He strokes our worries and sadness away

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  Our little dog Axel is sick….oh we just hate it.  He has a terrible cough…it just sounds horrible and Kim and I just hate that he doesn’t feel good….Well, on Monday he was so worried about his little pal that he took him to the Vet.  She said he didn’t have a fever and couldn’t see anything in his throat, gave him a shot and some pills for his tummy ache and sent them home.  The cough kept getting worse and worse and yesterday morning, sitting on my lap, he kept looking at me….his eyes so droopy and sad…..he just looked miserable, so pathetic….As I sat in the quiet of the early morning, gently rubbing his throat and having my morning talk with our Father…..it occurred to me just how pathetic we must look to our Father sometimes….times we are worried, sad, grieving…..eyes drooping, cheeks tear streaked, shoulders drooped…..pathetic….Axel found comfort sitting with me, being stroked…..feeling my compassion for him….Can you just imagine how much compassion our Father has for us, when He sees us…..drooping and sad……He yearns for us to come to HIM, sit with HIM and be comforted….HE will not fail us….gently, lovingly HE strokes our worries and sadness away….carries them for us…wraps HIS loving arms around us and gives us peace.  Thank you Father.

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  May your unfailing love be my comfort  according to your promise to your servant.  Psalm 119:76.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11. 

Love you all!

God's love and comfort

Good Morning Friends!  Fear not!  We are HIS Friday!  I told you about my sweetie being sick, well he is doing better….Thank you Father, but now, I am fighting it off!!!  Trust me, I am fighting, but I have a cough…kind of a yucky cough….a yucky cough that seems to always fire up in the middle of the night!   Don’t you hate that!  Well sure enough, I had not been asleep to long last night when I was awakened by that “special” feeling in my chest and throat…..that you are “fixin” to start coughing feeling…Yep, first one…then another!   UGH!!!!!  In the darkness I reached onto my night stand and felt for a cough drop….Ahh….there’s one….again, I fumbled in the darkness and got it open…POP….into my mouth.  Almost Immediately I could feel the soothing relief permeating my irritated throat and chest…Cough drops have always amazed me…..how they know right where to go to get the “special” feeling….no chewing or swallowing , just put it in your mouth and the relief gets started….how the heck do they do that….As I drifted back to sleep, coughing subsided, a sweet thought over- came me….God’s love and comfort…..in life’s darkness….when we are fumbling in life’s darkness….His love is there….no chewing, swallowing (maybe our pride at times), no begging, no price to pay…got to buy cough drops….no buying God’s love and comfort…..POP…..feel trouble stirring in your heart and mind….POP…..God is right there waiting to soothe and comfort you….get you through the darkness…fears subsided…..get you through the darkness into the marvelous light of HIS  LOVE…….permeating our hearts and minds, soothing comfort for all of the dark times……Warm Love engulfing us….sweet peace….through His mercy and grace…..Oh Father, thank you for Your sweet love and comfort when we need it most!  Forgive us when we try to do it without YOU…..Father, all Glory to You!

 

Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains!  For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your disease, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Psalm 103:2-5

Love you all!

 

Kathie A. Johnson

Receptionist

He who searches our hearts...

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully HIS, Thursday!!!  A dear friend recently received some horrible news….life altering……the news comes after years of struggling with a certain issue, many worries, stress, feelings of hopelessness for several years, hoping and praying for a positive outcome.  My heart has ached for her, watching her struggle, always praying with and for her, that she be guided by and find her strength through the love of our Heavenly Father.  And now, the devastating news; when she told me, I had no words….no words of comfort, strength, encouragement, only tears…..My heart aching for her pain, I couldn’t imagine how she would go on…..Oh, I knew that she was not alone….Our Father never leaves us alone, but I had no words for HIM either….my heart aching my mind drowning in worry….no words, no thoughts to send to HIM….how will I help my friend?  She needs support…..I need to pray, but nothing comes…..I knew had to do something, so I opened my bible……BAM!!!  A knock to my head…….Romans 8:26-27, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”  Oh Father, ahh…..it is YOU that searches our hearts….you know all about my dear friend’s problems….She is YOUR child…me too….YOU are our FATHER…..”And we know that in all things God (our FATHER) works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  Dear, sweet friend…not to worry, He’s got this……He’s working…..it’s gonna be GOOD…..”If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him graciously give s all things?”  Romans 8:31-32.  Thank you Father for searching our hearts…..for hearing our cries…..for working even though we don’t see You….for taking care of everything. 

 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39. 

Love you all!

The warmth of His love

Today at 10:38 AM

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully, warmly wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!!!  Last Friday I gave a friend a ride to work; it was really cold that morning so when she got in I asked her if she would like the seat warmer on.  She has ridden with me lots of times, but I had never asked her about the seat warmer until Friday….don’t ask me why.  Anyway, she said “yea, why not?  I should experience that once in my life.”  We both chuckled as I turned her side all the way up!  We weren’t but a couple miles into our commute when she snuggled into her seat and said, “Oh yes, this feels really good.”  She’s a good friend and I was happy that she was enjoying her warm ride, but never thought much about it till a couple of days later.  Kim was driving, I was the passenger and it was cold…..I turned my seat warmer all the way up and within just a few minutes….oh my how good the warmth felt on my achy, tired body….I snuggled in….relaxed…..I thought about my friend’s comment on Friday….and thought, you know I use the seat warmer when I drive all the time, why have I not experienced this wonderful relaxed feeling?  Now I was chuckling to myself as I felt HIS gently touch.  “Kathie, my child you are much too often too busy, too stressed, worried, anxious, preoccupied to feel My WARMTH, to RELAX in the COMFORT and PEACE found when you come to ME.  I offer REST for your tired mind, PEACE for your hurting heart, REFUGE from the worries of this world.  Come to ME, snuggle in MY arms, feel the WARMTH of MY LOVE……You are MY child, come to ME I will give you PEACE.  I Love you!”  Oh Father, how come we are so quick to forget how much YOU love us….forgive us, bring us to YOU to snuggle in the warmth of YOUR LOVE.   Thank you Father.

 

And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.  Mark 10 :16.  He tends His flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.  Isaiah 40:11.  The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ fee, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.  Habakkuk 3:19.  The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  The peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7.

Love you all!

 

He knows what's best for his children: Psalm 55:22

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!!!!  I had not been home very long last night when I got a phone call.  Caller ID said Kathyrn, but it was actually Katy and I could tell by her voice she was very upset!  When I realized it was Katy and she was upset, I said in my most sympathetic Nana voice, “Hi Katy, what’s the matter?”  She immediately began telling me that mommy wouldn’t bring her over to my house, the more she talked the more she began to cry.  Soon, she was full- on sobbing!!!!  She wanted to come to my house and that’s all there was to it….My heart was broken, I just couldn’t stand to hear her so unhappy….I could hear Mommy in the background, so I asked her why she couldn’t come over.  Mommy said, “I told her we are not going over to Nana’s tonight.”  She went on to tell me that Katy doesn’t always have to get what she wants…..now of course I know that’s true, but it took every ounce of self-control that I could muster to not go over and get her!  My heart was broken listening to her deep, painful sobs…..I wanted her to get what she wanted, but I knew that is not always the best for her……as I said goodbye, told her I loved her, and would see her soon, a sweet, calming peace came over me.  Oh my….my oh my…..if my heart feels broken because Katy is sad and what she wants is not best for her…..can you even imagine how our Heavenly Father feels  when we call HIM sobbing…..we really think we know what’s best for us, but……God in His infinite wisdom….knows….and will provide….but more than that…..He longs to comfort us…..He feels our pain and yearns to dry our tears……His arms are open, His shoulders strong…..He will embrace and comfort us.  Thank you Father…..for hearing our sobs, drying our tears….loving us beyond all human understanding.

 

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Revelation 7:17.  Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage.  Ezra 7:28. The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8.  Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.  He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.  Psalm 126:5-6.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11. Pay attention to My wisdom, listen well to My words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.  Proverbs 5:1-2.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22. I wait for you, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God.  Psalm 38:15.

Love you all!

May 21, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Thankfully, no matter what the situation…His, Tuesday! Watching the news last night and again this morning, I feel so hopeless and sad….here in my area we have so far been spared from the extreme devastation that has touched so many….Praising God for our immediate safety, I am deeply humbled…..deeply….and my heart and prayers go out to for all of His children suffering. I had a call from Kathyrn around 7 am, urging me to leave really early because the rain was just terrible….she was only going 15mph….driving in the rain is stressful for me ever since my accident last year….so I grabbed my stuff, kissed Kim goodbye, told him I love him and headed out the door with a prayer! As I drove, my mind kept turning to people suffering from the storms….the rain was very heavy, hard to see the road and it was so dark…Oh my, I thought….how are they going to get through all of this pain, suffering and loss! I kept my eyes forward, watching for the lights in front of me…..with taillights in front of me, to guide me, I was able to stay in the right path…..Oh my….Yes Father……with Your light to guide them….that’s how they will see their way through this….With You…..Only with You! You can see us through anything….as long as we place our trust, our hope in You. I looked in my rear view mirror and could not believe what I saw….a car behind me….with no lights on….driving in the darkness….no light to guide them…..Father, we cannot make it without Your light guiding us, Your love holding us, Your peace comforting us, Your mighty power holding us…..Father, we do not understand devastating situations like these….Help us to put our trust and hope in You….letting Your light be our guide. Father, thank you for the comfort and care that YOU WILL shower on all Your precious, suffering children.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with and everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.” Jeremiah 31:3-4. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I stay close to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:6-8. You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. Psalm 18:28-29. “Bless is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3.

Love you all and prayers for safety.

February 4, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  I was already up this morning when I heard Kim get up, first thing he said was, “we are fogged in.”  Oh great I thought, but didn’t really stress about it because often times Kim over reacts about such things as fog.  A little later while I was eating breakfast, Kathyrn called to report….”It’s foggy, you better leave a little early.”  Well, great I thought, but still didn’t fret much….it wasn’t until I got in my little black car and headed down 1600 that I could no longer deny the truth…..It was foggy!  Well, I don’t know about you, but I do not like driving in the fog……ordinary things seem distorted, even the sounds of the road seem heavier, kind of looming…..driving in the fog is very disorientating to me.  So, needless to say, I was not particularly excited as I headed to work….especially on 1600 where there are no lines on the road….I felt much better when I got onto a road with lines….a solid white line on the right edge and the broken yellow lines in the center of the road.  With lines on both sides of me I was able to stay focused, I felt safer…..There was no break in the fog this morning……thick fog engulfed me all the way to work.  Sometimes our lives seem to be engulfed in a thick fog……bills, stress at work, health, children, lack of direction and motivation….the fog of life’s problems can get so thick that it’s like driving on a road with no lines…..we go blindly, alone, not knowing what looms around the next curve or how we will handle it…..This morning before I had lines on the road, I was so tense, I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles were white…..once I had lines I relaxed some….the lines guided me.  When our drive through life is foggy, we are not alone…..we have “life lines” to guide us….First step to get through the fog….prayer!  Engulf yourself in conversation with our Heavenly Father…..He knows what you are going through…..lean on Him, feel your body relax……feel the fog lift as you read His word, praise Him for all that He has done for you, thank Him for all the blessings you know are coming your way….close your eyes and picture yourself sitting next to Him, His loving arms around you, listening….loving….now…..continue your drive filled with His Peace, that passes human understanding.  Father, we know that life will be foggy sometimes, strengthen our faith so that we take You with us to guide and protect us.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God:  that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that  He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.  1 John 5:14-15.  The Lord bless you, and keep you:  The Lord makes His face shine on you and be gracious to you:  The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26.

Love you all!   

January 9, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday! The rain is wonderful, so needed and I thank our Heavenly Father for every drop, but I have to admit that my drive in this morning seemed dreary….so dark, a heavy, misty fog limited visibility causing a sense of gloom to drift in. It’s against my nature to be gloomy, just hate it, so I said a little prayer asking for a gloom lifter……Life does get gloomy at times doesn’t it…..so much sickness, finances….so dang much to do and so little time….life’s gloom limits our visibility….limits us from seeing, experiencing the light of God’s love….My first duty in the mornings is to go over the newspaper for relevant articles. I always read the “Today’s Prayer” on the front page of the OK Paper…So today as I opened the paper and found the prayer my thoughts on my drive in came perfectly clear…..”The comfort of returning to You, Lord, follows the sorrow of our time away from Your words. Amen.” Oh my…..yes….the Light…..the gloom is lifted…..I feel HIS love…..when I return…..when I am with HIM……I am comforted. Thank You Father for comforting us through all of our gloom. Keep us focused on Your Light!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4. Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13. Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with great joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Psalm 4:6-7.

 

Love you all!

January 7, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Magnificent Monday, loved by HIM! Seven years ago I was given a very special gift from a close friend of my daughter Stacy’s. It is an Italian charm bracelet; she had several charms on it for me. SRK, Stacy’s initials, HIK, my granddaughter Hayden’s initials, an angel and a heart…..a beautiful gift at any time for sure, but a most precious gift to me because it was given to me on the day that Stacy and Hayden were laid to rest…..7 years ago. Other than when I am working on the ranch, I have worn that bracelet almost every day! Silly, I know, but slipping it on my wrist gives me some kind of comfort. Yesterday, sitting in church, head bowed, my eyes focused on my bracelet…..I tenderly touched the charms….the initial charms are worn almost completely smooth…....have been for a while now….I thought about replacing them, but only for a fleeting moment; I really don’t need to see the letters to know what they represent…..they are in my heart. As I sat there, in God’s house, beautiful music coming from the organ, surrounded by loving Christian friends, I smiled to myself……silly thought once again…..my beautiful bracelet with worn out charms….is like our faith…….I have never seen God, but I know that He is there. I wasn’t there at the manager to see Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, or at the cross to witness His death, or there to see the empty tomb, but I know…..I believe that Jesus died and rose for me……God’s only Son, my Savior……my faith is rooted in Him without ever seeing Him……I gently rubbed the charms, thanking God for the gift of His Son and asked Him to keep my faith strong. Thank you Father, all glory, honor and praise to You.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1. Thought you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9.