Take hope in the knowledge that you are cherished by the One who made you—you are sheltered in the shadow of His wing, close to His heart. It is my prayer that as we get to know one another you, too, will see beyond the veil and will learn to say, “Even so, I walk in the Presence of the Lord”
With joy,
Nan
Finding God’s Presence ~ A Prayer to Grasp the Name of Jesus
Lord, You amaze me. When I cry out to You, You hear me. When I seek You, I find You. When I sit still and listen — really listen for your delicate whisper — I hear You and You remind me that You are God. I can’t understand it all — these things of faith, but I know beyond any shadow of doubt that they are true just like You. You are Faithful and True. You are the embodiment of Truth and we can rely upon Your Word. Bless You Lord. Bless Your Holy Name — the Name above all Names.
Faith Notes ~ Rosemarie: Broken to Be Remade
Rosemarie is a dear sister-of-the-heart who has encouraged me with the Word of the Lord and undergirded me with prayer time and time again. We met on Twitter a couple of years ago because she read my book, The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife, and contacted me so that I would know she had been touched by its words and testimony of God’s faithfulness. From there a very special friendship grew.
Rosemarie, like many of us, has endured severe seasons of heartache and trial, but through it all God has remained steadfast and faithful to her. Rosemarie describes herself this way, “There are some ministers who teach the masses like Jesus with the Sermon On The Mount, but I am like Jesus who meets the Samaritan woman at the well when there is no one around.” To that I say, “Yes and amen!” Rosemarie lives to love, serve, and encourage others.
Finding God’s Presence ~ When God’s Life-Light Blazes Out of The Darkness
I heard a noise — a rustling — along the forest’s edge. Turning to my right, I saw a squirrel scamper up the old oak tree, cheeks bulging with goodies found on the forest floor. I stood still and watched for a moment and then my gaze drifted to what the Lord wanted me to see all along …
Finding God’s Presence ~ A Prayer When Anxiety Knocks
Lord, thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your abiding Presence that enfolds me when I’m overwhelmed. You comfort me when I’m sad and wash over me with waves of peace when anxiety torments me. I’m so grateful for Your tender care.
Help me focus on You, Lord — to see Your beautiful face, Your gentle eyes meeting mine. I’m safe there.
Faith Notes ~ Nan Jones: Hard Lessons of Finding Joy in My Wilderness
From time to time I am going to share some of my story with you on Faith Notes. I have lived through many painful experiences in my life where the Lord faithfully revealed Himself to me, but I had to learn to open my eyes to see Him and I had to learn to literally be still and remember that He is my God and I am His child. Hard lessons. Eternal lessons. Lessons for which I am grateful.
Today I am sharing the very first time the Lord revealed Himself to me in an extraordinary way.
Finding God’s Presence ~ When Words Fly From an Unguarded Tongue
I was SO upset. Words flew from my unguarded tongue like poisonous arrows from a bow. Was I justified? Yes! Was I being taken advantage of? Yes. Did my manner of handling this problem exemplify the Lord? No. And neither did it magnify His Name.
I left the mechanic with a dirty heart. I was very glad I had been assertive and stood my ground about the wrong-doing — we are not called to be doormats. But we are called to be like Jesus…
Finding God’s Presence ~ A Prayer When I Want Jesus to Be The Ruler of My Heart
You are my King, O God, Ruler of my heart. My soul longs for You in this dry and thirsty land. My flesh wrestles with my spirit, fighting for authority when I want only for YOU to be the Ruler of my heart.
The things I want to do, I don’t.
The things I don’t want to do, I do
The struggle is real Lord …
Faith Notes ~ Mandy Farmer: When God’s People Hurt You & Other Fibromyalgia Woes
Mandy Farmer and I met on Twitter through a hashtag: #Fibromyalgia. How about that? Not only do we share the difficulties fibromyalgia presents, but we also share the rewards and struggles of pastoral ministry through serving as pastors’ wives. She is a bright light on social media as she strives to minister to those who suffer with chronic pain and those who may feel alone in battle fatigued through pastoral ministry. I know you will enjoy learning her faith journey as she shares how she clings to the hand of God through it all.
Finding God’s Presence ~ When Lives Change Course Like a River After a Flood
Torrents of rain pounded the roof. Squall after wind-driven squall battered our mountain community leaving many areas in ruin. Mudslides, tornado warnings, a flood of massive proportions kept everyone on high alert until the October storm passed us by.
This was highly unusual.
A mountain storm of this magnitude in October took everyone by surprise.