Friday, March 28, 2014

Good Works vs. God Works

Follow The Leading of the Holy Spirit
by Andrew Wommack

Matthew 25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods."

The parable of the talents continues the theme of being ready for the Lord's return, but it also makes a strong point that we are accountable to the Lord for the gifts He has given us. The Lord intends us to use these gifts to further His kingdom - not keep them hidden.

This parable also shows the Lord dealing with His servants according to their own individual gifts and abilities. The servants who doubled their Lord's money were praised equally, even though one had produced two and one-half times as much revenue for His Lord than the other. Every man's work shall be judged as to what sort it is - not what size it is.

Most people today are preoccupied with quantity of ministry instead of quality of ministry. The Lord is going to reward us based on how well we did, not on how much we did. Those who are not governed by the Holy Spirit in their actions will see all their good works burned up on the day we stand before the Lord and He tries our works. Those who acted only under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will find that their works will endure the test and they will receive a reward.

Many people choose to do good things thinking that God will be pleased. It is our positive response to God's direction (faith) that pleases God (Heb. 11:6). We were created with a purpose and every individual has a God-given plan for his life. Unless our actions are in agreement with God's plan for our life, they will not abide the test of God's fire.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always

Making Compost Indoors at Home

In this day and age, most of us are aware of the benefits of composting.  Composting provides an environmentally sound method of recycling food and yard waste while avoiding filling up our landfills.

When you think about composting, an outdoor bin is what likely comes to mind, but can you compost indoors? You betcha! Anyone, just about anywhere, can compost.

Exciting, isn’t it? Now the question is “how to compost in the home?” It is really very simple.  Read more.


Wildlife Boundaries

by Donna Donabella

We rarely saw critters in our yards even in the suburbs as we lived in treeless lots with acres of lawn. So anytime spent in nature was special and mysterious. But in our yards and homes, we did everything to get rid of critters. Insects were feared (bees and hornets) and thought of as pests (mosquitoes and flies). And birds were a rare sighting, mostly sparrows, that lived in the woods on the fringe of our development.

When I moved to central New York in my early teens, we lived in a new development that was in the “sticks”. There were only a handful of houses surrounded by woods and wildlife that found their way into our yards all the time. It was here that I felt a closer bond with nature as birds built nests in our trees and under our windows. Deer and rabbits browsed the trees and shrubs, and snapping turtles moseyed through.  Read the rest of this beautiful article on the author's website.



Dogs: Off-leash Training Video by Dr. Sarah


For many pet parents, few acts spark instant dread like an unleashed dog speeding away from you.

In this episode of Pet Talk, you’ll learn how to have confidence in your ability to exert vocal control over your dog’s behavior. Assisted by her trusty canine sidekick, Alma, Dr. Sarah reveals effective off-leash training tips that every pet parent can use.

In just a few short minutes, you’ll learn just how easy off-leash training can be. Watch this Pet Talk episode now

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Eternal Life is Knowing God, Not Living Forever

Donna at Brookgreen Gardens
Murrell's Inlet, SC

View Enlarged Image
by Donna L. Watkins

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our spirits are filled with all of who He is. It's like this mega download of spiritual assets are placed within our body which has now become a temple for the Holy Spirit, a dwelling place for God. When I first "got saved" none of this was explained to me. I visited a Baptist church at a Youth Rally of some sort and it was all about escaping Hell. I'd never been there before and never did return for another service.

Obviously I did not comprehend any of what I did. I don't know if my heart was in it when I repeated the words that I was told to say, only God knows. But I know I never did go to church and by the time I was out of high school and single I considered myself an atheist. Everybody blamed God for all the bad things going on and if that was the God churches spoke about, I didn't want any part of Him anyway.

Then I met Randal, my husband, at the age of 26 and he was a Christian. He would quote segments of Scripture to me and I would tell him I didn't believe in God or the Bible. Finally at the end of our second date I told him that if that's what he was going to keep talking about, we didn't need to see each other any more. So he stopped.

However, his behavior still preached to me because he was so kind and helpful. Simply not doing the typical guy thing. After a party that I had at my apartment for which he came early so he could vacuum or help to do what I needed him to do, he stayed late and helped me clean up and wash dishes. I didn't have a dishwasher then. So I ended up asking him about why he does these things and he told me that "whoever wanted to be great must be a great servant." Now that intrigued me.

A few weeks after I met him he led me to the Lord and I got saved again, I suppose. Nothing really changed in my life or thinking. Again there was no explanation of what I had done, other than that I would now go to Heaven and not Hell. Randal grew up in the Baptist church so when we got married he wanted to continue in it. I'm not ragging on Baptist churches. I'm just saying their doctrine leaves a lot of blessings on the table by focusing on "going to Heaven" rather than the true definition of what "eternal life" means. For 61 years of my life I thought eternal life meant I would live forever in Heaven. That's it! But that's not what Jesus said in John 17:3:

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Eternal life is knowing God. It's all about relationship, not rules to please an angry God. The word 'know' in the above Scripture is defined in Strong's Concordance as:

1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
1a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of

Grasshopper in Flat Sedge Plant
View Enlarged Image
As I said in the beginning, when we truly accept Christ as our Lord by believing in our hearts, not our minds (Romans 10:10), we get a huge download of spiritual gifts and blessings. When God looks at us He no longer sees sin because Jesus paid it all. 1John 4:17 says, "As He is so am I in this world." Not when we get to Heaven, but here on earth. We are in Christ and in Him is no sin. With His spotless garments on we are as holy as God's Son! That's "too good to be true good news" which is the definition for the word "gospel." We have to admit that a lot of what's being preached as the gospel is not "too good to be true" so it's obvious something is missing.

When we buy new computer it comes with a lot of programs that have been downloaded on it at the factory. Many of them we never even see or open. We use what we know about and let the rest reside on the computer without use when there could be many assets and time-savers provided by using some of the programs we haven't taken time to learn about.

That's what has happened to many Christians today. When we accepted Jesus we had amazing gifts, fruits and blessings download into our spirit, but we don't access them. In the same way that Jesus had the fullness of God in Him, we also have the fullness of Christ in us. That makes us complete or perfect in Him, that is speaking of our spiritual man. Our born-again spirit is identical in righteousness, authority, and power to Christ's spirit, because our born-again spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9).

We should be so in love with Jesus and the Father that we don't care what anybody thinks. It only matters what God thinks. And He loves us so much to have provided salvation for us through the blood of His own Son. The Bible says "God is love" (1John 4:8). He doesn't just love us. He is love. Right now we might be thinking about all the actions of God in the Old Testament and love doesn't seem to be a way for you to describe that.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly on Butterfly Bush
View Enlarged Image
However, we need to understand the Old Testament and why God wiped out entire nations. Sin was rampant. Beastiality was the norm. Sacrificing children to gods was common. This kind of sin passes from generation to generation whether in animals or humans, so before the entire world became contaminated God had to destroy the sin. He has already done this once with the flood but had promised Noah that He would never do that again. It is easy to be seen that the 10 Commandments weren't given as a way to please God, but as a way of life that would save people from misery and provide a society that was pleasing to all.

So ... do you think there might be some beneficial "programs" within your spirit that might make your life easier? The Word of God comes with many promises and all we have to do is believe and receive them. But before we can do that, we have to know God and know the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. How much time are you spending knowing God through His Word? Reading great spiritual books is fine, but THE BOOK is to be placed above all others. Through the Word the Holy Spirit can give us great revelations imparted to our heart.

A book can only impart information to the mind. It has to become revelation to us to enter into the depths of our heart. It's fine to read about somebody else's revelation for encouragement and inspiration ... but if we don't get our own revelation of knowing God more and more and more and more, we are leaving a lot of assets on the table until we get to Heaven. Satan is well pleased with the fascination that Christians have with books, workbooks, support groups and relevant messages for today's contemporary Christian. You don't find much Word in many of them, but rather the thoughts and opinions of men.

Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Jesus came to give us an abundant life. He bore our sin, diseases, curses and poverty so that we wouldn't have to. 2 Corinthians 8:9 tells us, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." We have so many blessings given to us. We need to reach inside and bring them from the spiritual realm into the physical realm with the simplistic way that Christ provided: "Only believe" (Mark 5:36, Luke 8:50).

Eternal life is knowing God. Choose life that you may live. Begin spending more time with God today. The rewards are amazing!

Related Articles:
Choose Life and Blessings
What's God's Will For My Life
Spirit, Soul and Body


Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always

Monarchs Need Our Help — Now!

Thanks to Dolores for forwarding this to me.  I've reported on the Monarch Butterflies s a number of times since their migration is so amazing and they are so beautiful and they need milkweed plants to survive!  Take time to make your voice heard by filling in the Take Action form.

The monarch population is plummeting as Big Ag kills off the native plants they need to survive. Tell the EPA to rein in the widespread use of herbicides that are wiping out monarchs!

Monarch butterflies are in crisis, and we must take immediate action to protect them!

Less than 20 years ago, an astounding 1 billion monarchs migrated to Mexico for the winter. This year, a mere fraction of that -- just 33.5 million -- made the journey.

Why? In large part it's because industrial agriculture is killing off the native milkweed on which monarchs depend with a new generation of potent herbicides.

Tell the EPA to adopt tough new restrictions on the weed killers that are wiping out monarchs!  By placing common sense limits on Big Ag's rampant use of herbicides like glyphosate -- marketed as Roundup by Monsanto -- the EPA could dramatically increase the monarch's chance for survival.

Monarchs can't live without milkweed -- it is the only plant on which they lay their eggs.  This is the ninth year in a row that the population of monarchs wintering in Mexico has fallen below its long-term average, and this year it hit an all-time low.
What's at stake here? One of the most astounding and extraordinary migrations on the planet -- a true natural wonder.

Each year, as they have for countless generations, North American monarchs undertake an epic journey, flittering upwards of 3,000 miles across the U.S. and Canada to just a relative few wintering grounds, including Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains.

But as industrial agriculture has ramped up its use of genetically engineered crops resistant to weed killers like glyphosate, it has also dramatically escalated its use of herbicides -- and monarch populations have plunged.

Please tell EPA the time to act is now!


Thursday, March 20, 2014

Knowing Yourself As Deeply Loved


I picked up a book at the library sale with a great title, The Gift of Being Yourself.  There are some great parts in it and many I don't agree with, but I thought I'd share this segment that I have particularly loved.


Knowing Yourself As Deeply Loved
Excerpts From The Gift of Being Yourself by David G. Benner

The question is how does God feel about you? What is God's knowing of you?
One young woman told me she feels afraid because she is sure God is mad at her. She thinks God is preoccupied with her sins and shortcomings and views her with anger and reproach. Is she right?

I also think of a friend who can no longer believe that God takes a personal interest in humans. As one among billions of people on the face of the earth, he suspects that he and the rest of us fail to register as individuals on God's consciousness. He tells me that he wishes he could believe God loves him, but he cannot be persuaded that it is possible. Is he right?

I am convinced that God loves each and every one of us with depth, persistence and intensity beyond imagination. God doesn't simply like you. Nor does God simply have a warm sentimental feelings toward you just because you were created in the Divine image. The truth is that God loves you with what Hannah Hurnard calls a "passionate absorbed interest." God cannot help seeing you through the eyes of Love.

Even more remarkable, God's love for you has nothing to do with your behavior. Neither your faithfulness nor your unfaithfulness alters Divine Love in the slightest degree. Like the father's love in the parable of the prodigal son, Divine Love is absolutely unconditional, unlimited and unimaginably extravagant.

Christians affirm a foundation of identity that is absolutely unique in the marketplace of spiritualities. Whether we realize it or not, our being is grounded in God's love. The generative love of God was our origin. The embracing love of God sustains our existence. The inextinguishable love of God is the only hope for our fulfillment. Love is our identity and our calling, for we are children of Love. Created from love, of love and for love, our existence makes no sense apart from Divine love.

Neither knowing God nor knowing self can progress very far unless it begins with a knowledge of how deeply we are loved by God. Until we dare to believe that nothing can separate us from God's love - nothing that we could do or fail to do, nor anything that could be done by anyone else to us (Romans 8:31-39) - we remain in the elementary grades of the school of Christian spiritual transformation.

In order for our knowing of God's love to be truly transformational, it must become the basis of our identity. Our identity is who we experience ourselves to be - the I each of us carries within. An identity grounded in God would mean that when we think of who we are, the first thing that would come to mind is our status as someone who is deeply loved by God.

Coming to know and trust God's love is a lifelong process. Making this knowledge the foundation of our identity - or better, allowing our identity to be re-formed around this most basic fact of our existence - will also never happen instantly. Both lie at the core of the spiritual transformation that is in the intended outcome of Christ-following.

Every time I dare to meet God in the vulnerability of my sin and shame, this knowing is strengthened. Every time I fall back into a self-improvement mode and try to bring God my best self, it is weakened. I only know Divine unconditional, radical and reckless love for me when I dare to approach God just as I am.

The more I have the courage to meet God in this place of weakness, the more I will know myself to be truly and deeply loved by God. And the more deeply I know this love, the easier it ill be to trust it as Christ did - preferring God's will to my own.


Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always

Reasons Why Daffodils Won’t Bloom

View Enlarged Image
Daffodils and Pansies
Glencairn Gardens, Rock Hill, SC
Late in winter we expect the perky blooms of daffodils to open and assure us spring is on the way. Occasionally someone says “my daffodils are not flowering” this year.

This happens for various reasons. Poor blooms on daffodils may be due to mistreatment of foliage the previous year or because bulbs are too crowded and daffodils won’t bloom.

Read this:   
Reasons Why Daffodils Won't Bloom





DON'T Buy Bunnies, Chicks & Ducklings For Easter

View Enlarged Image
Wild Bunny From the Woods
More Wildlife Pictures in Our Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Editor's Note:
This article is a bit dated from the published date, but the information is certainly current.  Easter pets such as bunnies and chicks are bought on an impulse and the animal ends up suffering.  Please don't buy into this realm of Easter gifts.  And PLEASE PASS THIS INFO on to others!  Thanks!

Young birds and rabbits require a long-term, special care commitment to ensure their health, safety, and happiness.

Many families are not willing to do what it takes, or may not know how to help chicks and rabbits adapt to a family's lifestyle. They need the right type of food, shelter and environment. A hutch or chicken coop is not enough!

View Enlarged Image
Mama and Baby Chick
AshLawn-Highland - James Monroe's Home in Virginia
Children may not realize how fragile these living creatures are and they may smother the animal with love or receive bites and scratches as a reaction to rough handling.  

Humane Society statistics suggest that 90 percent of the animals given as holiday gifts die within a few days or a few weeks from illness, mishandling or neglect.

Families that are considering an animal at Easter should consider a dog or cat from a shelter or another small mammal that will adapt well to living with humans. Read the entire article.



What About Our Resurrected Bodies?


by Andrew Wommack

John 11:13 "Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep."

Read:  JOHN 11:11-14

There are many scriptures where death is spoken of as sleep, however, the disciples thought Jesus was speaking of Lazarus simply resting. Jesus eventually clarifies their misunderstanding by using the word "death," but that was not His first choice. This is because God's perspective is different than ours. Death is final to natural man but not to God. There will be a resurrection.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul uses natural illustrations to explain the resurrection. He speaks of seeds that are buried in the ground and "die." Then they are resurrected as a plant. The plant and the seed bear no resemblance but they are actually the same. The plant is just in a resurrected state. Likewise, our physical bodies will die but they will be resurrected just as surely as seeds produce plants.

In the same way that a seed is different than the plant that it produces, likewise our resurrected bodies will be different. Our glorified bodies will be very similar to our physical bodies in appearance. This can be said because of what the scriptures reveal about Jesus' glorified body. He still looked human, He ate food, had the print of the nails in His hands and feet, and He said He had flesh and bones. Yet he could appear and disappear. Our resurrected bodies will be immortal (i.e. not subject to death). Our resurrected bodies will be like Jesus' resurrected body.

In the same way that our present physical bodies are a miraculous creation, so our glorified resurrected bodies will have their own glory. We can rest assured that God never serves dessert first. If this physical body is wonderful, our resurrected body will be even better.

Visit Andrew's Website.
Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always

Many Reasons Why Trees Are Important

View Enlarged Image
Gorgeous Live Oak Tree with Spanish Moss
Grounds Of Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, SC
Let's take a little time to be thankful for all our trees do for us and for the critters around us.

The National Arbor Day celebration is in April, but states throughout the U.S. have their own designated dates for Arbor Day. The reason for this is optimal planting time.

There are many reasons why trees, and native trees in particular, are an important part of our environment.  Should you have an opportunity to plant a tree (or replace one), please consider a regionally native tree for the extra benefits it will bring.

This article, Thanks Trees, shows you many reasons why we should celebrate God's creation of the tree.  


Pet Sitting Made Simple

by Dr. Jane Bicks

Some pet parents find that using the services of a pet sitter is a viable option to boarding at a vet’s office or a kennel. Being in a strange place coupled with a prolonged separation from you proves a stressful combination for some dogs and cats.

Remaining at home with an established routine can help alleviate this separation anxiety. Read Dr. Jane’s post, chock full of insightful tips for the best possible pet-sitting experience for your companion animal.

If you’re planning a trip but your dog or cat won’t be joining you, employing a pet sitter might be a good solution to ensure your fur-kid continues to be appropriately pampered. Read Dr. Jane’s post now


Saturday, March 15, 2014

Newsletter - 3/15/14

View This Newsletter On the Website.



Light in a messenger's eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." (Proverbs 15:30 NIV)  Be a bearer of good news to others.

Hello Dear Friends!

Donna Feeding Pigeons - Oct 1985
Richmond Capitol Grounds
I was raised by my maternal grandparents after my mother's divorce, and my great grandparents lived with us or in a nearby home.  They didn't die until I was 10 years old.  Papa spent a lot of time with me and much of that time was spent at a nearby park feeding pigeons and squirrels.  When I see this picture I think of my Papa smiling down on me from Heaven where he now enjoys all of God's beautiful Creation in the Light of His Love.

I also loved going to the train yards to climb on the cabooses and engines.  The only way to get me off the trains was for Papa to take me to the station to put a penny in the Chiclet machine for a few pieces of gum.

Did you know Chiclets are made from the Manilkara chicle tree which is a tropical evergreen tree native to Mexico and Central America and is also native to the West Indies.  The gum is extracted from the sap of the trunk and is still used in some natural chewing gums today.

View Enlarged Image
View Enlarged Image
As you can see, I still like climbing on train engines and cabooses.  These train photos are from a visit to Clarksville, Tennessee, in November 1998.

I still love to visit train stations also.  The train station link is to one in Downtown Orange, Virginia, that is now being used as a Welcome Center.

I keep reading more and more research about our thoughts creating who we become which matches the Scripture that says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Psalm 23:7).  Science and quantum physics is now proving so much Scripture that God has given us for wisdom.

Every toxic thought from conception to death becomes part of who we are.  We make decisions based on these thoughts which are in a short period of time converted into beliefs whether they are truth or not.  Carrying around this toxic baggage literally causes brain damage and many of the anxiety stress disorders of our day.

Cedar Waxwing with Holly Berry
View Enlarged Image

Inflammatory diseases are rampant in our society.  God created the immune system to be a blessing to us.  As soon as a physical injury occurs or you pick up a virus somewhere, the liver secretes c-reactive proteins that rush to the site of the problem and build a tent of inflammation that is designed to stay there until the healing is done.  They are then reabsorbed by our bodies. 

Science now shows that we have this exact same reaction to a toxic thought which will become just as much a physical part of your being as any other tissue or muscle.  Toxic thoughts take up mental real estate and build connecting thoughts and every action we take is first a thought, so the way we think is of major importance.  A toxic thought is just as life-threatening as a virus and if we don't get rid of it, the inflammation stays and we have dramatically increased our vulnerability to illness and disease. 

I watched a video on toxic baggage that has definitely left an impression on me.  We can change our minds.  God tells us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and we are physically able to do that.  We cannot afford to not deal with toxic thoughts from our past or each day.  Listen to Dr. Caroline Leaf discussing this topic on this video:  "We Walk Through Life With Unnecessary Baggage."

It's that time to replace our mulch on the paths through our garden area and yard.  We use mulch for the paths and crushed leaves for the garden beds.  We've been blessed with a guy that delivers the mulch to us at almost half of what others charge, however, when we tried to do this in the Fall, the place he gets the mulch from wasn't responding to his calls.  Apparently the guy that owns the mulch considers himself semi-retired and isn't doing business unless he feels like going to work.  So .. we've been waiting through Winter hoping we'll be able to get it done before the Spring rains.

Freshly Mulched Paths Here at Bluebird Cove
View Enlarged Image
In the meantime I've been praying for another solution and remembered somebody mentioning rubber mulch as being  a non-toxic solution.  Somehow I couldn't imagine it being non-toxic, so I did a bit of research.  If you've considered using rubber as mulch or for children's play areas, you may want to study up a bit on what these articles and a video have to say about it.

The Myth of Rubberized Landscapes

Exposures to Ground Up Rubber Tires - Athletic Fields, Playgrounds, Garden Mulch

The Hazards of Rubber Mulch - YouTube

It's coming into planting time and although we have our home tucked into the woods, many people don't have enough trees in their yard and would like to have more for color or for energy savings.  Choosing a tree that will do well in your landscape requires a few things to think about, so I"m including a few links to good articles on how to choose the right tree:

Selecting Trees For Your Yard

Choose The Right Tree

The Right Tree in the Right Place

Speaking of trees, you wouldn't believe what's going on in our National Forests.  I can't use the word about what it is in this blog post, but you can watch the video.

Our temperatures have come up some and we've had some beautiful sunny and warm days that provide plenty of screened porch and deck time.  Now that we have longer days it's even better.  Last week before we got warmer weather, the cold weather has made me think of areas in the far north that get sub-zero temps all the time.  I cannot fathom it with my mind.  There must be some gene that enables people to live in places like that.

I also thought about the wildlife that lives in those areas and especially ones that use the water as part of their habitat.  Brrhh!  That reminded me of the sea otters we saw on an Alaska cruise we earned in May of 1998.  We saw so much wildlife and enjoyed the cool of the Alaskan waters and ports we visited at that time since we were living in Alabama and it was already hot in May.

We enjoyed learning about marine animals and the sea otters really stole my heart.  They were so cute floating on their backs, some holding their favorite rock they used to crack open clams, etc.

Alaska Cruise Album
 Sea Otter
View Enlarged Image
When I say favorite rock, I mean it.  Not all rocks are created equal and finding one that's good for splitting things open probably takes some time so they keep it with them always.  They store these "pet rocks" in a baggy pouch of skin under their forelimbs where they also keep extra food for later.  Haven't you ever thought about storing some treats in your armpit for later? 

This critter is part of the weasel family.  Sea otters mainly eat urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species. They eat approximately 25% of their weight in food each day! They have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, ranging from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, which insulates them and maintains warmth. Unlike other marine mammals, the sea otter doesn't have a layer of blubber (fat) to help keep it warm.

Thanks to Dolores in New York City for sending me this quote:

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher

I hope you're seeing signs of Spring where you live.  We have trees budding here.  Hyacinth, daffodil and iris leaves are beginning to pop out of the ground.  The hellebores are budding.  For me Spring is like a parade of Resurrection Miracles.  How awesome is the beauty that surrounds us with God's Presence in it all.  I've noticed that the deer have eaten some bushes that they normally don't eat.  It's been a cold winter for them.  I'm glad our habitat has a variety of plants that they can consume.  They just do some pruning for me.

Male birds are singing their "choose me" songs loud and clear almost before dawn breaks.  Lengthening days trigger genes in brain cells that release a thyroid-stimulating hormone that tells the pituitary gland to pump out hormones that wake up the birds’ reproductive organs from their winter slumber. The doves are the most fun to watch as the male waddles along close behind the female who seems to delight in her ability to have him so hooked on her.

This is life!  Thank you, Lord, for Springtime!

May You See Blessings Everywhere You Look!
Donna

P.S. Anything in here that might help somebody you know?
Here's a link to the online version of this newsletter:  
www.TheNatureInUs.com/2014/03/newsletter-31514.html


Photo Galleries

Critters & Garden Photos
Videos
Travel - USA & International
Costa Rica
Pets

View Posts By Topic

being 60
creation-nature
gardening
going green
health
my healing journey
newsletters
pets
photos
simplify-frugal
spiritual
travel
travel-costa rica
written by Donna

Posts Since Last Newsletter

Keep On Believing in Healing (DLW)

Attract Frogs and Toads To Your Garden

Using Sugar To Kill Weeds In Lawn

Minimize Stress When Moving with Your Pets

Bulbs Squirrels Avoid Eating

What Lies Are You Believing?

Gimme Green - America's Obsession With Lawns

Instant Healing Can Be Delayed

School Gardens: Plant Milkweed for Monarchs

Herbs Boost Cat's Health and Happiness

Newsletter - 3/1/14 (DLW)

Previous Posts You May Have Missed

God Is The Greatest Giver

The Secret Lives of Owls

Developer of HPV Vaccines Warns It’s All A Deadly Scam

10 Men Christian Women Should Never Marry

Simple Weight-Loss Tips For Pets

Cats Kill 1 Billion+ Birds Each Year

Newsletter - 2/15/14 (DLW)

Sitting With God (DLW)

Do We Pray to Father or Jesus?

Dogs and Wolves

FDA To Reduce Trans Fats in Processed Foods

God Is a Good God

USDA To Allow Contaminated Chicken From China

Canine Influenza - Video by Dr. Sara

Spirituality Changes the Brain and Risk of Depression

Landscape to Attract Birds

Newsletter - 2/1/14 (DLW)

Moving On With Life (DLW)

Being Joyful ALL of the Time

Winter Fun with Dogs

Friendly Birds

Rest And Receive Your Miracle

The Secrets of Cat Whispering

Unusual Food Choices For The Birds

Physicians' Diagnostic Confidence Doesn't Mean Accuracy

Newsletter - 1/15/14 (DLW)

The Pain of Promises (DLW)

Putting Nuisance Beavers to Work

Was Jesus The Messiah?

Fruits and Veggies Your Dog Will Like



Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always - What's On Sale Now?

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Keep On Believing in Healing

Donna In Front Yard
by Donna L. Watkins

Unbelief is so powerful it was involved with Jesus' ability to heal.  That sounds like heresy but let's look at the Bible.  We read in Mark 5 about Jairus coming to Jesus to heal his daughter and although she died before they got to her, when the report came that she was dead, Jesus told him,  “Do not be afraid; only believe” (v. 36).  Why did it matter what Jairus thought or believed?

When they did arrive at the house and He told the mourners that the girl wasn't dead, but just asleep, they laughed and jeered at Him, obvious signs that they certainly did not believe what He said. Jesus put them all out of the house and then had the parents and the three disciples that He had brought with Him go into the girl, and as you know Jesus brought her back to life. Then "He strictly commanded and warned them that no one should know this" (v. 43). If Jairus' believing had a role to play in this miracle, wouldn't it be likely that the doubt and unbelief of the naysayers could affect the situation?

Surely you've had a time in life when you had so much hope and belief in doing something that you wanted to tell the world, but instead of people sharing your dream and belief that it could be done, they gave you all the negative reasons it wouldn't work.  How did that make you feel?  It's not hard to steal belief from a person's heart, so we must guard our hearts and use wisdom about who to share with.

I'm sure many of you have heard of people prayed for and they instantly noticed a difference in the situation or the problem was totally gone, and yet the next day or days later things were the same as they'd been before. The devil will heartily fight against people receiving healing because he knows that as long as people are not healed, they can still wonder if God really loves them. "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy us" (John 10:10).

How often I myself have allowed unbelief and doubt to enter in after receiving prayer and healing. It was obvious that I had been healed because all symptoms were gone, but I was in such shock (because I didn't really believe that I would be healed), so I myself let my healing ebb away by not standing and enforcing the victory.  Most of us feel unworthy of God's best since we've had so much preached into our hearts about us being sinners.

Keep On Seeking ... 
The Sweet Nectar Of  Our Lord's Love
View Enlarged Image
Long-term health issues are harder to battle since we have learned to live with them and they have literally become part of who we are.

I have learned the truth that Jesus healed all of my diseases on the Cross (Ps. 103:3). Isaiah prophesied that "by His stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:5), but when it comes to being totally free of symptoms of long-term diseases, it's a level up on applying faith. It doesn't mean it's not possible, it just means I have to renew my mind to the truth which takes time. Heb. 6:12 says, "Through faith and patience we inherit the promises of God." We have the faith of Jesus inside of us (Gal. 2:20) so it's not a matter of possibility, it's a matter of belief.

God has already done it all and it's sitting in a beautiful huge gift box for us, but we have to receive it. Most of the Bible teaching I've had over the years of being a Believer has programmed my mind differently and that programming needs to be renewed. God didn't tell us to renew our minds if it wasn't possible (Rom. 12:2). It would be grand if we could just ask God for healing and zap, it happens. It was easier when Jesus walked the earth.  People saw Him healing multitudes of people, so faith was high.

But Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24). Belief is a huge part of all the blessings of God that have been deposited into our spirits. God is spirit so everything comes in spirit form. It involves our minds to believe and receive to reach down into our spirit and draw forth that which God has already given us. [Read: Healing, Why Does It Take So Long?]

I know it sounds like heresy for those of us who have been trained otherwise. Another account of Jesus not being able to do any "works of power" was in his own country. Carefully read these Scriptures in Mark 6:1-6: "Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue [the one He would've attended for many years]. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, 'Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?' So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.' Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief."

Jesus was used to all the sick being healed everywhere He went other than in His hometown where He could only heal "a few" sick people.  They were offended at Him, rather than realizing that He was the Messiah, the Christ they had been looking for. Familiarity is a hindrance. A few people believed and were healed, but there were no 'mighty works' done there.

Doubt and unbelief can spread quickly which is a great reason for not telling people what is going on when you're sick. Every time you recount the details or symptoms you reinforce to your mind that this is the way your body is and you will surely get a different opinion of what needs to be done from each person you speak to. We should be speaking healing over our bodies as we see ourselves whole and healthy again. What we think on becomes stronger in our flesh. [Read: 75-98% of Mental & Physical Illnesses Come From Thought Life]

Shenandoah National Park - Big Meadows Area
Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind
View Enlarged Image
We can't let our thoughts go unchecked. There is much to say in the Bible about our tongue and mouth and speaking. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Imagine death being in the words we speak. We think what we say doesn't really matter but it makes a big difference in our lives.

We get the fruit of whatsoever we speak. When you wake up in the morning and remember something that went wrong yesterday, you begin to magnify that event and it will grow and grow with more thoughts and make your day absolutely miserable!

Our last thoughts of our day as we lie in bed at night are especially powerful. We should never go to sleep reviewing all the things that are wrong with our lives. Whatever you fall asleep thinking about will become magnified by morning. We need to meditate on the Word as our bodies and mind prepare for sleep.

Could this be a reason there is such an epidemic of insomnia? What about depression? If we think negative all day long, how could we be anything but depressed? A more recent description of that is to have a "chemical imbalance."  Well, of course there would be an imbalance of chemicals. Our thoughts produce proteins in the brain and neurotransmitters (chemicals) are created. Our thoughts determine what chemicals are made that will flood our minds and bodies.

You can't speak something without thinking about it first and that was part of God's design. Consider 2 Cor. 10:5: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." The Word was made flesh. Making our thoughts obedient to Christ means that they line up with God's Word, not our feelings or emotions.  We can determine and choose how to feel if we take our thoughts captive.

How would your life change if you changed your thoughts and what you speak? Do you speak blessings over yourself and your loved ones, or are you continually cursing them by speaking forth what they are, rather than what you want them to become? A blessing was of major importance in Bible times.

God "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ" (Eph. 1:3). We may have had a horrible childhood with words that still sear our hearts, but Christ bore that on the Cross for you. We are a new creation. We can let go of the past by renewing our minds.  Choose to receive His healing in that area by meditating on the Truth in the Word about you until it goes from your head to your heart where it will produce life. You've meditated on the negative words for many years, but you can erase and re-record. It takes time, so don't give up!

Look at yourself in the mirror and speak over yourself what you are in Christ. What the world thinks of you is no longer important. You have an Almighty God as Father and He delights in you! Begin blessing others throughout each day! It will become a wonderful new habit!

When the physical realm isn't lining up with what we read in the Bible, we do not need to doubt the Word of God to be untrue, but need to consider that our understanding is darkened and seek His face for revelation of the Scriptures.  If something isn't happening (being seen) in our lives, should we blame God?  The God Who IS love? (I John 4:8)  "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)  

Are you willing to be led by the Spirit rather than your mind?

Related Articles
Healing, Why Does It Take So Long?
75-98% of Mental & Physical Illnesses Come From Thought Life
Healing Isn't Always Instant, Even For Jesus
Healing Shall Come To Pass


Share This Post