We had a very special celebration February 19^th.  Scott had his 50^th Birthday…what a milestone. A HALF CENTURY!  I remember his 40^th Birthday he was told he would never see, we had a big party then too! Well, Scott keeps defying the odds because of his faith in the Living God who sustains him. We thank you all for your prayers and support; they strengthen and encourage us greatly.

We decided to have a birthday open house, so people came from 3-9 pm to celebrate with us. Our theme was a fiesta party to complement Scott’s vision and desire for the southwest. Many friends stopped by and we shared some laughs, some fun and some food. As a special highlight, Scott’s dad and sister made a suprise visit from Wisconsin. We all ate Scott’s birthday cake even though he couldn’t, he didn’t mind, he enjoyed everyone having fun and he felt especially blessed. Here are some pictures of this year’s birthday festivities.

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” Luke 6:21

  While visiting Arizona in March of 1998, Jesus appeared to me in a vision one night. He told me that my healing had already begun and asked me three separate times where I would like to serve Him; hesitantly I said Phoenix, Arizona. This vision greatly encouraged me and I set out immediately in my own strength, to fulfill how I was to share the Gospel in Arizona with a healthy body. The following years I would seek out any alternative & conventional healing that was promising. After all, God had assured me I would be healed and serving Him in Arizona. This interaction I had with my Lord has made a lasting impression on my soul. It has continued to inspire me with a future hope and purpose for my life. Countless times I have been brought back to the love that washed over me. It seemed like no one could believe that God personally visited me and that I could be healed but God has always reassured me that my healing had already begun and to not walk by sight but by faith in Him. Jesus is empathic with each of our needs and identifies with our sorrow and pain. Just as He continues to meet me in the desperate times of my life, He wants to meet you in your hour of need and give you hope in His Word that has keeping power.            

(Both pictures were taking during the same week in Arizona)

 How many times in our lives will we have a major life changing decision confronting us? I expect many. Who do we turn to help guide us through these difficult waters? Our family, advice from a friend, Pastors, medical authorities or other professionals, they all help us in making up our minds based on the information we’ve gathered. Perhaps our ‘circumstances dictate’ our course. Although these may be typical and some admirable sources for helping us make decisions; how many of us will pray and wait on God for His guidance? Where does His guidance through His Word speaking to our hearts fit in amongst our criterion for decision making? Sometimes, it may seem that we need to take action and “do something”, react, be spontaneous, (ie: be “on the ball”, have your “finger on the pulse”.” We all have a strong, natural inclination to take things into our own hands. How many times have we done this only to later reconsider that our decision was made in haste? We don’t foresee how the impact of one decision will beget more difficult decisions and consequences. God will weigh in His counsel if we will hear His still, small voice. His ways are not our ways and many times He leads us in directions that have nothing to do with our rational or sensible logic for making choices. We need to set our hearts to wait on God; to esteem His life with our own, bearing in mind that many other people are affected by our lives. By honoring God as best as we can, we can be individuals cooperating with God’s will being done.  

 ^“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace“.                                                                          Romans 8:5-6

In the advice of our elders and those who have walked closely with God, we recognize temperance and wisdom. By their life’s experience they have grown in understanding. We do well to regard their testimony. A mature person demonstrates good judgment; they have insight and are our examples. We also, are maturing in our relationship with God; growing in understanding and resting in His love. We can trust Him, He cares for us, the Holy Spirit sought us out when we were walking contrary to God, how much more can He work in our lives when our ears are inclined? God desires an intimate relationship with us, He calls us His friends (Jn 15;13-14). How it pleases the Father to have a two way conversation with us.

In Luke 8:43-48 there was a woman that had an issue of blood (or an incurable disease) for 12 years. Year after year for those 12 years she sought God for healing but her condition only worsened. She searched out the aid of physicians; these physicians could not heal her and only left her broke and still desperate. Can you imagine the heartache and the pain she must have suffered after every unsuccessful remedy? Yet she persevered not to lose hope or give up under these overwhelming feelings of despair. Why? Because she knew God would be gracious to heal her, she went to great lengths to pursue the Master. This desperate woman would have had to have great faith to go out in public being “unclean” according to Jewish law. Crawling on her hands and knees and pushing her way through the crowd she found Jesus and touched the hem of his garment. Imagine the burning desire within her to seek the Lord for healing despite 12 years of worsening health.

When Jesus came to her town on that certain day, she drew healing virtue from Him. He realized it immediately and sought after who it was. He commended the woman by stating that her faith had made her whole. This woman had made a decision to believe God by faith and acted on it by stepping into the crowded streets to find Jesus. Through the 12 year trial, her prayers of healing had not manifested but there was a “certain” day (Lk 8:22) when her world changed. She did not give up and get bitter because of delay in her prayer. No, this would be the day God would answer her request of healing, immediately making her whole.

I find it notable that Jesus never admonished her for seeking healing from physicians. His only comment was “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace (Lk 8:48). Could it be possible that for all those years she waited on God, the failed medical intervention during that time only strengthen her faith to believe God for a miracle? The physicians could not help her but her loving Father could.

Be assured my friend, God is not delaying answering your prayers although they may have been hindered for some unforeseen reason. He knows the right time to make the blessing especially precious for you and to bring glory to His name. Be encouraged! I’ve been thinking about this woman and how she continued to believe God, she is an inspiration to me of persevering faith, she was bold to receive her healing by acting on what she believed.

God desires that we know Him so intimately that we can trust Him for our every need. When we put our confidence in Him we will have the patience we need to wait on Him for an answer, as we have read in the account of the woman with an issue of blood. Oftentimes, we lack patience making snap decisions that we regret later. When we take the time to yield ourselves by waiting on God, He will reveal Himself to us in glorious ways.

One of the difficult lessons in God’s Word for me to fully capture is the state of abiding.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” Jn 15:4
What does the word abide mean? menō A primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): – abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry.

The scripture tells us to abide or stay in Christ, or remain in a given place of safety where God will produce the most fruit in our lives.

In Acts 27:10, Paul was being transported by ship along with 276 other men and prisoners from Caesarea, Israel to Rome, Italy. Paul was to appear before Caesar to defend himself from his Jewish accusers. While in route to Rome the ship landed in a city off the Island of Crete called Fair Havens or Good Harbor. Paul encouraged the ship captain to stay (or abide) there because it was winter and sailing into the rough Mediterranean waters that time of year would jeopardize everyone’s life.  Paul’s words were not heeded and the captain ordered the ship to depart from Good Harbor. Paul had no choice but to trust God for the outcome. Once the ship was well on its way, there  arose a “tempestuous” winter storm. Although Paul was given a promise from the Lord in Acts 23:11 that he would speak in Rome, the storm  caused fear and robbed him of his hope. Paul had done all that he could do to stay in a place of safety (Fair Havens) but was thrust into a storm that he didn’t choose.

Sometimes, we also are thrust into storms that we dont choose. We may be fearful or lose hope because there appears to be no escape. God is ever faithful to His promises; in His Word and also to the promises He imparts to us individually. He inspires purpose and vision for our lives.  Storms may shake us to our core but God is still working within the storm to fulfill our destiny as the Lord has purposed beforehand. As with the Apostle Paul, God wasn’t finished producing fruit through his life and was going to save him from perishing in the sea. God sent an Angel to comfort and assure Paul that no one would perish and that Paul would appear before Caesar.

We as believers are much like Paul, we may desire to abide in Christ and stay in a place of safety like Good Harbor but because of circumstances beyond our control we are thrust into a storm. Many kinds of problems cause us to realize that our mind or body are both incapable of overcoming a situation that grips us with fear. Paul had a fear of perishing before he reached Rome even though he had a promise from God. Later in his life he would write,

“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:12.13

Paul was testifying that in every circumstance of life he faced; whether he suffered need or had fullness, it was Christ who strengthened him. It didn’t matter to Paul what his body had to go through because his only goal was learning about Christ.

While in the midst of a storm, Paul was in the process of learning how to abide in Christ. He was about to face unknown peril of the Sea and there was a good possibility he would die before reaching the promise of appearing before Caesar in Rome. We often think Paul was a super saint with no weaknesses, but real fear struck him. God sent an Angel with a promise so he would not fear and know that no one would perish in the storm, the Angel also confirmed his destination to arrive in Rome before Caesar. Once Paul heard from the Lord, his hope began to soar and his faith was strengthened. He told the men with him on the ship, that no one would perish because an Angel had spoke to him that night. Paul warned them that unless they stayed with the ship they would perish in the storm. God may use storms, circumstances or problems in your life to bring to pass His greater purposes, but be of good cheer for God is ever faithful to His promises. If God still has work for you to do here then wait on the Lord, abide in His rest, fully confident that “He that began a good work in you will accomplish it.” (Phil 1:6)  As you seek Him you will find Him. He will answer.