Friday, March 16, 2012

Hope for Friendships



As we get on the road
Say goodbye yet one more time, 
I know Christ will lighten the load.
Hope for friendships new…
Joy exists when things look glum,
And you’d like to stick out your tongue.
It helps to smile a while
Memories of good times past
Times of joy, of fun and games,
When it didn’t seem to always rain.
Hope for friendships new…
The time is right.
Wait and expect God to move
He will bring it to pass
Maybe not this night,
But when I’ve changed anew.
Lessons come with heartache
Habits are fine tuned
Face my fears
Look them in the eye
Don’t sit and wonder why
What am I afraid of? 
Is it true?
No matter what
God will see me through.
Hope for friendship new…

By Joyce Zook

Friday, March 9, 2012

Anxiety and Fear


Are you plagued by anxiety and fear?
To calm my spirit and quench my fears I often adapt these eight points extracted from CDs by Steve Leavitt and Hope for Life Ministry. I believe when you apply these truths in your situation you will find the peace and power you need to move forward with your life.
1. Identify the thought: fear of____­­­­­____ (name your fear- insecurity, rejection, etc.) or I am obsessing about __________ (name your obsession-going broke, pleasing people, etc.) But that is not who I am. I am a beloved child of God.
2. I am not alone; I am not crazy; I am not going crazy.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7 NLT
3. If my thoughts run away from me, I run to a safe place before my feelings lead me astray. I seek biblically based counsel from my husband or one of my godly prayer partners. (Unsafe places include: the dark recesses of your mind or an emotionally based or legalistic church. Find a church which teaches grace and forgiveness.)
 In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me so I will have no fear…Psalm 118:5-6
4. Controlling everything in my life is an impossible task. God will give me what I am able to handle. If life seems like more than I can manage, then I am attempting to take the responsibility away from God instead of trusting Him.
 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God…Give all your worries and cares to God for he cares about you. I Peter 5:6-7
5. Nothing will ever separate me from God. I bask in the confidence of God’s love of me.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38
6. I attempt to differentiate between self condemnation and conviction. (Self condemnation is usually nonspecific with no specific guidance to correct the situation or I am not forgiving myself for something God has already forgiven.)
 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7
7. I give my fears and sin to God, the only One who can take them away. I confess them and accept God’s gift of grace. My sins are forgiven-it’s done.  
 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins I John 1:9.
8. I praise God in the midst of my fears. I accept where I am and trust God to carry me through.
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
Bible verses are from the New Living Translation. The CD’s series is “Biblical Solutions to Anxiety, Depression, Stress & Fear.” hopeforlifeministry.com

Friday, March 2, 2012

Our Trip to Taiwan

Wild monkey on Monkey Mountain!

Lotus Pond

Getting around on a scooter!

A mud mountain in Gang Shan

Overlook of Kaohsiung City and the harbor

Friday, February 24, 2012

God is in Charge


One day I felt weighed down by all the obstacles and problems in my life and was praying. In my prayer I realized God was in charge. As I placed that thought up against each problem I thought I had, this is what He revealed to me.
God is bringing business opportunities as He sees fit
God brings the right people to me at the right time
God is helping me do what I need to do each day
God is directing which ministries, outreach and finished products I am able to get done
God knows how much time I have
God directs my words as I speak to others
God knows my physical limitations and helps me cope each day
God knows how much I can do for my husband, his ministry and work
God is bringing people to my husband who He knows can help build a ministry here
God helps me eat right when I go out as I listen and follow His direction
God helps me sleep in each situation, hotel or home where I am staying
God knows our needs and will sell our house at the right time
God knows the struggle I have and meets my needs as I trust in Him
God is in charge

Friday, February 17, 2012

Who I Was, Is Not Who I Am


Saying goodbye yet one more time
But as we get on the road
I know Christ will lighten the load.
Is there hope for new friendships?
Is there joy and when things look glum?
And you’d just like to stick out your tongue?
It helps to smile a while
Look at pictures of all the good times.
Times of joy, of fun and games,
Times when it didn’t seem like it always rained.
There is hope for friendships new;
I must wait
Expect His gates to open when the time is right.
He will bring it to pass, maybe not this fortnight,
But when He knows that I can be true.
Each time heartaches comes
A new lesson is to be learned
Or a bad habit big needs to be turned
It’s time to face my fears.
Look them in the eye
And not sit and wonder why?
What am I afraid of? Is it true?
No matter what, God will see you through.

Sometimes I just have to try something new, start doing it- putting pictures on the thumb drive, getting copies made at Wal-Mart, learning to use to the zoom and crop features, calling a company for information.

These things actually make me feel good about my self and the present. They take away the gloom. All these things I didn’t have time for when I was so busy this year, but now things have slowed down a bit.

Several friends have moved away and another will go soon. It is time to refocus, see what God has in store next. I’m getting together with a new group of ladies in a few days.

My husband has been encouraging me to write. Now is the time to get the ideas down in writing. I’ll take his encouragement as coming from God to lead me to new discoveries about who God wants me to be now.

I am not who I was.

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Lost Paragraph of Genesis



Author unknown
Noticing that Adam appeared somewhat sullen, God asked, “What is wrong with you Adam?”

Adam said, “I don’t have anyone to talk to, to play with, to eat with except the animals.”

God said that he was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman. God said, “This person will gather food for you and when you discover clothing, she’ll wash it for you. She will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you’ve had a disagreement. She will never have a toothache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it.”

Adam asked God, “What will a woman like this cost?”

God replied, “An arm and a leg.” Then Adam asked, “What can I get for a rib?”

Friday, February 3, 2012

Priorities Matter Starts this Month!



PRIORITIES MATTER TELESEMINAR
Starts Soon! Sign up NOW!

DATES: FEBRUARY 13-MAY 21 2012
TIME:  Mondays at 1:00PM CST
SCHEDULE: Meets two times each month for 50 minutes each.

SESSION 1&2: God, Health, Husband
SESSION 3&4: Children & Home
SESSION 5&6: Self & Ministry
SESSION 7&8: Balanced Priorities & Life with Priorities

*CREATE BALANCE
*HAVE TIME FOR WHAT IS IMPORTANT
*DO WHAT GOD WANTS
*REDUCE YOUR STRESS
*DISCOVER PEACE

We’ll talk about what God wants in your life and how to find the peace & balance you desire. We’ll discover how to meet the needs of each person in your family including you!
click below
 for more details & to sign up today!
(This Group Is Limited in Size)

http://setfreelifecoaching.com/5.html