham believed that he would become the father of many nations. Contrary to hope (contrary to ordinary human expectation), in hope (in expectation that God would fulfill His promises) Abraham believed!! (Romans 4:18) Abraham received his promise by hoping in The God of More-that-enough and the promises He made to him!! The story of Abraham was written for us so that we can have hope, too!

Two thousand and nine may be a year of great change and instability around us. Yet, we have a hope that does not disappoint. God is never-changing. He is constant. He does what He says and will carry out His Word. We serve a God who is More-than-Enough! Have a great 2009!

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From Disaster to Deliverance

Posted By Wanda on November 21, 2008

My husband, Dave and I own a custom hay hauling business. This summer, we experienced a miracle of God while Dave was on the job. He has operated our self-loading, unloading round bale truck for the past eight seasons. This business has been in our lives for many reasons. One reason being, to bring us to a place of learning to trust God.

The day this particular situation happened was like any other day. He was near home, hauling for a neighbor who has rough terrain. The ride height valves on the air suspension weren’t working properly that day. Dave was traveling down a bladed trail through hilly pasture land (fully loaded). He stopped and backed up, turning crosswise on a hillside to shift the weight from the driver’s side to the passengers’ side to help the driver’s side ‘air up’. BUT, he had forgotten about the dirt ridge that the grader had left and as he backed up, the rear drivers’ tires came up on the ridge and the load flopped to the downhill side. Dave stopped the truck immediately when he felt the load shift. He got out to survey the situation, realizing that the deck frame was not sitting on the truck frame and the unit was sitting in a twisted position. This was not good! This was a disaster waiting to happen. He went to the passenger side and saw that the weight was almost pulling the tires off the rims and he couldn’t possibly see how the bale deck could be sitting there, not twisting off the truck frame. He got back in the truck, and lowered the picking arm to try to counterbalance the load. He tried to gingerly move the truck ahead and could not get any traction on the driver’s side. Dave could see that this was near an impossible situation without the assistance of a tractor.

Then Dave decided to phone me just to tell me what was happening. (Probably knowing full well that I would pray for him.) He proceeded to try to phone the customer to ask him to come with his tractor to help out. But the phone line was busy. After receiving news of this very dangerous and possible business-ending situation, I prayed in the Spirit for a very short minute or so and then declared that Dave would be delivered from all his troubles.

After trying for several minutes to contact the owner of the bales, Dave decided to get back out of the truck and overlooked the situation again. He felt that if he let the air out of the air ride, it may make things worse. So, he thought that he’d get a wrench to manually adjust the air to lower the driver’s side. As he was walking to the back of the truck, he heard something that sounded like a hammer-blow on iron, and the whole one side of the load and the top row fell off on the down side of the truck. Wow! Just then, the truck righted itself and all was well. The truck had just been sitting there, nothing moving and Dave could hardly believe his eyes. It was as if someone pulled a trip and released one side of the load. We believe it was an angel sent to deliver Dave from all his troubles!!! Dave drove away and reloaded the bales and carried on to the yard.

I prayed just like I’ve prayed many times before. It was simply this: I was obedient to pray when I didn’t even feel like praying. I took the time to lift Dave to the throne room of grace and he found mercy in his time of need. If the deck would’ve twisted off the truck frame, the cost to repair would’ve probably put us out of business. We also would’ve lost business for the season ahead.

The Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will preserve and bring me safe unto His heavenly kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:18

This situation was an assault of evil on our business and finances. Our Deliverer heard my cry and delivered us from all the troubles of that day. He preserved Dave and the truck and brought them home safely!

We give God all the praise and glory for seeing us through in this situation and countless others during this season of growth! We do serve a God who hears and answers prayer!

Be encouraged today of the deliverance of God in this situation. Whatever you are going through, God can and will deliver you from every assault of evil! He will preserve you and bring you safe into His heavenly kingdom right here, right now on this earth!

Our testimonies give way to victory! Share your miracles and stories with me so that we can encourage the Body of Christ!