I refuse to be Discouraged...

Hi .....

Life as a Christian is sure not a bed of roses, it's not easy to say."I refuse to be discouraged.." but we can choose to say that in spite of discouraging things we hear, see and face because of Jesus, who walks with us.

So often we face discouraging and painful situations that we feel so...hurt and lost.

Well our Heavenly Father never promised a life free of trials and tears.

But He did promise to be with us and He does keep a record of our every tear drop.

PSALM 56:8 Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record?

Even through difficult times He will not leave us. 

ISAIAH 43: 2 When you pass through the waters,
       I will be with you;
       and when you pass through the rivers,
       they will not sweep over you.
       When you walk through the fire,
       you will not be burned;
       the flames will not set you ablaze.

May be a loved one has hurt us and we feel no one cares. May be people fail to see our hearts

But let this not discourage us for we have with us, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior who will never leave us no matter what, so let's look to HIM.

May be we are facing with financial problems and people refuse to help us out in our time of need.

But let this not discourage us for we have a God who is the Jehovah Jirah and He says He will meet every need of ours and satisfy us.

So instead of looking to people around us, let's look up to our Heavenly Provider.

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

May be doctor has given us a bad report about our health or the health of a loved one and has said there's no hope.

But let this not discourage us for we have Jesus Christ our Lord and the Healer who says that by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

So let's look up to HIM.

Sometimes the going is really tough and we may feel we just can't move ahead. Sometimes we cry out.." O Lord when will your deliverance come, when will you meet my need, when will you heal me.."

Sometimes we feel the Lord does not see us or hear us.....

But He is still there and it's He who carries us through tough situations.

Our deliverance comes from Him, in His time.

1 Samuel 2:1 Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

There were times in the past I just felt defeated and wanted to quit this spiritual walk but it was my Lord who helped me every single time...

He had restored

~my failures to success..

~my sorrows to joy...

~my loss to gain...

~my sickness to good health..

~my tears to smiles..

~If He did it yesterday He'll do it today...

~If He did it for me, He will do it for you.

FOR HE'S THE SAME YESTERDAY,TODAY & FOREVER.

Above all we have the Holy Spirit who abides with us and He brings peace and comfort in midst of the storm.

JOHN 14:16, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"

So let's wipe our tears and be encouraged in the Lord for HE is with us even if we are His children.

He listens to our cry and encourages us.

Psalm 10:17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

We too need to encourage others who go through rough waters.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Here below is a poem that blessed me...

Be Blessed,

YSIC,

Julia

 "I Refuse To Be Discouraged"

I refuse to be discouraged,
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
and here's the reason why . . .

I have a God who's mighty,
Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
and I am on His team.

He is all wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though everything is changeable,
My God remains the same.

My God knows all that's happening;
Beginning to the end,
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.

When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.

When circumstances threaten
to rob me from my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my striving cease.

And when my heart melts within me,
and weakness takes control;
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.

The great "I AM" is with me,
My life is in His hand,
The "Son of the Lord" is my hope,
It's in His strength I stand.

I refuse to be defeated,
My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me,
as through this life I trod.

I'm looking past all my circumstances,
To Heaven's throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God,
I'm resting in His love.

I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle's His, the victory is mine;
He'll help me win the race.

(Unknown)

Building relationships: Building bridges and reaching out to parents.

Hi...

Relationships are so...important.

We need to walk an extra mile to build strong, lasting relationships with people in our life and people who we interact with on daily basis.

Today we'll take time to appreciate our parents because parents aren't around forever!

The Bible warns children will be disobedient to parents in the last days.

2 Timothy 3:2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

But still God's word teaches us to 'obey our parents in the Lord.'

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Matthew 19:19

Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Ephesians 6:2

"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise—

Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Some of you may have bad memories but still it's time to forgive, forget and move on holding no bitterness.If our parents are there, let's take time today to love, appreciate, forgive them if they have hurt us and ask for forgiveness if we have hurt them.

We need to treasure them while they are!

Let's not return their love with cold indifference.

Let's wipe their tears, see their sigh, meet their needs, show them we love and care for them, when they are with us. What use will it be if after they take their last breath, we shed tears, speak volumes appreciating them ...they can't see or hear what we do and say...

Today when they are with us, let's treasure them & give them our best.

It's time to reach out to them & tell them we love them & show them we care.

Maybe some of you have painful memories of childhood. But it's time to reach out in love & let go of all negative feelings. You need to forgive and forget the past and love your parents for that's what God expects you to do.

My dad passed away in 2002. My mom lives in Coonoor (near Ooty) the least I can do now is call her once daily and talk to her. She feels so...happy to talk.

The 1st question I ask her is, "Amma how are you..?"

Do miss seeing her, but blessed to talk to her!!

Thank God for mobiles, telephone and Internet too!!

Parents are God's gift to us...

Julia

Dark but still beautiful?

Hi family and friends..

Each of us are so...unique and precious in our Lord's eyes.

No matter what caste, race, colour we are our Lord Jesus Christ loves us the same.

He created us in His image. Let's appreciate the beauty of God in His handiwork.

It was He who knit us together in our mother's womb.

Today let's thank God for making us the way we are.

Just sharing a blog (with her permission) written by our daughter Becky a few of years back, hope someone is blessed.

May this week be blessed.

YSIC

Julia

Hi,

Some one called me 'dark but still beautiful' today. You might think I'd be delighted at this comment but sadly I wasn’t. No, no…..Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of the I-don’t-like-compliments type it’s just that the words ‘but still’ worry me a lot. This one sentence has had me thinking all afternoon. I could have been called beautiful. But no, it had to be noted that I am dark ‘but still’ beautiful.  I am so stirred up; I could write a book about this. But trust me, I will keep this short!

Why should someone EVER be called dark ‘but still’ beautiful? Is being ‘dark skinned’ usually something that isn’t associated with beauty? Is it so distant from beauty that it has to ‘noted’ when the two are together? Which leads me to my next question, is beauty associated with fairness?

I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘She’s fair but still beautiful’!

Racism is often rooted deep within us and we fail to realise that beauty is in everything that God created. It doesn’t depend on the colour of your skin.

 The Bible clearly says in

Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Let’s start loving each other putting aside things that matter little like the colour of our skins. Let’s stop judging people for the way the look or make fun of them because of their appearances.

We all have an image of what ‘beauty’ or ‘perfection’ is, in our heads. Let’s not judge people who don’t fit these images. Let’s not point out to people that they are dark because IT’S NOT A CRIME TO BE DARK SKINNED. The Bible says ALL were created in the image of God and no where is it said that fair skin is beautiful.

To conclude quickly as I said I would, I want to challenge each and every one who reads this mail to think about any racist ideas that we may have and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Also, let’s repent if we have made fun of people’s looks or appearances. Jesus only feels immense love when He looks into each of our faces.
God bless you all.

Dark but ever loved by Him,

Rebecca. 

 In actuality, there is only one race - the human race. Within the human race is a great amount of diversity in skin color and other physical characteristics. 

Within the human race is a great amount of diversity in skin color and other physical characteristics.

~Pastor Owen~ 

Little Blessings....(Compiled)

" The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."
(Psalm 121:8 NLT)

" I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."  (Philippians 4:11)

" Trust the Lord your God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
" Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night."
" Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." (Romans 12:12)

" God's love for us is not a love that always exempts us from trials, but rather, a love that always sees us through trials."

" God does not ask your ability or your inability.
He asks only your availability "  (Mary Kay Ash)

~LITTLE BLESSINGS~

Little deeds of kindness,
Loving thoughts to share,
Warm words to encourage,
The knowing someone's there,
Gentle smiles to cheer us
When weary grows the way,
A morning sweet with dewdrops
To start a sunny day,
The love that's always with us
Whenever we must roam,
A soft glow in the window
When we're in sight of home,
The things that really matter
Are such a special part
Of all the little blessings
Most precious to the heart.

~UNKNOWN~

"Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters"

"The things that matter the most in this world,
Can never be held in our hand."

-Gloria Gaither-

"It is after all, mostly little, common things that make up our lives."
-Elisabeth Elliot-

"Every day shared with the ones we love is a gift to be thankful for."

🍀

 "SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER☘️

I find what I look for in people. If I look for God, I find God. If I look for bad qualities, I find them. I, in a sense, select what I expect, and I receive it.
A life without challenges would be like going to school without lessons to learn. Challenges come not to depress or get me down, but to master and to grow and to unfold thereby.
In the Father's wise and loving plan for me, no burden can fall upon me, no emergency can arise, no grief can overtake me, before I am given the grace and strength to meet them.
A rich, full life is not determined by outer circumstances and relationships. These can be contributory to it, but cannot be the source. I am happy or unhappy because of what I think and feel.
I can never lose anything that belongs to me, nor can I posses what is not really mine.
To never run from a problem: either it will chase me or I will run into another just like it, although it may have a different face or name.
To have no concern for tomorrow. Today is the yesterday over which I had concern.
To never bang on a closed door: Wait for it to open and then go through it.
A person who has come into my life has come either to teach me something, or to learn something from me. ~Unknown~

APPRECIATING ALL MOTHERS/ EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND MOTHERS TO BE TOO!!

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MOTHER

Mother is adored in each part of the universe. Even the Lord give due respect to the mother.

The great epic 'Bible' also throws light on the place of mother in the life of a human being.

What 'Bible' says about mother is...

Genesis 3:20
Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Lev 19:3
"Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 5:16
"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

2 Kings 4:30
But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.

Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

Isaiah 66:13 
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."

Ezekiel 16:44
"Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: "Like mother, like daughter."

Luke 1:43
But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Luke 2:51
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

~COMPILED~

M"  is for the million things she gave me,
"O"  means only that she's growing old,"T"  is for the tears she shed to save me,"H" is for her heart of purest gold;"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"

~unknown~

Hi...

APPRECIATING ALL MOTHERS/ EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND MOTHERS TO BE TOO!!

A "MOTHER" IS...

M~ MONUMENT OF STRENGTH
O~ OCEAN OF LOVE
T~ TRUST WORTHY
H~ HOPEFUL ALWAYS
E~  ENCOURAGER
R~ READY TO HELP

A tribute to all mothers a reminder to appreciate our mothers and all mothers we know.
Our mother's tender love covered us as a child.

Though we grow up they still see us as little kids.
They love us all the same...

Remember moments like this?
Doing thing together with your mom?

Reading out a story to you?

Tucking you in bed??

And..They never quit praying for you!

 

Praise God for mom and dads too!!
YSIC,
Julia