Steps of Faith~ Christmas Day

Is. 52:7-10
Ps. 98
Heb. 1:1-4 (5-12)
John 1:1-14

Is. 52:7-10: Messengers will bring good news that God saves

Ps. 98: Let the earth and it's people sing praises for God saves

Heb. 1:1-4 (5-12): Jesus made everything and is above all because he died and rose to save mankind.

John 1:1-14: Jesus made everything and came to make us the children of God if we believe in Him.

Like it or not, Jesus is the creator of all we see in nature, and is the one who came to save it all from the pains of sin. Even the Bible says that all creation groans for the salvation of man (Rom. 8:22). Christmas was the beginning of His plan to come to earth and save mankind and in turn, all of creation from the pains of sin. But the people of the world do not know of this great gift of Jesus and his salvation. God needs us to be his messengers to those who do not know. We should be those messengers.

Challenge of the day:
Who will you share this great news of God's great gift of Jesus, and His great salvation with? Sart by including this message into your Christmas day celebration.

Today's accomplishment:
How did you include the message of God's great gift into your day?

Steps of Faith~ Christmas Eve

Is. 62:6-12
Ps. 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2 (1-7) 8-20

Is. 62:6-12: These verses speaks of the prophecy of God restoring glory to the Jews in the Holy Land and the nations seeing and praising God.

Ps. 97: All nations will see God pour blessings on His people and land and praise God.

Titus 3:4-7: We can be saved because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20: Jesus the son of David was born in the city of David (Bethlehem); God's angels delivers the message of Jesus' birth to the shepherds. I find this interesting for in the message it speaks of peace on earth because of Jesus who is the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:5. It is believed that the shepherds that were told of Jesus' birth were the shepherds who tented the sheep that were sold in the temple for sacrifices. If this is so, God told them about "the lamb who would take away the sins of the earth" (John 1:29).

All the blessings that come to God's people all over the world is because of God's son, Jesus. He is the first and greatest Christmas gift.Why? Because he was born to die for our sins, so that we can know peace for he is the Prince of Peace, and without him, we can know no peace.

Challenge of the day:
Today, let us ponder on the great gift God gave us when he gave us Jesus. Let us think about the fact that we can have peace, because of what Jesus did for us. Then let us thank God for this great gift.

Today's accomplishment:
Write your thoughts on Jesus as your gift and a prayer thanking God for this great gift.

Steps of Faith- Advent week 3

Zep. 3:14-20
Is. 12:2-6
Phil. 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18

Zep. 3:14-20 tells the daughters of Zion & Israel to rejoice for the Lord your God is in your mist. He will take away your reproach.

Is. 12:2-6 also tells us that his people will praise the Lord for he has become by salvation, so we can now draw from the wells of salvation.

 Paul tells all people to  rejoice in the Lord for the Lord is at hand.  He goes on to tell us that when we have things that concern us to take it to the Lord in prayer. Lastly, he tells us that if we do that, we will have the peace of God ( Phil. 4:4-7 ).

 In Luke 3:7-18 John the Baptist was baptising people for repentance. When the people asked him what they should do, he told them to share what they had with those that does not have. When the Publicans asked him, he told them to do not take more than your wages. Lastly when the soldiers asked his the same question, he told them not to be violent towards anyone and to be happy with their wages. Then when the people thought that John was the Christ, he told them that he was not the Christ, and in fact =, he was not worthy to tie the sandal of the Christ.Lastly, he showed them the difference between him and the Christ, by telling them that he only baptised with water, but that the Christ will baptise with the Holy Spirit & fire.

You see, the prophets Zephaniah & Isaiah both prophesied of Jesus coming. John the Baptist came right a head of Jesus to announce his coming. All of this was to prepare the hearts of God's people for Jesus coming. Where Paul came to people telling them that Jesus the Christ has already come & brought salvation to them if they would but reach out and accept the gift of salvation. We need to prepare our hearts for what Jesus has in store for us this Christmas season.

Steps of Faith- Advent week 4

Mic. 5:2-5a
Luke 1:47 or
Ps. 80:1-7
Heb. 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Mic. 5:2-5a, prophecies of a ruler that will come out of Bethlehem. This is an interesting statement since all the kings were to come through Judah's tribe. But God changed that when he choose David to be the king over his people. You see, David was from the tribe of Benjamin, who was the youngest son of Jacob. Also David was the youngest boy in the family. This goes totally goes against their culture, as the oldest son of Jacob in a family should get such an honor. But God changes the culture and gave this honor to David's offspring, the tribe of David. And Jerusalem was the city where the king lived. this is why they did not see Jesus as the Messiah. They were waiting for a ruler from the city of Jerusalem, not Bethlehem.

Ps. 80:1-7, was written to be sung by the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. In it, we see the people crying out to God to not be angry with them any longer, but to come and save them from their enemy. Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph's sons that he had while he in Egypt, so they were from the tribe of Joseph. Joseph and Benjamin were both sons of Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel. History shows that they went through many trials at the hands of their enemies. So it would make since that they sang these words.

In Luke 1:39-55, we see Elizabeth and Mary praising God about Jesus being the fulfillment of promise that God had made to Abraham and his offspring, of how he would sent someone to show mercy towards them. Some believe that they sung these words.

Because of the Jewish peoples disobedience over the generations, God allowed their country to be overtaken by enemy countries. But behind the scene God was always working on a way to save his people from their enemy. What they did not realize was that the enemy God was talking about was not the countries, but Satan. You see, Satan is the enemy of our souls. In god's mercy, he sent Jesus down on earth Christmas day to become the Spiritual Ruler that would defeat Satan, save us from his kingdom of darkness, and rule over us with love. All we have to do is reject the kingdom of darkness, and accept Jesus as our Savor, and make him Lord, and King of our lives.

Challenge of the week:
This week, take the time to ponder on the great love God showed when he sent his beloved son to earth for you. (write these thoughts down). How will these truths change how you will celebrate Christmas? (write down).

This week's accomplishment:
How did the above truths change you and how you will be celebrating Christmas differently?

Steps of Faith-Advent week 2

Mal. 3:1-4
Luke 1:6-8-79
Phil.1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6

In Malachi 3:1-4. we read the prophecy about John the Baptist being the messenger who would go before Jesus the Messiah who will bring salvation to all mankind.

In Luke 1:68-79, John the Baptist's Father Zacharias prophecies that John is that messenger that will prepare the way of salvation when he is born.

In Luke 3:1-6, John starts to fulfill these prophecies and the one in Isaiah 40:3-20 when he starts to preach about turning away from the remission of sin, preparing the people for the coming of Jesus' ministry. John later points Jesus out to the people as the lamb that will take away the sins of the world.

Why was John the Baptist's ministry important to the Jewish people? In their culture, someone always ran ahead of the king announcing that the King was coming into a city or village. This was so the people of that city or village could gather and prepare for the King's arrival. In the same way, God sent John the Baptist ahead of Jesus to prepare the people's hearts for Jesus who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

But John the Baptist was not the first one who had ran ahead to announce Jesus' coming. In these verses we see that prophets had been running ahead of John the Baptist for many generations. Why? I believe that it is because wanted to make sure that His people was indeed ready for Jesus' coming. In fact, the whole Old Testament was doing that. John was just the last of the prophets to do so just before Jesus started his ministry.

So you see, that many prophets went ahead of Jesus before he started his ministry here on earth that ended with him bringing salvation for all who receive. But who is to go and prepare the hearts of people to receive Jesus now? We see the answer in Philippians 1:3-11. In these verses, we see that Paul was rejoicing in the fact that the Philippians were spreading the Good News of Jesus' salvation. We too as Christians should be telling others of what God has done in our lives and give them a chance to have salvation come to them. We may not see the harvest of what we tell them, but remember sometimes we may just be the one who is running ahead preparing hearts for Jesus'
salvation.

Challenge of the Week:
This week, seek to tell someone about Jesus and his great love, forgiveness, and salvation. Write whom you might share this good news with. (write here).

This week's accomplishment:
Who did you tell? (write here)

Steps of Faith ~Advent week 1

Advent week 1

----------------------

Jer. 33:14-16

Ps. 25:1-10

1 Thess. 3:9-13

Luke 21:25-36

Jer. 33:14-16-Promise of Jesus' coming

Ps.25:1-10- When we cry out to God for forgiveness, he forgives and blesses us with direction in His way, & h\His ways are loving and kind.

I Thess. 3:9-13- Paul wrote the Thessalonians telling them how he rejoiced i n the fact that they showed love to each other. Then he went on to encourage them to increase in their love. 

Luke 21:25-36- Jesus prophecies of his 2ed coming.

The Bible tells us, that God is love. As I read this weeks verses, I thought of that. You see, When Jesus first came to earth, he came because he loved us. He also showed us by example what love looked like. Then he endured the pain of having his beard pulled out, the beatings, and the cross, all the while taking the emotional pain of the mean and cutting words that was being said to him and around him. Why? so that we could be forgiven and have God lead us in paths of love. God is pleased when we allow him to lead us into those paths, and he wants us to increase in the path of love. 

The challenge: 

This week let us go to God asking for forgiveness for our sins and experience God's love for us, then  show that love to others through out our week. Write who you could show love to this week?

This week's accomplishment: Who were you able to show love to this week? How?

Welcome to the Advent season!

Welcome to the advent season!

I was confused about which calendar year we are on this year. So I will be writing my first book to a set of 3 of the calendar years. I call it~ "Steps of Faith.

Comforting hugs 38

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined to me, and heard my cry, He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth~Praise to our God; Many shall see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord" (Ps.40: 1-3). 

Ever felt that you were in a situation that you could not see a way out of. Or in a rut in your life, where you seem to be making the same mistakes that gets you into the same bad situations? You are not alone, many people do. 

Ever wonder why it is so hard to stop and change it? You see, there is only one way out of that out of that horrible pit that has you stuck in miry clay? It is because Jesus is the only one that can pull you out of that pit and PUT YOU ON A ROCK. For Jesus IS the rock. If you would just cry out to him and trust him to get you out. He will hear and he will bring you out of that pit or rut and put you on himself who will be a solid place to stand. If you stand on Him, you will will no longer be prisoner to those things that drags you down and holds you captive.Then you can sing the new song of praise to God for delivering you. Will you call to him today?

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 37

"Whatsoever things are true...noble...just...pure...lovely...of good report...think on these things" (Phil. 4:8). 

I sat in church one Sunday as a Pastor instructed us all to look up at the celling. He told us that if he had removed a couple of the tiles from it, we all would have noticed that they were missing and thought only about that fact. Why? Because it seems to be human nature to focus on what is missing in our lives and not on what is IN our lives. And he was right! None of us noticed the tiles that was still on the celling. But we would be so much happier if we choose to focus on the good things in life, instead of what is wrong, or missing. You see, it's all in the way we choose to look at things. Choosing to think about the good things can change your whole out look on life. 

Try it! You just might find that you like it.

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 36

Comforting hugs 36 "..so I was given a physical condition which has been a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me, and prick my pride. Three different times I begged God to make me well again. Each time he said, "NO, But I am with you: that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people." Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ's power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. Since I know that it is all for Christ's good, I am quite happy about "the thorn," and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong~the less I have, the more I depend on Him" (2 Cor. 12:7-10). We live in a world that tells us that we can not appear to be weak. So it is very hard when something comes into your life that seems to knock your feet out from under you, like an illness. This illness can be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Or a situation in your life, like an end of a job, lifestyle, or relationship. Many people will hide themselves away for fear of being seen as weak. I've heard people say, "Don't come visit me in the hospital, I don't want to be seen like this." Have you ever thought that in doing so, you are robbing yourself and others the gift of love, and comfort from God? Maybe you should. You see, God may be allowing this to come into your life, so that he can show his power through your illness or situation. But He will not be able to do that, if you don't allow him to.  You see, if you will allow God to bring power into the situation, He will give you the strength to endure it. I have seen it happen many times. I have watched people who are ill with conditions that they will not get well from, show great strength as they endure their illness. I have also seen people who have been dealt with very hard situations or loss, fight their way through it and into a new normal for themselves. All the while, these people gained wisdom and maturity that they did not have before hand.  I understand that none of likes pain, but we must remember that like pain when exercising brings strength to the muscles, pain can also bring strength to our minds, and souls, and both makes us stronger people in the end. So if you are experiencing pain of one type or another, today, please think about what I have said, and allow Jesus turn your weakness into strength.  Comforting hugs! Chaplain Toni Click here to Reply or Forward 0.67 GB (4%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 33 minutes ago Details

Comforting hugs 35

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4). This scene, will happen in heaven when all God's children are gathered home. In heaven there will be no more death. because of that, there will be no more  heartache that comes with the pain of mourning, and crying. Also because there will be no more diseases and illness in heaven. There will also be no more painful bodies. I praise God for that, and look forward to that day, while walking through the valleys of illness, deceases, pain, and heartache, of this life on earth. For I know that it will not always be like this, for this too will pass away. And when it does, I will stand in heaven at the feet of Jesus thanking him for making all this possible when he came to earth as a Baby, grew up to be a man,  died to be our Savior, and rose as the King who won over sin and death! Why? Because he loved us too much to let us die and go to hell. So he paid to bail us out of hell. All we have to do is ask him to forgive us for the wrong that we have done (that will make him our Savior).; give him your life to control (that makes him our King), all of that gives us that ticket to heaven, while we are working for him to take others there with us.  For me, knowing that he did that for me gives me hope for the future, here on earth, and later in heaven forever. I pray that it will give you hope too. Chaplain Toni  Click here to Reply or Forward 0.66 GB (4%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 1 hour ago Details

note from the author

Greeting in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

I will be starting a new devotional the last week of November 2015. This Bible study is the one of 3 books. I will be writing devotionals using the Christian Calendar. This calendar is a three year calendar. 3 of the verses follows the Catholic calendar. There is one more verse that follows the Methodist calendar. In doing this I pray that I can minister to a wide range of people. The books will be called," Steps of Faith", "Digging Deeper" , "Climbing Higher". I will be starting with "Steps of Faith".

I encourage you to be active in these Bible studies by writing down your answers to the weekly challenge, and the weekly accomplishment. This way, you will be able to see how you are growing in your own steps of faith.

I pray that you will be blessed, encouraged and find something that will help you to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Writing for Him,

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 34

"...This I recall in my mind therefore I have hope...It is of the the Lord's mercies...they are new every morning...therefore I will hope in him'  (Lam. 3:21-24).

For me, knowing that each morning brings a new chance to start over again, have given me hope in the new day and future. I leaned on this hope each time I would miscarry a baby, went through a divorce,  loss custody of my only living child to his Father, and so much more. When my grief was so deep I couldn't see the morning in my heart, I leaned on knowing that God's mercies was offered to me each morning. All I had to do was cry out to him and ask for it. Then in his love, he gave me his mercy. What did that look like? You may ask. 

Each day, God would take my hand and lead me through my dark hours of each day. His spirit gave me the strength to do so when I couldn't do it in my own power. When my strength was so weak that I didn't know if I could keep holding on. All I had to do was cry out to him &  he would  hold onto mine very tightly. He never let go of it. With God's help, I begin to find my new normal. My motto back then was, " little by little, bit by bit, I will get there yet." In time, I was able to walk out of my darkness into the light of each day. I'm not going to lie and tell you that it was easy, or fast. It wasn't. But with God's help, it was possible. 

Now God is no respecter of people, what he has done for me, he can do for you. Just reach your hand up to God and cry, "Lord, I need help!" And he will be there to hold onto your hand, and lead you out of your deep dark valley of grief unto the light again. He is waiting...

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 33

 ...Here is one thing that I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard towards what is ahead" (Phil. 3:13 NIRV).

When we have known loss, whither it be loss of job, health, relationship,  living situation, or a loved one. We often find ourselves stuck in neutral and don't know how to move forward. This is natural & is OK for a time. But it is not healthy to be there for the rest of your life. There comes a time when you realize that the world is moving on with out you and you need to get back on track. But how?

It is a two step road.

Step 1. Forget the past. 

 When your past has such a hold on you that you are stuck there, you will need to forget the past. Does this mean that you totally forget the lessons that you learned back there, or your loved one? No. You just need to allow yourself let go of the past to the point that it doesn't hold you prisoner anymore.Why? Because if you don't you will be forever a prisoner stuck where you are now.  

Step 2. You need to make goals for the future and start taking steps towards them. 

This is not an easy step for sure. But it is the only way you will get back into life.These steps need not be big one. They can be as small as getting up this morning, getting yourself cleaned up and dressed like you have somewhere important to go, even if you don't. Or go out and do something that you one loved to do, before that loss happened. Or even learn a new skill that you have found that you need now. No matter what it is, choose to take a step into your new life, and keep doing it until you get to your goal and find your new normal.

I had to do this when my first husband left me for another woman. I wanted to go to a corner, get into a ball and die. But I had a son that needed me. So I took the hard steps of getting a job, and learned how to pay my bills. When my ex-husband got custody of our son, again, I wanted to craw into that corner and die. But, I didn't. I just kept putting one small step in front of another, until I found my new normal. I have always said that I felt as though I had been cut into 1, 000's of pieces. I tried to put them back together my myself. But as I did. someone else cut those pieces into 1, 000's more, until I felt like hamburger inside & my life was as ashes. It wasn't until I gave those ashes to Jesus that I could heal. When I did that, he took the ashes that was my life and used it as compost and had a new life grow out of it. Then when my 2ed hubby and I went to adopt a baby girl with beautiful brown eyes, and she died before we could do so. Again, I had to had my love and loss to Jesus. What came out of that loss is a wonderful ministry that has helped many people who feel like a throw away. And I have a rich and full life that I love!

God can do that for you too, if you will take your broken pieces of your life and give them to him. Only he has the power to make something new out of the ashes. Only he can help you find your new normal. Won't you do so today? He is waiting with loving arms to do just that.

Comforting hugs!

Cahplain Toni

Comforting hugs 32

"Love never ends" (1 Cor. 13:8a).

One of the hardest things to deal with, is the fact that our love for someone doesn't end when someone we love is gone. They are gone, but our heart has all this love still in it wanting to pour out on to someone. What are we to do with all this love? This is the question that I faced when our little Vannie died. 

People deal with it in different ways. Some try holding that love in, because the person that they had poured their love out on is not there anymore. But when you do that your heart will do one of two things. Either become like a bad infected boil that gets worse with time, or become hard. Either way is not a good thing. But what can I do with my love? I hear you asking. I believe that a healthy way to deal with this is to reach out to someone else in the world who needs that love. This is what I did with the love I had for Vannie. 

You see, since Vannie death 15 years ago, I have poured my love into a ministry that is named after her. The Vannie Project. That ministry has provided Books, Bibles, plants, seeds, blankets, toys, mats and pillows for the homeless, and supported orphans. Being able to pour my love on the least of these has given me much joy over the years. 

A friend of mine has found a couple of ways to celebrate her son's life. They are to make mats, pillows, and blankets for the homeless, as well as, taking all the pennies she finds on the ground and giving them to a charity that helps the homeless. 

You too can do something to remember your loved one that will give you someone or somewhere to pour all that love you have where it is so needed. All you have to do, is figure out what you want to do. Then you can happily let your love pour out! Have fun doing so!

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 31

" I am bent over. I've been brought very low. All day long I go around sobbing. My back is filled with burning pain. My whole body is sick. I am weak. I feel as though I have been broken in pieces. I groan because of the great pain in my heart" (Ps. 38:6-8).

It is a known fact that those who grieve are more open to illnesses. Why? When we are grieving, our bodies abilities to fight off illnesses is lowered. In fact, it has even been known to attack itself in such situations, partly because we wish that we could die, and our bodies can follow our will, by getting ill. This is why it is important that we reach out to the one who can help us find hope again ~Jesus. For when we find hope and purpose in life again, we want to live, and our bodies will follow our will.

If you find yourself in this type of situation, please, reach out to God, and others for help to find hope and purpose in life again. In this way, you can go from walking in the valley of the shadow of death, to dwell in abundant life again. 

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 30

"I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever...I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you"(John 14:16,18).

This is what Jesus told those who followed him before he left to go back to heaven.

You see they were fearful of being left without him. We too often fear being left alone. Jesus wants us to know that we do not have to be alone and comforted. We can have the comforter come to us and comfort us when we most need it. That Comforter is God the Holy Spirit. Call to Him when you need him. He awaits to spend time with you, and giving comfort to your mind, heart and soul.

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 29

"How many are my foes, Lord! How many rise against me! How many say of me, "God will not save that one."

BUT you, Lord, are a shield around me; my glory, you keep my head high" (Ps. 3:2-4 NAB).

How many times have you felt as though the walls of your life was falling in on you and no one cared? That is what  David in the Bible was feeling when he wrote these words. He had many that wanted his life, from King Saul of his own country, to rulers of other countries, to his own son who wanted his throne after David became King.

But David knew who could shield and protect him. He knew that at times like that, only God could truly keep him safe. And knowing that helped keep David's head from dropping in depression. In the King James version of the Bible it says, "And lifter of my head". In my mind's eye, I see God coming to me when my head is down in depression and taking my chin in his hand and raising it to look fully into his loving face. Then telling me," I love you, you are important to me."

He wants to be the lifter of your head also. Will you allow him to do so today? He awaits for your permission.

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 28

"And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died" (1Thes. 4:13 & 14).

Many people I know has no idea that I have lived a lift with family and friends dying around me all my life. But it is true. My Mother's Father was one of 12 children.  When he and his sisters and brothers started dying , they died in groups of 3 or more. Then their spouses and some times their children have died over the years. And that is just one family. Then there is the other branches of the family as well as friends and my husband's family. Why, I recall once walking into a funeral home to one cousin's viewing and was told that his brother in law had died and was in the room next to him. 

I can hear the question now. How do you stay sane and function? Well, my faith has always comforted me. For I could turn to The Holy Bible to verses like the ones above. These verses reassures me of a life after this one where I will someday see my loved ones. You see most of my family has been Christians. My Mom's Dad was a pastor, one of his brother's was one also. Then there were many others who also had accepted Jesus as their Savior. So I have that hope that the verses speak of. That is why I can get up each morning with a smile on my face and walk through each day with joy.  

You can have that hope also. If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you too can have the hope of a great life in heaven afterward this life. Won't you come to Jesus today asking him to forgive you of all your wrongs, and ask him to be your Savior? If you do that, he will give you the ticket to heaven that he paid for on that cross. And the trip there that he paved when he also rose from the dead. 

Comforting hugs,

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 27

"Save me, O my God. The floods have risen. Deeper and deeper I sink in the mire; the waters rise around me. I have weep until I am exhausted; my throat is dry and horse; my eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to act...But I keep right on praying to you, Lord. For now is the time- you are bending down to hear! You are ready with a plentiful supply of love and kindness. Now answer my prayer and rescue me as you promised. Pull me out of this mire. Don't let me sink in. Rescue me ...from these deep waters I am in" (Ps. 69:1-3, 13-14).

Many times when we are in the valley of grief, we feel like we are downing in our grief. It is very exhausting. Why? Because grief affects you on every level of your being, Sometime we can get caught in that valley and feel like we are stuck in grief as one would be stuck in the mire or mud. Then we ask ourselves how am I going to get out of this phase of my grief?  These verses give us the answer. Cry out to Jesus and keep doing so until he has helped you out of it. He is the only one who can get you out when you are stuck in a phase of your grief. Cry to Jesus and live again. 

Comforting hugs,

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 26

"He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad.

He has sent me to the sorrowing...

I will give them the oil of gladness to replace their sorrow. 

I will give them clothes of praise to replace their spirit of sadness."

                                                                 (Is. 61:2-3)

God never meant for us to forever be in mourning. He wants to replace our sorrow with gladness. But  It will not happen if we do not let God and those he has sent to comfort us, to comfort us. I know that it is human nature to want to push everyone away from us when we are deeply hurting from the pain of sorrow. But if we forever do that, we will never find our way out of the valley of grief. Why? Because we haven't allowed God or anyone else to pour the oil of gladness on us. 

Let me explain. Oil in the Bible was a symbol of healing and health. It is also a symbol of God's Holy Spirit. Sorrow and grief are wounds to our minds, emostions, and spirits. God's Spirit and love is the only thing that can heal our deepest wounds. When we allow him and his people to pour God's love on us, it is like pouring healing oil onto an open wound. Only then can we heal & wear the clothes of praise.

So please allow God and His people to wrap their arms around you and help you to heal and find gladness in your life. 

Comforting hugs,

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 25

"David and his men came to the city, and behold it was burned with fire: and their wives, and their sons, ans their daughters were taken captives. Then David and the people raised up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep."                                                                                              (I Sam. 30:3 & 4)

There is another reason that we mourn. That is the loss of a person in our lives other than death. This can be due to a breakup in a relationship. One way it could happen is the end of a relationship or a divorce. They say for each year you were with someone it may take 3-5 years to get over it. The closer you were to the person, the longer it could take to recover and move on. Another way it could happen is when you loose custody of your child or children. Or have your children leave home due to school, marriage or just out on their own. Both of these types of losses can make you feel as though you have lose an arm, leg, and had your heart ripped out. 

You ask yourself, "How can I go on if I am not all here?" But go on you must do. It is not easy, I know but with God's help it is possible. You may also wonder " If I am not so and so's man, woman, husband, wife, or actively so and so's parent, who am I now?" Finding the answer(s) to your question(s) is the first step in moving forward in your life. So sit down and figure this out. Once you figure out who you are and where you want to go from here. You will need to figure out what steps you need to take to get to your new normal. 

If you have always had your identity wrapped up in that person and can't figure out where you are now. Stop, and think back to before that relationship. maybe all the way back to when you were young. Who did you want to be? What did you dream of doing? This is the best time to start fulfilling those long lost dreams. That is what I did! After my son graduated and left home, I started to take the steps towards my dream of becoming an author. And today, you hold the fulfillment of that dream in your hands. So you see, it IS possible.

But what helped me to get past my divorce and my son's graduating and leaving home was that I knew that I was never truly alone. I always had God the Father, God the Son(Jesus) and God the Holy spirit with me. That knowledge always helped me have the courage to get through each day as I took the steps into my new normal life. And God can help you do the same, if you let him. 

Comforting hugs!

Toni

Comforting hugs 24

"Jesus' Mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to get him. A crowd was sitting around Jesus. They told him, "Your Mother and your brothers are outside. They are looking for you."
"Who is my Mother? Who are my brothers? he asked.
Then Jesus looked at the people sitting in a circle around him. He said, 'Here is my Mother! Here is my brothers! Anyone who does what God wants is my brother or sister or mother' "(Mark 3:31-35).


Sometimes we find that our family has left us alone, for different reasons such as a disagreement on your lifestyle or death. In these times, we often find family in the people that we hang out with. Jesus understood this. In these verses, he speaks of it.

Jesus also understands when someone in the family that we build around us, dies. He wants to be there during your time of grief and pain. He wants to give you those hugs and words of encouragement that you need. He wants to become part of your family too. But he will not force himself on you. He respects you too much to do that. You will have to go to him and ask for it. He waits outside for your replay. Won't you invite him in today?

Comforting hugs!
Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 23

"Behold, I do a new thing: now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" (Is. 43:19). 

When we go through a bad time in our life such as when we loose a job, a relationship, our health or even loose someone through death, we feel as though we are in a wilderness or desert. While we are there we long for the comfort of what we had before. We may even feel as though our life had dried up and we thirst for meaning again in our lives. 

People say things like, "Get over it" or "move on" or even "get back to normal". But let's be honest. You cannot go back to your old normal, for that which was in your life (a job, relationship, health, or loved) is gone. This has left a big hole where it or whom was in it before.  So you must find a new normal in your life. 

It is not always an easy task to find that new normal, for you often will have to redefine what your normal is. This means that you may have to recreate what you want in your life. Maybe even recreate who you are now. For you may be a nurse or whatever your job was. In an end of a relationship. You may not be so and so's wife or woman, man or husband; or even friend anymore. . You may have an illness that will change a lot in your life, wither it be for a time or forever. OR the death of someone maybe totally changing a lot in your life. Whatever the reason, your life has lost it's old normal and you need a new one. 

How does one find that new normal? You may ask. Well, stop. Stand still. And pray asking God for guidance. He knows what your future should look like. Then sit down and write out a list of what has changed and what steps you need to take to move into your new normal. Start with what has to be handled immediately such as funeral arrangements if a loved one has died. Or if it is a loss of job, figure out how much money you have and food that is in the house. Figure out how far can these take you?  If it is a lost relationship, you may need to find a new place to live. This list will be different for each person and situation.

Once the immediate needs are taken care of, sit down and figure out who you want to be in the future. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as...What did I enjoy doing before so and so was in my life? What did I dream of being before I had this job? What don't I like in my life? How can I change it? These questions can be what will help you move from your desert to your new  life. When you have the answers, then write down the steps that you need to take to move into your new life.

 If you don't know what steps you should take, find someone who can help you figure that out. Such as a life coach. lawer, doctor, a place that can tell you what you need to do to find a new job, and the list goes on.

I know that this can be scary. I've been there a few times in my life. But these steps helped me to be able to move forward in my life. And I can tell you that there can be a good life after your old one. In fact, I have been able to fulfill dormant dreams in my new life. I pray that you do too.

Comforting hugs!

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 22

Lazarus is dead...Jesus saw her crying...Jesus sobbed" (John 11, 23, 35 NIRV).

If you want the whole story here you need to read John chapter 11 verses 11 through 44. But to save time here I will give it to you in a nut shell. A dear friend of Jesus' named Lazarus, has died. Jesus goes to raise Lazarus from the dead. But when he gets there he tries to comfort Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha. 

 when Jesus sees their tears, he cries with them, even though he knows that he is about to raise Lazarus from the dead.

To me, this shows how Jesus cares about our grief when a family member of ours dies. He IS touched by our grief, and he cries with us. Even though he knows that there is life after death, as he speaks of in verses 23 and 25. And he longs to comfort us in our time of grief. But we have to allow him to do so. If you are grieving for a brother, sister, Uncle, Aunt or some other family member today, Jesus wants to hold, cry with you, and comfort you today. Will you let him? 

Comforting hugs,

Chaplain Toni

Comforting hugs 21

"Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice:have mercy also unto me, and answer me...When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up."                                                                                           Ps. 27:7,10 This is the month that we celebrate Father's Day. Like other holidays it can be a sad day for some. One group of people that it is sad for, are those whose Father was never there for them. That is whom I wish to talk to today. There probably no greater pain than having a parent abandoned you. I noticed that the pain of it doesn't go away when you become an adult. Why? I believe that it is woven into our DNA to have the need of the approval of the ones who made us. Unfortunately, some people for one reason or other are not able to shoulder that responsibility, so they don't. No matter the reason, it hurts just the same. Children of ask themselves what was wrong with them that made a parent not want to love and care for them. Please realize that often it is not you, but something within them that made you live without them in your life. God knows and understands this need in you. He loves you, and wants to be that Father to you. As the verse says, he wants to "take you up". That means that he wants to pick you up, and hold you as a Father does a child. But he will not force himself on you. You have to go to him and ask him to be your father.You can go to him and ask him to do that now, then you can spend time with him on Father's Day. I know that it is possible, because I have done it. One Father's day when I lived in a different state than my Father and had no way to get to him. After talking to my Father on the phone, I went to a church that I cleaned, slipped in and spent the day with God the Father. You can do so too. But you don't have to be in a church to do it, for God the Father is everywhere.  I pray that this information will help you have a great Father's Day with God the Father this year. Comforting hugs, Chaplain Toni Click here to Reply or Forward 0.76 GB (5%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 26 minutes ago Details

Comforting hugs 20

There was a man who was a father to many children and like a father to many others. I was not blessed to get to know him very well, as I only meet him a couple of times just before he died. But I know that this father went to live in heaven with the Heavenly Father when he died. How do I know this? Because a man who was an eye witness told me that this man said a prayer asking the heavenly Father to forgive him of all the bad things that he had thought, said, and done in his life, as well as forgive him for all the good things he didn't think, say, or did that he should have. Then he accepted Jesus as his savior. Why?

Because he was told about how there is a disease of the soul called sin. Sin is a lot like the cancer that killed this man. It eats at the mind making you think bad things, which makes you think, say and do bad things. When you do that it eats at you in many ways including emotionally. The only cure for this was for someone without the disease to give a blood transfusion. There was no one on earth like that , so God the Father and his son, Jesus came up with a plan for Jesus to come to earth to give his blood for the cure.

In my head the conversation in heaven may have gone a little like this...

Jesus~ "Father, I have been thinking.

God the Father~ "Really, what have you been thinking about, Son?"

Jesus~ "Well, as you know, since the first humans sinned, all of the human race now has the disease of sin in them. That means that they will not only suffer and die physically, but spiritually as well."

God the Father~ "Yes, this is true. But what can be done about it? The only cure is the blood of someone who doesn't have the disease and they all have it."

Jesus~"True, but I have been thinking. What if I were to become a human and go to earth and give my blood? Then they would have a way to cure their disease."

God the Father~"I'm not sure that I like that plan, son. It would be hard for me to watch you go through the pain of doing it."

Jesus~ "I know, but I love them, and I want to do this for them. Could I please, do this?"

God the Father~ "Well... I love them too....Ok, let us start making plans for this operation."

Jesus~" Great! Let's do it!"

And that is exactly what they did!

You see, God loved your loved one, and everyone on the earth SO MUCH that he was willing to have his son, Jesus give all his blood for the cure to sin. And anyone who is willing to pray and ask Jesus to forgive them for the bad things that they did due to the disease of sin. He will forgive them and save them from the disease of sin. (John 3:16 CTV Chaplain Toni Version). " God did not send his son into the world to judge the world. He sent He sent his son to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not judged" (John 3:17 NIRV New International Reader's Version). All we have to do is pray asking him to forgive us of our sin, and cleanse us of that sin, turn from our bad living and let Jesus be the Road Captain of our life.

I believe that God the Father, Jesus, and your loved one would have wanted me to tell you this, so when your time comes, you can see them in heaven.

Comforting hugs!
Chaplain Toni.

Like · Comment

• 
  
• 

   If anyone want to pray the prayer I wrote about. Here is one that would work....... Dear Father God, and Jesus, I ask that you will come and cleanse me of sin. I also ask that you will come into my heart, mind, and soul and become the Road Captain of my life. Help me to follow you. In Jesus name amen

  2

Comforting hugs 19

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:1+2a).

In my mind, life is like a race. We are on the field running a race and those Christians who has graduated to heaven is in the grandstands cheering us on. In the time line of God's history, each generation run a link of a relay race. When a Christian dies, he or she has handed the baton off to someone else to run with and goes to sit in the grandstands to cheer for those who goes on behind them. Our dear sister, Robin has fought the fight and run the race. Now she has handed the baton off to us to run with, while she sits in the grand stands cheering us on. May we run the race with all that we have in her memory and to the glory of God. 

Comforting hugs!

Sister Toni