Most of us at one time either as a little girl or an adult have come across a wishing well or a fountain and made a wish with a coin.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
It was always a desire of my heart to go to Hawaii but with raising seven children, my husband and I could not afford it. I told everyone my dream vacation was Hawaii and I wanted to go there all during my marriage. We were a couple with two mortgages on our home to make ends meet. Two years before my husband passed away, I got my dream vacation. My husband’s manager called us up and said a company vendor had invited him to go to Maui, Hawaii for five days and all expenses would be paid, but they did not want to use the opportunity. He wanted to know if we would be interested in going. Of course we were! They gave us $200 spending money and breakfast and dinners were provided besides our plane ticket and hotel.
My daughter in California believes she has her dream job. It took around six interviews for the job, she had to present a scenario of what she would do in a particular situation and they did a background check. I’m not sure there is a dream job because work is work. If someone wanted to hand me over 100K a year and I don’t work, I would consider that a dream job.
The same is true for most things in life you work at them and you will work at having a good marriage. As a Christian there are some works that get involved because faith without works is dead. Faith will produce works. Faith produces results. Faith produced a baby in Abraham and Sarah’s life. Read the whole chapter of Hebrews 11, it is the “faith” chapter. It's God working in us and we are actively involved in the process.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philip 2:12-13
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Romans 4:18...Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:1-2
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
It was always a desire of my heart to go to Hawaii but with raising seven children, my husband and I could not afford it. I told everyone my dream vacation was Hawaii and I wanted to go there all during my marriage. We were a couple with two mortgages on our home to make ends meet. Two years before my husband passed away, I got my dream vacation. My husband’s manager called us up and said a company vendor had invited him to go to Maui, Hawaii for five days and all expenses would be paid, but they did not want to use the opportunity. He wanted to know if we would be interested in going. Of course we were! They gave us $200 spending money and breakfast and dinners were provided besides our plane ticket and hotel.
My daughter in California believes she has her dream job. It took around six interviews for the job, she had to present a scenario of what she would do in a particular situation and they did a background check. I’m not sure there is a dream job because work is work. If someone wanted to hand me over 100K a year and I don’t work, I would consider that a dream job.
The same is true for most things in life you work at them and you will work at having a good marriage. As a Christian there are some works that get involved because faith without works is dead. Faith will produce works. Faith produces results. Faith produced a baby in Abraham and Sarah’s life. Read the whole chapter of Hebrews 11, it is the “faith” chapter. It's God working in us and we are actively involved in the process.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philip 2:12-13
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Romans 4:18...Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:1-2
A couple of weeks ago I prayed for a date to go out on a Saturday night. My friend Scott called me and asked me if I wanted to meet up for dancing, but I declined. No offense against my friend Scott, but he is my wing man, and I wanted a real date. Anyway, later I was wondering why my heavenly Father did not answer my prayer. Then I found out from my daughter that her guy friend asked for my phone number because he wanted to take me out on Saturday night. I had met him and his widowed mother boating a couple of years ago when I took my jet skis out on Raccoon Lake (he owns a boat) and he is in his 30’s.
I was out boating with my friend Scott this summer and I just spent $2K on fixing my boat. (The best day of a man’s life is when he buys his boat and the second best day of his life is when he sells his boat) I was having problems with the starter. I was lividly mad at the boat people after spending all that money on fixing the boat so I told Scott that I need to marry a boat repair man. My daughter’s friend is going to fix the starter on my boat. That does not mean he is going to fix the starter on my life…..LOL
My daughter told him that I can go to church with him, but she considers that his lifestyle does not match mine in taking me out on a date. It made me mad on one hand, because I’m a big girl and I can go out with whomever I want, but my daughter was protecting my best interests. You have to watch this best interest scenario, because if you are divorced and both couples go to the same church, all the people in the church will determine it’s in the couple’s best interest that they get back together. It’s probably better that you lose many of your friends in the past if they are going to take sides so you can move on with your life. We can't change our past, but we can affect our future to some degree. I can't control the circumstances that happen in my life, but I can control my attitude that happens as a result of the circumstances, and if I live my life in fear, bitterness and pain.
It is the same with some in-laws. I recognize that it is the best interest of my in-laws that I stay Mrs. O’Neill, but without the benefits of affection, attention, and a husband’s admiration. Not many in-laws can be like Naomi where they really want the best interests of their daughter-in-law to move on in life. It’s very rare that you find in-laws that encourage you to move on, because they will try to keep the husband or son’s memory alive as long as possible. The same is true of my husband’s friends. I did not know for awhile why it caused me much depression to go back to the church my husband and I were attending, but I found I had to change churches to move on with my life. Once you have a "pattern" of something for five years in attending the church and being around those friends of ours, I found myself battling depression every time I set foot in the church. Now I go back and visit once in awhile and that works better in my life than being constantly reminded of the future I lost with my husband.
God's elves (angels) are working 24/7 on my behalf and He said there is another person’s will involved. When I placed a single’s ad in a magazine where I met my husband at the time he had gone through a divorce recovery workshop. So religiously he was giving himself exactly one year to the day of his divorce because he was following man’s time table. He did cheat some and bought the single’s magazine and circled my ad and one other woman’s ad, but he did not answer my ad until I went through 26 other people and dated a person seriously before he sent me a letter. Everyone else left me a voice mail, but only one other person and he sent me a letter.
My husband was disappointed that it took me two months to answer his letter. He was part of the problem in the first place by going by man's advice and waiting until my ad was out for two months (giving himself exactly one year to be divorced). I find we are always back to Adam and Eve in life for everything. Men blame women. Many couples get involved with each other and the man will not make a commitment so the woman breaks up with him and then the man claims the woman is the temptress! Most men are part of the process and I don't see many of them running for their lives and leaving their robe behind like Joseph did! (Editorial note: well maybe they do leave their robe behind, but it is more intentional.) The person that God had for me his will was involved in this process and it’s the same when it comes to any relationship that God puts together. “It takes two to tango.”
I believe marriage is similar to marriage (union) with Christ. I did not make excuses for expressing my love to my husband that I had a headache, but I enjoyed him. I thought he was the hottest man on the planet for the 15 years since I knew him and thought about ways to make the fire burn hotter in our lives. I put my heart, soul and strength into expressing my love to my husband. I "owned" him and I was going to appreciate every inch. Although, he was getting rather heavy.
The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 1 Cor. 7:4
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
I got rather mad at the Lord for allowing my husband to leave the planet early, and the thought that I have to share his person now with other women in heaven. In heaven there is no marriage.
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Matthew 22:30
He was "on loan" to me and the dealer asked for him back. I can argue with the dealer all I want, but the card dealer got his way in my life. I got this deck of cards dealt to me in life and his card was called. Recently I lost the control key on my computer keyboard and it is symbolic of my life. I think my grandson must have knocked it off. He also knocked off the Exit or Escape Key. I found the Esc key and I press it every once in awhile when I need to escape a trial in life as far as looking for God's way out of the trials and temptations. I've not found the control key. I'm finding that is true in my life that God wants to keep the control key of my life.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Cor. 10:13
As a married couple, you may slow down and that flame can get smaller when you are too tired from work or children, or maybe you gain a bunch of weight and you are not as appealing to your spouse. That is because of our flesh. Same way in my walk with the Lord, I may fall aleep sometimes in reading my Bible, or I'm too tired to pray. Like David took off his robe and danced before the Lord, I love to put on CDs and worship the Lord and it’s like “taking a bath” before God. Going to a Bible study or church is “washing my feet.” But I like a bath and soak myself in God’s presence in praise and worship. Marriage was pleasurable and I find enjoyment in dancing, boating and other things on earth. I've turned my pleasures over to the Lord because I don't want to worship pleasure, but delight in God who gives me good things to enjoy! God has pleasures at his right hand! I'm not running after pleasures on earth, but I'm seeking/running after God in my life.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 2 Timothy 3:4
But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 1 Timothy 5:6
David had a problem with covetousness. God told David he would “give him much more.” He decided to go after another man’s wife so he desired the wrong thing in life. Israel desired a king when God wanted to be their king. When we set our affections and desires on the Lord he will not withhold good things. He gave Abraham and Sarah a child of their own and that is what they desired when Sarah was barren, he even gave it past her child bearing age. It demonstrates that “nothing is impossible with God.”
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.' " 2 Samuel 12:7-9
Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:4
For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
We tend to seek doctors, the medicine cabinet, or people to relieve our pain first when we are sick. We like Tylenol pain relievers and people can be pain relievers. God can use doctors or counselors in our lives if He chooses to do it that way or we have not built our faith in healing in His word, but it’s important to seek him “first” for the answer and that God does not become an after thought when it comes to healing in our lives. God is the great counselor in our lives.
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. 2 Chronicles 16:12
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26
The Lord encouraged me to believe him for small things like parking spaces where I work and then go up to the larger faith items from there as far as believing for healing for cancer. I pray that God is in charge of my dating life. I pray for everything I go to including attending Pampered Chef parties.
Sometimes the Lord drops things into my lap. It's sort of like apples that just fall of the tree and land in my yard by chance. I always wanted a water purification/softener for my house and I bought one from a relative that was over $4K for $600. Then when I was stressing about paying a contractor to put it in the week he planned to install it I got a $500 check back in escrow in the mail from my mortgage. God provided the water purification system my husband and I saw a demonstration several years ago, and He also provided the money to put it in! The manifestation just happened of what I wanted/desired last year.
I was out boating with my friend Scott this summer and I just spent $2K on fixing my boat. (The best day of a man’s life is when he buys his boat and the second best day of his life is when he sells his boat) I was having problems with the starter. I was lividly mad at the boat people after spending all that money on fixing the boat so I told Scott that I need to marry a boat repair man. My daughter’s friend is going to fix the starter on my boat. That does not mean he is going to fix the starter on my life…..LOL
My daughter told him that I can go to church with him, but she considers that his lifestyle does not match mine in taking me out on a date. It made me mad on one hand, because I’m a big girl and I can go out with whomever I want, but my daughter was protecting my best interests. You have to watch this best interest scenario, because if you are divorced and both couples go to the same church, all the people in the church will determine it’s in the couple’s best interest that they get back together. It’s probably better that you lose many of your friends in the past if they are going to take sides so you can move on with your life. We can't change our past, but we can affect our future to some degree. I can't control the circumstances that happen in my life, but I can control my attitude that happens as a result of the circumstances, and if I live my life in fear, bitterness and pain.
It is the same with some in-laws. I recognize that it is the best interest of my in-laws that I stay Mrs. O’Neill, but without the benefits of affection, attention, and a husband’s admiration. Not many in-laws can be like Naomi where they really want the best interests of their daughter-in-law to move on in life. It’s very rare that you find in-laws that encourage you to move on, because they will try to keep the husband or son’s memory alive as long as possible. The same is true of my husband’s friends. I did not know for awhile why it caused me much depression to go back to the church my husband and I were attending, but I found I had to change churches to move on with my life. Once you have a "pattern" of something for five years in attending the church and being around those friends of ours, I found myself battling depression every time I set foot in the church. Now I go back and visit once in awhile and that works better in my life than being constantly reminded of the future I lost with my husband.
God's elves (angels) are working 24/7 on my behalf and He said there is another person’s will involved. When I placed a single’s ad in a magazine where I met my husband at the time he had gone through a divorce recovery workshop. So religiously he was giving himself exactly one year to the day of his divorce because he was following man’s time table. He did cheat some and bought the single’s magazine and circled my ad and one other woman’s ad, but he did not answer my ad until I went through 26 other people and dated a person seriously before he sent me a letter. Everyone else left me a voice mail, but only one other person and he sent me a letter.
My husband was disappointed that it took me two months to answer his letter. He was part of the problem in the first place by going by man's advice and waiting until my ad was out for two months (giving himself exactly one year to be divorced). I find we are always back to Adam and Eve in life for everything. Men blame women. Many couples get involved with each other and the man will not make a commitment so the woman breaks up with him and then the man claims the woman is the temptress! Most men are part of the process and I don't see many of them running for their lives and leaving their robe behind like Joseph did! (Editorial note: well maybe they do leave their robe behind, but it is more intentional.) The person that God had for me his will was involved in this process and it’s the same when it comes to any relationship that God puts together. “It takes two to tango.”
I believe marriage is similar to marriage (union) with Christ. I did not make excuses for expressing my love to my husband that I had a headache, but I enjoyed him. I thought he was the hottest man on the planet for the 15 years since I knew him and thought about ways to make the fire burn hotter in our lives. I put my heart, soul and strength into expressing my love to my husband. I "owned" him and I was going to appreciate every inch. Although, he was getting rather heavy.
The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 1 Cor. 7:4
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
I got rather mad at the Lord for allowing my husband to leave the planet early, and the thought that I have to share his person now with other women in heaven. In heaven there is no marriage.
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Matthew 22:30
He was "on loan" to me and the dealer asked for him back. I can argue with the dealer all I want, but the card dealer got his way in my life. I got this deck of cards dealt to me in life and his card was called. Recently I lost the control key on my computer keyboard and it is symbolic of my life. I think my grandson must have knocked it off. He also knocked off the Exit or Escape Key. I found the Esc key and I press it every once in awhile when I need to escape a trial in life as far as looking for God's way out of the trials and temptations. I've not found the control key. I'm finding that is true in my life that God wants to keep the control key of my life.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Cor. 10:13
As a married couple, you may slow down and that flame can get smaller when you are too tired from work or children, or maybe you gain a bunch of weight and you are not as appealing to your spouse. That is because of our flesh. Same way in my walk with the Lord, I may fall aleep sometimes in reading my Bible, or I'm too tired to pray. Like David took off his robe and danced before the Lord, I love to put on CDs and worship the Lord and it’s like “taking a bath” before God. Going to a Bible study or church is “washing my feet.” But I like a bath and soak myself in God’s presence in praise and worship. Marriage was pleasurable and I find enjoyment in dancing, boating and other things on earth. I've turned my pleasures over to the Lord because I don't want to worship pleasure, but delight in God who gives me good things to enjoy! God has pleasures at his right hand! I'm not running after pleasures on earth, but I'm seeking/running after God in my life.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 2 Timothy 3:4
But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 1 Timothy 5:6
David had a problem with covetousness. God told David he would “give him much more.” He decided to go after another man’s wife so he desired the wrong thing in life. Israel desired a king when God wanted to be their king. When we set our affections and desires on the Lord he will not withhold good things. He gave Abraham and Sarah a child of their own and that is what they desired when Sarah was barren, he even gave it past her child bearing age. It demonstrates that “nothing is impossible with God.”
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.' " 2 Samuel 12:7-9
Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:4
For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
We tend to seek doctors, the medicine cabinet, or people to relieve our pain first when we are sick. We like Tylenol pain relievers and people can be pain relievers. God can use doctors or counselors in our lives if He chooses to do it that way or we have not built our faith in healing in His word, but it’s important to seek him “first” for the answer and that God does not become an after thought when it comes to healing in our lives. God is the great counselor in our lives.
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. 2 Chronicles 16:12
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26
The Lord encouraged me to believe him for small things like parking spaces where I work and then go up to the larger faith items from there as far as believing for healing for cancer. I pray that God is in charge of my dating life. I pray for everything I go to including attending Pampered Chef parties.
Sometimes the Lord drops things into my lap. It's sort of like apples that just fall of the tree and land in my yard by chance. I always wanted a water purification/softener for my house and I bought one from a relative that was over $4K for $600. Then when I was stressing about paying a contractor to put it in the week he planned to install it I got a $500 check back in escrow in the mail from my mortgage. God provided the water purification system my husband and I saw a demonstration several years ago, and He also provided the money to put it in! The manifestation just happened of what I wanted/desired last year.
It is faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God in our lives. Many times we can have faith, but not patience for the things and healing to materialize.
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12
I have some new opportunities through online dating and a man who lost his wife to cancer and said that he is closer to God because of that experience, but I may go out for dinner with a couple of widows I met at a Pampered Chef party who lost their husbands in December, one to cancer and the other to a heart attack. At least that is the plan I have right now for Valentine's Day.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11
Love Song For A Savior by Jars of Clay
In open fields of wild flowers,
she breathes the air and flies away
She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,
"I want to fall in love with You"
Sitting silent wearing Sunday best
The sermon echoes through the walls
A great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call us and we will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,
"I want to fall in love with You"
It seems too easy to call you "Savior",
Not close enough to call you "God"
So as I sit and think of words I can mention
to show my devotion
"I want to fall in love with You"
"my heart beats for You"
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12
I have some new opportunities through online dating and a man who lost his wife to cancer and said that he is closer to God because of that experience, but I may go out for dinner with a couple of widows I met at a Pampered Chef party who lost their husbands in December, one to cancer and the other to a heart attack. At least that is the plan I have right now for Valentine's Day.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11
Love Song For A Savior by Jars of Clay
In open fields of wild flowers,
she breathes the air and flies away
She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,
"I want to fall in love with You"
Sitting silent wearing Sunday best
The sermon echoes through the walls
A great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call us and we will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,
"I want to fall in love with You"
It seems too easy to call you "Savior",
Not close enough to call you "God"
So as I sit and think of words I can mention
to show my devotion
"I want to fall in love with You"
"my heart beats for You"
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