Terri's Wellspring

Heartwork

18 01 2013

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20 NIV

Our hearts are designed to be healthy full of peace and love. It is a large vital muscle within us that gets stronger as we extend our love and compassion to others. Acts of love circulate wellness throughout our being and emanate out to God’s people – using kind and encouraging words and extending genuine concern to those who are in need. We can keep our hearts healthy being careful not to let unforgiveness, jealousy and other blockages that create harm to our bodies and to the Body of Christ. Some of our life experiences seem to be designed to do irreparable harm – betrayal, abuse, disappointment. Thanks be to God that our hearts and experiences in the hands of the Savior can turn what the enemy planned for evil into good. Our passage today is from the familiar account of Joseph’s brothers who left him to die in a pit because of their jealousy against him. What an unthinkable act of betrayal. Joseph when encountering his brothers later did not seek vengeance but found forgiveness in his heart seeing the larger picture and how God turned this evil act into something good. I believe God is able to do this for each of us who may need the heart work of forgiveness and the healing of fresh wounds and scars. God is the ultimate heart surgeon, who can complete the work when we place our heart and our will in His hands.

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Categories : REVITALIZATION, Uncategorized

Reach Up for Love

17 01 2013

4: Love does not give up. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not put itself up as being important. Love has no pride. 5: Love does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone. 6: Love is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth. 7: Love takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things. I Corinthians 13:4:7 NLV

Sometimes the chronic relationship problems of our lives weigh us down. We become weary of the same things arising over and over again. Our attempts to solve the problem come and go with some level of success but only to find that “the problem” is actually still there under the surface to raise its head again. This happens because many times, the change we can make is only cosmetic but real change comes from God. We may need a repaired relationship in our marriages, with our children, with our parents or may be a difficult relationship at work. We may have let judgmental attitudes, lack of forgiveness and even hate to take prominence in the situation but I know a Savior who is greater than any of these obstacles. We may be reaching out in ways to solve the problem but I challenge each of us to reach up to our Heavenly Father. Reach up to His love to come into our hearts and to give us His view of our situations. He is able to renew our relationships with healing from past hurts, wisdom of how to move forward and to provide guidance with the right actions and words to transform our relationships forever.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others,Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back,But keeps going to the end. I Corinthians 13:3-7 MSG

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Categories : LOVE, Uncategorized

Better and Better

15 01 2013

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10

The gift of salvation allows us to be in relationship with our Heavenly Father. I am so thankful for this gift and the opportunity to grow and to seek a closer walk with the Lord. Seeking His will through studying, meditating on His word, talking to Him each day through prayer, listening for His guidance and feeling His love, we can come to know Him better and better. We may not understand everything but a steady pace with Him lets you know He is always available and that He will never leave us. Walking with Him, we learn how to show His love, His compassion and His concern for His people. They are all around us, individuals who need His love and encouragement to transform their lives. Our consistent walk improves our level of commitment and dedication to His will and plan for us. As our Heavenly Father, knowing Him better gives us a better view of ourselves, who we are and the improvements in us that will bring us closer to Him. Our passage today is a reminder of the promise of our growth and the results we will achieve as we come to know Him better and better.

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Categories : GUIDANCE, Uncategorized

His Plans and Purpose

14 01 2013

For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NLV

Our Heavenly Father created us with vision and purpose. We are not here to lead our lives according to the values of this world but we have an eternal purpose for His kingdom. Each of us is uniquely built for what God has our hands to do. It is amazing to think of the specific attention God places on who we are, our abilities and our experience to allow us to journey in His purpose for our lives. So many are searching for purpose and meaning. The purpose of anything comes from the One who created it. We may try to change that purpose but seeking God’s intent allows us to seek His vision and will that can transform the mundane into amazing. Aligning our vision and journey with His will gives us the ultimate peace, joy and wellness we desire. Our passage for today is a reminder that His plans for us are for good and not for trouble. As we make goals and commitments for the year, ask the creator first for His will and direction. His response and our compliance to His direction will allow us to make progress toward fulfilling His vision and purpose.

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Categories : PURPOSE, Uncategorized

Growing Strong

12 01 2013

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalm 1:1-3 NLT

A growing child needs certain things to develop and become physically strong and a mature adult. Good nutrition, proper rest and exercise are all a part of the recipe for growth and development. As we mature in the Lord, we need similar components to help us to become strong in our walk with the Lord. We need to have a steady diet of the things of God that focus on His Word, a time of devotion and bible study. Stay in a nurturing environment with friends and church family that are committed to the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continuing to pray to God, seeking His Holy Spirit to dwell within us gives us the guidance and power for our journey. Rest in Him with the faith and trust that should be fully in our Heavenly Father who loves His children. We can grow strong then stronger in the Lord, as we keep our focus and attention on Him.

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Categories : GUIDANCE, Uncategorized

Every Detail

10 01 2013

That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:28 MSG

We thank God that we can be in relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ. We can look to God in prayer for His direction and guidance. We may experience things that are not in our personal vision of what and how things ought to happen. In fact, if we were to pick and choose what we would endure, the landscape of our lives would look very different. But thanks be to God for His grace and His mercy. He is able to take our experiences – both good and bad – and transform them into something that aids our purpose and creates a higher ground for our living. Our passage today, is an incredible reality for God’s children. All things, every detail, work together for good for them that are a part of His plan.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

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Categories : PURPOSE, Uncategorized

Help is Here!

9 01 2013

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3

Our Heavenly Father provides countless blessings to us as His children. He is faithful to be with us always and provides help to us along our journey in this life. We give praises with our hands and hearts lifted to God for this powerful blessing that has the ability to provide strength and protection in any situation. We live in a time when change and problems may arise quickly like rising flood waters but we are not consumed. God provides a place of refuge, safety, peace and well-being, even during the storm. We can look to Him for direction, for wisdom and peace concerning whatever we are facing – health, jobs, finances, relationships – listening and obedient to His direction. In our passage today, God is described in the present tense for each of these blessings: God is our refuge. God is our strength. God is a very present help in trouble. He is our Help now and forevermore.

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need Him.

We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Psalm 46:1-3 MSG

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Categories : REFUGE, Uncategorized

I lift My Hands

8 01 2013

So I will give honor to You as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in Your name. Psalm 63:4

We are so blessed to be able to lift our hands in praise and in prayer to God. Each day, He is worthy of our praise. With lifted hands, we acknowledge that He is our Heavenly Father who supplies all of our needs. Our lifted Hands extend toward Him, who provides peace and joy. We lift our hands in praise with gratitude for his continued love and mercy towards us.

Total Praise

Songwriter: SMALLWOOD, RICHARD

Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my health is coming from You
Your peace You give me in times of the storm

You are the source of my strength, Hallelujah
And You are the strength of my life, yes You are
I lift my hands in total praise to You

Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my health is coming from You
Your peace, You give me in times of the storm

You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You

You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to you

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

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Categories : PRAISE, Uncategorized

Change Your Life

7 01 2013

Christian brothers, I ask you from my heart to give your bodies to God because of His loving-kindness to us. Let your bodies be a living and holy gift given to God. He is pleased with this kind of gift. This is the true worship that you should give Him. Do not act like the sinful people of the world. Let God change your life. First of all, let Him give you a new mind. Then you will know what God wants you to do. And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

We serve a great God who deserves all the honor and glory for being our Heavenly Father. God loves us and sent His son, Jesus Christ so that we might receive the gift of Salvation. We are so thankful for this gift and the opportunity to be in relationship with Him. Aligning our daily living with His Will and His Word is our reasonable service. We desire our lives, our example, our thoughts and deeds to honor and glorify God. Wherever we find ourselves today, the Lord is able to transform us and elevate our abilities with a changed mind and renewed spirit. We can present all that we have, our time, our talents and our will, as a living sacrifice to what He is calling us to do and change our lives.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 Msg.

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Categories : REVITALIZATION, Uncategorized

Living the Life

4 01 2013

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:8

We are so blessed to have people who benefit us as powerful examples of committed Christians. The love of Jesus and God’s Word is evident throughout their lives. They are careful and dedicated to doing what the Bible instructs us to do and they emanate a spirit of love and concern for everyone that crosses their path. The fruit of the Holy Spirit flows through their faith, goodness, humbleness, discipline and an atmosphere of peace and love are set with their presence. These are qualities that we can honor and respect and seek to achieve in our daily living.

We were blessed to have the exemplary life of Bishop Walter Jordan (Church of God in Christ, Ohio North), who “transitioned into another expression of life” early Sunday morning (12/30/2012). We thank God for Bishop Jordan’s life that allowed us to see Jesus and His gift of salvation to the world clearly. As we seek to “live the life” we can look to his life (that of Bishop Jordan) and ultimately His life (that of Christ) as powerful example and witness to reach the world.