About That Sheep - Comfort

copyright Millie Plastaras 9/02/04

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me to
lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still
waters, He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of
righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk
through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
For You are with me. Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
You prepare a place for me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23

We often hear in this modern society that people that follow
a certain way of life, are just sheep. They are brainwashed
and have no mind of their own. They are led about by
their nose, following the leading of those who have
brainwashed them. They seem to think being a sheep
is a bad thing.

I am here to proclaim to you today the good news of Jesus
Christ:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward Him, and said,
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
John 1:29

Jesus was called the lamb (sheep) of God. His gentle
loving nature was one that set an example that forever
would ring of truth, nurturing love, great strength, and hope.

When someone calls me a sheep, I say hallelujah. I know
God, I know His provision and I have met His son. I am
a sheep in the flock of the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world.

Psalm 23 is a very interesting and hopeful part of the Bible.
People should speak this out loud at least 3 times a day. It
has such meaning. A lot of it not known to modern society.

Let me try to explain to you a lesson I heard many years ago
about this Psalm that forever changed my thinking about
the provision of our Great God.

The Lord is my shepherd... I shall not want.

A shepherd knows the needs of his sheep and provides those
needs before they are even spoken. They are anticipated
by the shepherd and provided for in advance.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

A sheep is very careful where they lay down. And a shepherd
prepares the ground they lay on, so that no thorns or thistles
will get in their wool. A shepherd prepares a place for His
sheep to rest that is perfect and comfortable and safe.

He leads me besides still waters.

A sheep will not drink from moving water. A shepherd makes
a dam with rocks or whatever is available so when the
sheep goes to drink, the waters they so desperately need
are calm and soothe the sheep. The shepherd knows
how to calm the greatest disturbance and what the solution is.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake.

The shepherd knows just the perfect path. This is one thing
the sheep don't need to concern themselves with. The
shepherd knows the path, what to look for and how to get
there. All the sheep have to do is move, and trust. They
will be led in safety and peace to their destination.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear
no evil, for You are with me! Your rod and your staff will
comfort me.

A shepherd knows that there will be dangers along his
chosen path. There will be predators who long to kill the sheep,
there will be rocks, and detours, and storms and many things
yet to face. But the shepherd has made provisions for them.
His rod will hold off any powers of darkness, or enemies, or
predators or storms of life. His staff will draw us to him when
we start to stray and bring us back into the fold where we
are safe, and within His will.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies.

When the sheep need to eat, the shepherd prepares that
place, just as he does their resting place. He knows there
will be enemies around, but he chooses a place where
he can watch over the whole flock. He makes sure that
any poison thistles or dangerous plants are removed.
And he makes sure it is a place where the sheep feel
peaceful enough to relax and eat. The provision
of the shepherd makes the meal even more precious
and joyful.

You anoint my head with oil.

A sheep often gets cuts or skin problems. A shepherd
will put soothing oil upon them to heal the sheep. The oil
that heals and sustains and brings restoration. The shepherd
knows exactly physical needs of each sheep. He knows
them all by name, and knows each of their individual
needs, and habits.

My cup runs over.

A sheep likes the water where it is easy to get to. So the water
at an easy vantage point where it is easy to partake of
reassures the sheep. The shepherd knows how to fill that
sheep with the living water that will nurture its body and bring
health. The shepherd is always aware of the depth of the
water and any surroundings and dangers. He knows the
sheep needs water to sustains it, and has great mercy
towards that sheep, providing the water that will attract it
most and make it feel comforted. Water that
fills that thirst of a sheep on a long journey, till it is
overflowing and sustaining in His body.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life

For as long as that sheep is alive, the shepherd will
give it good care and show mercy and love to it.
The Bible says that those that follow the Lord will find
mercy and strength. And that all the promises of the Lord's
are their inheritance. His goodness and mercies are new
every morning. His provision unlimited. His compassion
never ending. His solutions and power all encompassing.
All He is, is all we will ever need.

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The sheep knows the voice of His master. And when that
sheep listens to the soothing comforting voice of the master,
and follows his leading. He will make it home. He will find
a path set before Him known by the shepherd. And he will
find peace and comfort for his soul.

And the oil of the shepherd heals, and restores what
has been bruised or broken.

The sheep only need to learn to trust. And rest in
the provision of the Shepherd. And to be obedient,
and listen to the powerful lessons the shepherd teaches it.

This then is a life of hope, victory, and a life lived well.
A life with the Shepherd of our souls. Who will lead us all
home.

Oh if we could only keep that in our hearts and minds
daily and let it sustain us. Never again to worry or fear.
But to cling to that Shepherd and know our sufficiency is
from Him, not from anyone else. That our circumstances will
not defeat us, our losses will not destroy us, our illness will not
keep us down, our enemies will not be victorious and no
one can take us out of the Shepherds care.

How truly blessed we are.

I am the Good Shepherd, The good Shepherd gives His life
for His sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
I and my Father are One.
John 10:11, 27-30

The Lord is my Shepherd.... I shall not want.

remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, for Christ will last

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

copyright Millie Plastaras 3/21/2008

Then Jesus came with them to a placed called
Gethsemane, and said to the disciples: "Sit here while I go
and pray over there." And He took with Him Peter and two
sons of Zebedee and He began to be sorrowful and deeply
distressed. Then He said to them. "My soul is exceedingly
sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me."
He went a little farther and fell upon His face, and prayed, saying,
"O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me,
nevertheless, not as I will , but as you will."

Then He came to His disciples and found them sleeping, and
said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit
indeed is willing but the flesh is weak."

Again a second time, He went away and prayed, saying,
"O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me
unless I drink it, Your will be done."

And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes
were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed
the third time, saying the same words. Then He came
to His disciples and said to them, " Are you still sleeping
and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of
Man is being betrayed into the hands of the sinners.
Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand."
Matthew 26:36-46

*********

Jesus came to the garden of Gethsemane, feeling a
urgent need to pray. An overwhelming sense of
sorrow, even the sorrow unto death overwhelmed
His spirit. The sorrow unto death, was not physical
death, but by the association of His death with sin. His
Holy Nature shrunk back from this experience. Yet
He knew, this was His purpose, His calling. It was
why He came to earth, to be a sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus was obedient unto death.

He said, Father, not my will, but thine be done.

The burden upon Him was heavy and stressful,
and He was aware of what He must face ahead.
His holy nature recognized the sins of the world
that were about to be cast upon Him, and His
Holy nature shrank from the very thought of the sin.
Yet He forged ahead, and persevered in prayer.
He bowed down before God and prayed fervently,
his anguish so great that:

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat
was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44

This is a medical phenomenon known as
hematohidrosis. According to physicians
it happens when people are under great stress,
and the blood vessels rupture, and the blood goes
to the sweat glands, causing one to sweat blood.
How great his agony must have been. And this for us!

Even so, during one of his greatest hours of need, and
heavy burdens, his disciples were unable to even
interceed with Him, allowing their sleep to overwhelm them.

I am struck by the thought that after years of discipling,
His disciples failed Him so often. They often could not
perform the miracles needed, because their faith lacked,
they fell asleep on the night He so desperately needed
them to pray with Him, and even as He was in
jail, being beaten and spit upon, His disciples denied
they knew Him. This reminds me so much of how
much we fail our heavenly Father.

Yet, I am also struck by the fact, that He knew this.
And that is why He came. He knew our frame, that
we are but dust. That we could never keep the law
fully, and we were in need of redemption. The poverty
of our souls was upon Him.

This week, it came to mind what sins Jesus had to bear.
Every vile,filthy illness ever known to man was put upon
His body at the same time. Every filthy, ugly, hidden sin
known to man was laid upon Him at the same moment.
All the filthy child molesters of this world, the rapists,
the torturers, the evil of this world became a covering
that was laid upon Him. He had to bear it all at one time.
If you went into a hospital tonight, just one hospital,
and saw the suffering, and those close to death,
the horrid disease people go through, multiply that
by hundreds, and by generations, and by hundreds
of years, and all this became His burden.

Imagine the crimes that you have heard of this
century, all that was laid upon Him. Imagine just
the sins that you have committed, whether in public
or in private. All these are known to Him. All of
this sin, darkness and generations of it, from thousands
of sinners was laid upon Him at once.

We cannot bear three burdens at the same time,
How could He then bear all the burdens, sorrow,
evil and sins of the world.

Because He loved us.

Yet He willingly went forth with this journey.
Even when everyone He loved betrayed Him,
and left Him alone. He went ahead, with a sense
of purpose, and a great sense of sorrow. His duty
was to die for us, and nothing could stop that. Jesus
faced a journey ahead none of us could comprehend,
and He would face hell, death and the grave.
Something we cannot conceive of in our minds,
and He did it for one reason.

For us. For you and me. WE needed the
salvation. WE needed a Savior.

Jesus was the blood atonement for our salvation.
What a precious sacrifice for us, when
we were so unworthy of this gift.

"No one ever loved me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as he.
No one ever took the sin and darkness from me.
Oh How much He cared for me.

Oh Father God, bring us to the cross, make us
mindful of our place in you. Remind our hearts of that
night that you suffered and bled and died for our filthy
sins. Bring us back to our first love. Come to us and forgive
us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Be Lord and Savior of our lives. Remind us our life is not
about us, it is about our journey to you. We were created
to praise you, and to live for you. Remind us of the cross.
Let it never fade from our vision. Let us be all you desire
each day. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations
of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord,
My strength and my redeemer.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the spirit control?
You can only be blessed, and have peace
and sweet rest.
If you give Him your body and soul.

He gave His all, that I might be born fresh
and new at that cross. Remind me Oh Lord of
that cross, let it never fade. Because of your
death, your blood sacrifice, my sins can be
washed white as snow. How humbled I am by
the very thought of it.

The cross, the birthplace of salvation.
Oh How much He cared for us.

Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last.

Having a New Mind in Christ

copyright Millie Plastaras 3/19/2008

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher
than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8,9

This week as I was praying about a specific issue in my life,
I asked the Lord why something had not happened for me yet.
He said Millie when you have faith, you have to have the mind
of Christ. That thought hit me so fresh, and reverberated
in my thinking, striking a new chord in my heart. The mind
of Christ. When we are in Christ, we should be walking
and talking with him daily. It would then stand to reason
we would seek to be more like him.

How can we do that? By finding out what He likes and
thinks, and desires from us. To seek His mind set and ways.

If we were to think closer to His ways of thinking would
we view everything differently? I think absolutely it would
transform our thinking.

Just in the realm of prayer alone. We would not be focused on
the problem or the defeat, or 50 things going on around us,
we would know that within our mind is the answer, and the
hope and the miracles that are possible through God.

We would see the answer, and pray accordingly.
We would see the big picture that God sees when he looks
at our life and our needs. We would not be confounded
by circumstances but focused on faith.

Why are so many Christians walking around defeated now?
Why are they weary and worn down? Why are so many
leaving churches, and finding fault with each other?

Because they have allowed the world, and it's ways,
and the troubles and cares of life to become their focus.
And they have not sought the mind and will of Christ.

I appeal to you therefore brethren, and beg of you in view
of all the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication
of your bodies, presenting all your members and faculties
as a living Holy sacrifice (devoted, consecrated) and
well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational,
intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, this age, fashioned after
and adapted to its external, superficial customs. But
be TRANSFORMED, (changed) by the entire renewal of
your mind, by its new ideals and new attitude, so
that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and
perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and
acceptable and perfect in His sight for you.
Romans 12:1,2

Dear Friends, this takes a dedication to God daily.
A heart felt desire and determination to walk the walk
and talk the talk. Because you are no longer your own.
You are bought with a price, the blood of the Lamb of
God who came to take away the sins of the world.

We must rise higher in our spiritual life and grow in Him.
We must please Him, and renew our mind in Him,
and become transformed from this worlds way of thinking
into a Godly way of thinking.

Then our prayer life will be transformed, and our faith
will grow, and we can see fruit of our prayers as we
take on the mind of Christ, and the faith that comes
from hearing, receiving and living the word of God.

Take time for God, and be new in Him. There are people
and lives we can make a difference in, if we truly
walk a Godly life and see the needs around us and
have faith and minister to those needs through a new
mind set in Christ.

love always
millie

I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

As Thy Day, So Shall Thy Strength Be

As thy days, so shall thy strength be;"—Deuteronomy 33:25.

As we rise this morning, we look out as the morning sun
slowly comes over the horizon, with beams of light
transforming the end of night into the beginning of
a glorious new day. Just to look at the dawn is
a reminder that we have been given a new chance.

A fresh start. A clean slate.
At that very moment, we have a chance to either
pick up the burdens of yesterday, or let them go and
free ourselves from the bondage of it. We can choose
to utter a prayer to God, leaving our burdens at his
feet, and going forth into the new day with a spirit
of hope and expectation.

God has promised us enough strength for this day.
We shall not be in want. We shall be provided for.
We shall not be alone, God will be with us through it.

If we really believe that, we should live it, and breathe
fresh life into our relationships and work because we
have a heavenly Father who knows all of our needs,
and will provide what we need in the time it is needed.
Let us go about with a spirit of joy and expectation,
rather than a spirit of fear and hopelessness.

Make a choice to breathe free, and to un encumber
your spirit and thinking of anything that is holding it down.

We must just abide in Him, in prayer, through reading
His word, and not losing our focus on the higher calling in
life.

Father God show me what I can do today. Help me be useful
to someone. Show me someone I can encourage and bless.
Give me strength for my path and a spirit of joy, that no matter
what comes today, I know you are with me, and I am not
alone, and will not have to deal with things all by myself.
I can find joy in my blessings, and pray about my sorrows.

Help me seek the path of greater truth, and greater wisdom,
and not to seek the path of depression, or unforgiveness.
Make me a instrument of your peace. Form me into the person.
you want me to be in you. Help me be strong, wise, loving,
and forgiving so that I may be a testimony to all of your
transforming power, love and forgiveness.

In Jesus name,
amen.

love always
millie


These possibilities are open to everyone.
Don't tell God you are not good enough, do what He asks.
Don't tell God to send someone else, He asked you.
Don't tell God you don't have time to pray, He said seek me first.
Don't neglect the things of God. He said we are to
pick up His cross daily and follow Him.
Don't tell God anything is bigger than His ability.
God is the Great I Am, I am whatever you need.

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"10 Rules For A Happy Day"


1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is
unkind... I will not respond in a like manner.

2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I
will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual. I understand the
"enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or
stranger.

3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I
do not spread gossip.

4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL NOT DO
IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule - "Do unto others as I would have
them do unto me" - with everyone I encounter.

8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the
difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank GOD
for my body.

10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin
reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a
quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to GOD's
voice!!!

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled,
putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation
as a helmet." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
-- Author Unknown

Lord, Change Me

God has chosen you and made you his holy people.
He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to
others, be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Get along with
each other, and forgive each other. If someone does
wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave
you. Do all thee things but most important, love each other.
Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because
you were all called together in one body to have peace.
Always be thankful. Let the teachings of Christ live in you
RICHLY. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct one another
by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with
thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you
do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord.
And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
Colossians 3:12-17

It is a wonderful thing to know we are chosen by God,
and beloved of Him. It is also a huge responsibility.
We should be utterly humbled by it and thankful for it daily.
This should make us long to be right before Him in all
we do and say.

We should be united in the Love we have
for Christ, and develop a unconditional love for fellow believers.

We should be more aware of our bondages
and faults and we seek to overcome them. Love conquers many things.
It can cover a multitude of hurt, loss and internal pain.

Few there be that have this depth of love and forgiveness.
Why? They have been hurt or offended. They never move
past that point of pain, but cling to it as if it was the
most important thing in their life. What a sad commentary
on someone who is supposed to love and forgive.

Some just don't grow in Christ, they are content to sit
in a pew and feel they are doing their duty just by attending church.
They are unwilling to change.

This is really important. If we have a new life in Christ,
shouldn't there be evidence of it? If someone sued you
today because you were a Christian would they have enough
proof of it? Seriously, what is showing in your life?

The cry of our heart daily should be God, show me
the way to go. Change me. Help me be pleasing to
you in all I do and say.

If we see everything through the filter of past hurts and
rejections we get to a point where we stop communicating
with people and avoid them. Later on we find out it
was a waste of our energy and time, and we lost a lot
of time we could have used more productively in building
that relationship, or praying for that person rather than
holding onto any grudges we have.

Rather let us gather together with other believers
in a spirit of humbleness and forgiveness. Not seeking
our own ways, but seeking to unite in Christ and be
useful for Him, and loving and encouraging to one another.

This requires absolute surrender to God's will daily.

Are you ready for this journey in Christ? Make it powerful.
Make it right before him. Be all you can be in Christ.
Don't waste another moment. Life is short, grasp it
and live it to the fullest. Let your legacy be one of love
and forgiveness. Let your light so shine before men
they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

love always
millie


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Change Me

Dear Lord change not Thy will in my life,
Or trial and sorrows to be;
Renew my faith and make me strong,
Change not Thy will, change me.

Though teardrops fall when trouble comes,
Like storms on a rolling sea;
Let Thy beacon guide my ship to port,
Change not the storm, change me.

When Thy Holy Word I don't understand
And Thy glory I cannot see;
Teach my eyes, give me sight and wisdom,
Change not Thy Word, change me.

If the fruit Thou hast given me to eat,
Taste bitter and sour, I plea;
Let not my will but Thine be done,
Change not the fruit, change me.

If sometime I murmur and grumble, dear Lord,
About the cross I carry for Thee;
Keep it firm on my shoulders, but hold my hand,
Change not the cross, change me.

If You change Thy ways to please me, dear Lord,
I would soon grow cold and turn from Thee;
That You may hear my prayers, dear Lord,
Change not Thy ways, change me.

There's a valley that I must cross,
Someday Thy face to see;
Lest I forget what power is Thine,
Change not the valley, change me.

- Author Unknown

The Stone Cutter

Good Morning Everyone,

Have you ever been jealous of someone? Perhaps they had
more than you did, and you wished you had such possessions.
Perhaps it was a person who was successful and didn't seem
to make many mistakes in their career. It could even have
been someone who was prettier, or more intelligent, or even
had a better car.

Here you sit watching them with envy thinking how lucky they
are and how unfortunate you are.

Basically what you have done is shown a great deal of unthankfulness
for WHAT YOU DO HAVE.

It is something we are all guilty of from time to time.

My guess is if you walked in that person's shoes for a week,
you would beg for your own life back. For everyone has hard times,
everyone wishes they had something else, and everyone is flawed and
subject to failure. All of us will go through hard times, illness
and tragedy. This is just life. It is not what we don't have that counts.
It is what we do with what we have that counts. What you hold within
your grasp and reach today, you can make shine or you can complain about.

How do you want to be remembered?

Make a success of whatever you are given to do, or whatever your life
is about today. It is all that you have control over. Never be jealous
of what someone else has, they have their own burdens to bear you cannot
understand, just as they do not fully understand you.

Rejoice for the new day you have been given, and live it for Christ.

These are things you will never regret, and they will make each day
successful in it's own measure.

remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, for Christ will last

love always
millie

**************************************************************

THE STONE CUTTER

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with
his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he
saw many fine possessions and important visitors. How powerful that
merchant must be! thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and
wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more
luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but was envied and detested
by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried
in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers
beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the
procession. How powerful that official is! he thought. I wish that I
could be a high official!

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered
sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer
day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He
looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his
presence. How powerful the sun is! he thought. I wish that I could be
the sun!

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the
fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved
between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on
everything below. How powerful that storm cloud is! he thought. I wish
that I could be a storm cloud!

Then he became the storm cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted
at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some
great force, and realized that it was the wind. How powerful it is! he
thought. I wish that I could be the wind!

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting
trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up
against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew
against it - a huge, towering rock. How powerful that rock is! he
thought. I wish that I could be a rock!

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as
he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the
hard surface, and felt himself being changed. What could be more powerful
than I, the rock? he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.

Author Unknown

Short Circuits

copyright Millie Plastaras 12/27/2003


My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from
Him!! He only is my ROCK and my SALVATION, He is
my defense, I shall not be moved! In God is my salvation
and my glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge,
is in God. Psalm 62:5-7

Have you ever desired something so much it hurt?
You wanted it so badly, you thought about it from morning
till night. And then one day, you got it, and it seemed
semi-climatic compared to all you went through to get it.
By the time you got it, you realized it was more fun working for it,
than it was finally getting it! It wasn't at all what
you expected, it fell short of your hopes. This could
be true of a career, a relationship or even a long
desired possession.

Sometimes our thinking gets an electrical short in it.
We think we know how our life is supposed to be, and
how we want it to be, and we work hard to make it happen.
And then one day we find, that we were going down the wrong path
all along. We forgot to consult the one who knows about
tomorrow in our life. We forgot to pray and ask for God's
guidance. He can see tomorrow, He knows our yesterdays
and He knows far more than we do what is best just for us.

So here we are plotting, planning, working and
dreaming, and setting goals, and when we reach them,
we realize, wow.. I didn't really want this
after all. It wasn't what I thought at all. I'm not happy!

How can we avoid making such wrong choices that
lead us down a path that we never expected, dealing
with things we never wanted to, and perhaps don't even
have the skills or patience to deal with?

We have to build our house upon the rock.
We have to focus on God, first, and all things else,
will fall into perfect place ... perfect timing, and
perfect companions for the trip. Most of all
a perfect Savior, guiding us and leading us in
paths of righteousness.

God made us, He knows our thoughts, our hearts,
the intent of our heart, and He knows what will be best for us.
He also sees the future, so His plans, will work out best for us.
We won't get lost in a sea of misunderstanding if we pray
and seek His will for the choices we make in life.

How long, truly, since you set down and prayed and
asked God to show you His perfect will for your life?
We not only have to pray, we must pray with fervency,
emotions, and pour out our heart before Him. And then
be patient. God will need time to set up the perfect
circumstances for our lives. We need to listen for that
precious still small voice to speak to our hearts, and lovingly
guide us into the perfect path that will lead to a fulfilling life
in Christ.

Many people lead unhappy lives, because they
make wrong decisions, that they have to pay for, for
the rest of their lives, and they never fulfill their dreams
or hopes, because they went down the road of
least resistance. Caving in to the world and it's standards.

God holds us to higher standards, and a calling
that is beautiful and precious upon our lives. And He
will provide the tools we need for the journey.

Are you ready for the ride of your life?
Get into the train with God. He will give you a journey
that is unexpected and wonderful. There will be troubles
and trials along the way, but He will be right there with you,
coaching you, leading you and providing comfort, strength,
wisdom, hope, and every good thing.

remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last

The Strange Visitor

copyright by Millie Plastaras 9/17/02
cannot be reproduced without permission.

We have a new companion in our home. It was an
unexpected visitor. Not someone I had thought of
inviting before. But one day, there they were at
my doorstep. They were so compelling in their words
that I had to let them in. What they said, seemed to
hit the deepest part of my heart. They seemed to know
exactly what I was thinking. They seemed to know
all the sad things that were in my heart and life.

At first, I think my family was surprised by the new visitor.
They tried to communicate and understand, but they
were too busy, and soon that task was all my own. I
prepared the visitor breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And then sat down to talk to them, and to get a lot
of feedback from them. Day and night this visitor
would talk to me about what I was going through
and how I should look at it. Pretty soon I seldom left my house.

I noticed my friends were drifting away from me, and
I was surprised at their response. I marked it all down
to jealousy. They just wish they had such a companion.
I recognize jealousy when I see it.

My husband was seeming like a stranger to me more
and more. He was leaving earlier for work, and coming
home later. And seemed to fill the evening with work
he bought home. And I noticed he did not want to
be around as much. I couldn't believe he would be
jealous also. He never expressed this. What was his
problem anyway? My goodness, can't a person
have company for a week or two?

Slowly my taste in clothes changed, any old thing
seemed to do. I was staying in bed later, and eating
more. And I spent a lot of time watching television.
I seemed to be crying more, what's up with that?
I couldn't figure out what was happening to me.

I asked my company, but they seemed a bit illusive on
this subject. That rather surprised me. I thought they
had become my best friend.

I noticed that the days seemed more overcast lately,
something like my moods. Suddenly I felt so sad,
and let down by everyone around me. And I looked
for ways to drown my sorrow. There are a lot of ways
to do that. But none of them helped, I only felt worse
afterwards.

One morning as I got up, I remembered how my Father
had taught me that reading the Bible was a good way
to find wisdom in any situation. Dad used to tell me
how God could change our lives, and bring us spiritual
understanding we never imagined. That would give
us hope in the worst of situations. Jesus was the
one who came, that we might have life, and have it
more abundantly.

What had I done with my Bible? I knew it had to be around
here someplace. I remember reading it this year.
Oh yes, here it is, under one of my favorite magazines.
A bit dusty, but none the worse for wear.

As I opened up this book it fell open to Psalm 109:31
For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save
his life from those who condemn him.

I had someone standing at my right hand?
I didn't know that. As I looked to my right, I suddenly
felt a presence, a warmth, and I remembered
years ago what it felt like to be in church and
sing the songs rich with the beauty of the presence
of God. What peace that had brought. Why had
I ever stopped it? The tears started to course down
my cheeks, and I recognized the feel of a hand upon
my shoulder. He said, My child, you are never alone,
I will never leave you, nor forsake you. You are mine,
I bought you with a price.

Fear not for I am with thee,be not dismayed, for I am thy
God! I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee,
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Psalm 147;3

Suddenly I noticed my old visitor at the front door,
making a hasty retreat. I realized they had not been
my friend at all. It had been the spirit of depression.
And I had invited them in my home, and felt sorry for
myself, and spent the day feeding my depression,
and forgetting my family and friends, to allow
depression to become my constant companion.

I had not recognized the darkness.
Now, I did. Yet Jesus was in this room with me.
I felt his presence so clearly. A restful, peaceful
presence. And I felt something in my heart, I had not
in months, a calm reassurance, and hope. Great hope
that everything was going to be OK. Jesus is here,
I can relax now. I felt the brush of angel wings upon
my soul. I had companions of light. Jesus had
bought light into my home. And his angels
were here to guard it, and to minister to me.

I got down on my knees and cried Holy and worshipped
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The great deliverer. Jehovah Jireh the great provider.
The great I Am, I am all that you ever need.

All Jesus is, is all I will ever need.

Never again, will I allow dark companions to enter
my home. I have found the bright and morning
star, Jesus Christ, and He has come to live in
my home, and dispel all darkness, and bring
hope and comfort, and a future to me.

I am a child of the king of Kings.

Never alone again.

I can relax now. Jesus is here.

remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, For Christ will last

The Parable of the Pencil

Good Morning Everyone,

A few years ago, someone sent me the story below. I think from
time to time it is so good to read it.

Sometimes when life is happening around us, we lose the broader
perspective and often get caught in a web of wanting to give up
or of thinking negatively about everything.

Sometimes being around people who are positive,
inspiring, or encouraging, it can make us rise up to
the occasion rather than being defeated by it.

Each thing we go through in life sharpens us. It teaches
us lessons. It teaches us accountability to the standards
God has set for us to live by. It refines us and makes us stronger
and more resilient.

I can honestly say each hard time in my life, each loss, each
tragedy, made me think deeper, strive to live better, and to be wiser
in my relationships and decisions. It brought wisdom and insight into my heart.

Being a analytical person about all of these events, I processed them
with the word of God in my heart, and then I realized all this time
God had been with me through everything, guiding me, comforting me,
and telling me things would be ok, just to trust in Him, and this too
would pass.

So my friends today, rejoice in life, and it's lessons and let them
make you a better person. Don't be defeated, don't give up, instead
turn your face to God and find strength in him.

A suggestion: be one of those wonderful people who is prayerful,
encouraging, spirit led, and full of God's word so you can be a great
influence on the lives of those around you because of what you have
been through and who your Savior is in you.

We have around us many people whose lives tell us what
faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and
never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that
would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.
Hebrews 12:1

love always
millie

ps... for those of you who asked, I have been sick for weeks with
a terrible flu bug. I am on the mend and hope to restart my devotions.
I have missed very much doing the work and hearing from all of you.
Forgive me for the unanswered letters, and thank you all for your prayers
and faithfulness. I can always use your prayers, we are facing some
obstacles right now and need God's intervention in our situation. God
has never once failed me, and He cares about our needs. Never forget that.
Cast your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7


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"PARABLE OF THE PENCIL"

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, butonly if you allow yourself to be guided by Someone's hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening fromtime to time, but you'll need it to become abetter pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakesyou might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart. Now put your self in the place of the pencil.Always remember these five things and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

When you reach the end of your rope you will find the hem of His garment. I have often felt that many things that bring us to our knees,teach us while we are down there to learn to pray.

These possibilities are open to everyone.

Don't tell God you are not good enough, do what He asks.

Don't tell God to send someone else, He asked you.

Don't tell God you don't have time to pray, He said seek me first.

Don't neglect the things of God. He said we are to pick up His cross daily and follow Him.

Don't tell God anything is bigger than His ability. God is the Great I Am, I am whatever you need. There is no pit so deep, God's love is not deeper still.Not my will but thine oh Lord.

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° Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank GodX EVEN WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE HIM...GOD IS THERE! O (run your mouse across the x to zero and highlight it )Disclaimer©§@}»~©©{millieshome1 }©©~»{@§©This mailing is for Millies Devotions members only and is being sent to those who have subscribed to Millies DevotionsMillieshome1 is a registered member with the Aol community action team. Millies Devotions is not responsible for forwards of any kind.All disclaimers are on file with Millie(Millieshome1@aol.com)in the event of a TOS violation. If you wish to stop receiving from this list, just click on the link below. Millie unsubscribe me ALLOW AT LEAST 72 HOURS FOR YOUR REMOVAL FROM THE LISTif you have received this from someone else and are not yet a member and would like to join, please click on the link below. Thanks :)add me to millie's devotions list If you wish to join the list, please click on the above linkallow at least 72 hours for this to occur.thanks for joining!

Strengthening Your Grip

Dearest Friends,

What do you cling to the most?

The past? The present? Hopes for your future?
People or relationships? Money?

What has a grip on your mind and heart?
Is it building you or tearing you down?

Are you sustained or are you depressed and hurting?
Does that have anything to do with what you are clinging to?

I think it does. I think whatever we cling to, we build our
life, hopes, dreams and thought patterns around. So if we
cling to things, or relationships that are not sound or secure,
we find ourselves in a crisis more than we would like.

We are looking for security by gripping onto things or
people that are actually making us feel more insecure.

This week my daughter Eva's father in Law Juan, after months
of struggling with lymphoma and many symptoms and much
suffering, was told he has a few days to live. For months,
he fought back from what he thought was impossible odds.
He finally got his strength back, he finally was able to walk on
his own, and even start driving again. Then this horrible
report. We are sorry, your cancer has come back, we
don't think you can survive it this time.

How do we face such things?

As I was thinking about this, this very week, the one
thought that came to mind was times like these
strengthen our grip on God. And it shows us Gods grip on
us is never failing. No matter what diseases, disasters,
hard times or losses we may face in life, we never
face them alone. We are gripped by God's strength,
provision, comfort and He is our hiding place.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs
into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

What are you relying on to get you through the rough times?
The insecurities of this life, the natural and unnatural disasters?
Are you going to cower in fear, or despair? Will your strength
be depleted and never replaced?

No matter what we face in life we have a mental choice
to face it with courage and just go through it, and seek God at
every turn and read his promises till our heart is still and peaceful,
or we run and find escapes that never work, never sustain,
and never rebuild that courage we need.

Let God strengthen your grip. Find hope in him every morning.
His mercies are new every morning.

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."
- Lamentations 3:21-23

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.MY friend, are you really trusting God? Oh run to Him now.

Don't for a minute let go, or stop believing, or lose faith or stop trusting.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord God delivereth him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

Whether you go through hard circumstances or not, and we all do.. you are never going through them alone. Keep your focus on God, feed on His word and let Him sustain you. Cling to Him for all you are worth. He never fails, or leaves you.

Wait for the Lord's help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord's help.
Psalm 27:14

The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to those who seek Him. It is good to
wait quietly for the Lord to save. Lamentations 3:25-26

So do not lose the courage you had in the past, which has a great reward! You must
hold on, so you can do what God wants and receive what He has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36

But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently. Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.
Romans 8:25-26

Casting All your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Just Trust!

Love Always
millie

Making Progress In Your Own Battleground

Dearest Friends,

The last devotion I sent to you was about a battleground.

I realize now how that was about me. I was about to
face several large battles. I had my mailing privileges
questioned and revoked. Suddenly my life work felt like it had
come to a end and all the precious people I had met around
the world, I was unable to contact and minister to.

Since then, both my husband and I have
been desperately ill with some horrible virus that
settles in your lungs like glue, and doesn't want to come out.
We have been in bed for days, with the worst time breathing
that is in recent memory for me.

Then.. I fought a big battle with fear over it.

I thought then about how over the years each lesson
I have taught from my heart, and out of God's word,
has often been lessons that have been very hard earned for me.
Things I learned the hard way, or went through great trials
to overcome and explain how to persevere.

I can remember a few times asking God why I had
such heavy difficult trials and he said how else can you
tell others about overcoming if you don't learn this lesson?

How can we be equipped for a job if we have no
equipment? How can we teach if we have no knowledge?
How can we share our heart, if we do not open it?

I also thought that battle ground devotion was very relevant
for the Christian community on several fronts. Let me tell
you why.

People are weary from their own battles. They are
weary from a world that gives you more negative input than good.
People are weary from not reading their
Bible and merely casting glances at it,
as if it would somehow leap off the page and enter their minds
and inspire them. People avoiding churches because
someone hurt them, and they therefore deny themselves
the great fellowship, prayer partners and Bible teaching
that are so vital to the growth of all of this.

People have gotten in a spiritual rut. They are not
growing. They are not hearing the word of God
powerfully taught so it convicts our spirit of our
wrong doings, and makes us long to please God
and to turn our lives over to Him, and truly be a disciple.

All of this combined with the world situations has made
our whole mindset different. We are no longer believing
that we can overcome, or fight. We seem to be content
to take whatever comes and deal with it.

Whatever happened to walking in the strength of God like
a good soldier? One who keeps pushing forth no matter
the obstacles. How dare I say this? I have to do it too!

When problems hit it is easy to cave into a negative mindset,
but it only hurts us. And it certainly shows we are NOT
relying on God, but trying to control everything ourself.

I had to come back and tell you, please get into the word of God.
Please take time to talk to Him. He loves you and has answers
and courage and inspiration for all your needs. But you have
to have time for him. You cannot have a relationship with
anyone without giving them time!

Oh precious friends, all these years we have been together,
have I not often spoken to you of God's word? Does it not
ring within your spirit? Do you not want to be encouraged
and strengthened to face your own battles?

Let not your heart be weary, you believe in God. Believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
(what a blessed promise)
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:1-3

Always remember, even if we cannot be in touch,
Only one life, will soon be past,
Only what is done for Christ will last.

Let this poem of my Dads ring in your heart as it did His,
and as it does mine. Make Christ your first thought,
and your first desire, and walk with Him each morning
in the garden of your heart and let him refresh your spirit
and whisper words of love and reassurance to you,
that you may be equipped and victorious for your days.

love always
millie


Just walk it.
Just talk it.
Just preach it.
Just teach it.
Just tell it.
Just live it.
Just give it.
Just wear it.
Just share it.
Just shout it.
Just sing it.
Just proclaim it.
Just prove it.
JUST DO IT.
Live For Jesus!

Dear Friends

Thought I would let you know both my husband and I have been very sick with bronchitis, and are unable to do much at all. I have asthma and copd, and JOhn has heart problems, so it takes us longer to fight this, and it seems to have knocked us off our feet this time. Please remember us in your prayers. I Hope to start posting to the blog again soon, and to complete one for David.

I love you all dearly.

millie

Envision The End

Good Morning Everyone,

Have you ever started a task, and it seemed neverending?
It just seemed no matter how hard you worked, it didn't look
like it would ever be done? But you persisted, and finally it was.
At the end, it was very gratifying to know you persisted
until you saw that job through.

What about a trip? When you are going someplace the
journey can seem fairly short if you are excited. But if
you are dreading a long journey ahead, it can seem
like it is taking forever. You just don't know for sure
what the end result will be.

I am reminded, of how often we tell God how we think
our life should go, when we don't have the ability to
see 10 hours ahead much less 10 years. You see, the
secret is that only God knows what will happen down
the road, and He has the great insight to know what is
best for us.

I cannot think of a better reason to allow Him to be Lord
of our life. He knows how to deal with what we will
be dealing with. He has the perfect answer, and a resting
place when we get weary.

If you cannot see what is coming, if you are worried about
your future, or troubled about your life now, you must
learn that if you want to find peace, you have to stop
trying to control your situation and let go of it through prayer.

1. You may have to go to the Lord 50 times a day, and say
God I need help, this is too big for me. Please take this
from me, and work out your perfect will.

2. The next step is we learn to take our mind off it.
Everytime it comes up, we say, no, I am not going there, I gave it to God.
It will take practise, but it is programming our mind to
think differently.

3. Learn to enjoy what you do have, and quit looking at what
you don't.

4. Make plans for your day, find some useful thing to do.
Make a list, keeping busy really helps.

5. Find someone else to do things for, the best way to
forget your own problems is to do something for someone else.

6. If you are too weary to do any of the last 3, then you need
to go back to step one. :)

It is all a choice. Remember that the next time
you fill your day with worry. Even in the greatest
tragedies, we have a shelter in the storm, who
knows just how to navigate, protect and get us
to the other side of the storm safely.

Faith is believing the answer is on the way, even
when we cannot see anything happening yet.

I love you all dearly, and want you to know,
no matter how great your problems, or pain,
God is greater still.

Love Always
Millie

For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the
whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of
them whose heart is perfect towards Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you,
and keep you from evil.
2 Thessalonians 3:3

He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall
be silent in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail.
1 Samuel 2:9

For He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My
strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly
will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities,
in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses,
for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

It is only when we let go, that He can take over.







ENVISIONING THE END

Eight-year-old Frank had looked forward for weeks to this particular Saturday because his father had promised to take him fishing if the weather was suitable. There hadn't been any rain for weeks and as Saturday approached, Frank was confident of the fishing trip. But, wouldn't you know it, when Saturday morning dawned, it was raining heavily and it appeared that it would continue all day.

Frank wandered around the house, peering out the windows and grumbling more than a little. "Seems like the Lord would know that it would have been better to have the rain yesterday than today," he complained to his father who was sitting by the fireplace, enjoying a good book. His father tried to explain to Frank how badly the rain was needed, how it would make the flowers grow and bring much needed moisture to the farmers' crops. But Frank was adamant. "It just isn't right," he said over and over.

Then, about three o'clock, the rain stopped. Still time for some fishing, and quickly the gear was loaded and they were off to the lake. Whether it was the rain or some other reason, the fish were biting hungrily and father and son returned with a full string of fine, big fish.

At supper, when some of the fish were ready, Frank's mom asked him to say grace. Frank did - and concluded his prayer by saying, "And, Lord, if I sounded grumpy earlier today it was because I couldn't see far enough ahead."

By James Hewett

Certainty in A Uncertain World

copyright Millie Plastaras 1/23/08

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.
He knows them that trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7

Good Morning Everyone,

Often we feel we are surrounded by problems.
By trouble with people, finances or other issues in our life.
Sometimes the world situations can make us feel insecure
and even fearful. But the core of us... our spirit belongs to Christ.
That core, should never be fearful. For we have a fort built
inside of us. That fort is the stronghold of God, who will not
let us go or forsake us.

Did you know you had a fort? Did you know that even in the
storms of life you have a anchor for your soul? Are you counting
on that, or are you focusing on your problems rather than
the sufficiency of a All Powerful God who loved you so much He
brought His son to earth to die specifically for you, to save you
from your sins?

Who else loves us this much? Who else promises to be with us
24/7 365 days a year? Are we blessed or what? Are we acting blessed?
Are we showing we have faith, or we living in fear?

Its all a choice. It starts every morning when we make a choice
to face the day with courage, and walk in God's strength and promises
or walk in our fear and leave God out of our equation.

I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in You in all things.
2 Corinthians 7:16

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence of faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:12.

We may not have access to political officials, those in charge of things
we participate in. Sometimes we may feel like the low person on the
roster, but with Christ we are first in his thoughts daily. He has plans
for you and He loves you and offers you hope, strength, security, and
promises to Guide you daily. Count on it, rely on it, hope in it, speak
it out loud, and rely on Him. Talk to him all the time. Tell Him how
you feel, and allow Him access to your heart, and life. He will help
you make dramatic changes as He speaks to your spirit about changes
you must make or the way you must go.

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a expected end. Then you
shall call upon me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will hearken to
you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with
all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13

My friends do a reality check today. What are you relying on? What is
your core security? As a Christian, even when the world falls apart around
us, we can cry out to God, and know He has promised to protect us and be
with us, no matter the circumstances. Just Trust,

Love
millie

A notice to my list

I wanted to notify you today, that someone on my list reported my email as spam.
Therefore aol is not letting me send emails right now. I jump through this hoop
every year, even though I comply with all their rules. I have to be by subscription
only, which I am, and there must be a link to unsubscribe in the emails. So I am posting this notice to my blog for those of you who visit it. If you know someone
on my list, please tell them.

It seems that in my disclaimer I asked people not to forward my emails, as
they might be reported as spam, but to copy and paste the emails to a new email
if they wanted to share it with their friends. This is what aol considered a
violation. However, it is their guidelines! I do not know what else to do
after talking with several technicians.

If you don't want my mail all you have to do is tell me, but don't report me as spam, that causes me a great deal of grief to get reapproved to send the mail, after 10 years of having approval to send it. I do not want to be a bother to anyone, but a encouragement. There are never hard feelings if someone unsubscribes, I know many are busy, or just move on from what I send, and that is ok. I am thankful to be in your life for a time. It is just so disheartening to have someone handle it by reporting me.

I will be posting a devotion to this blog tonite.

You can still email me, but I am unable to email you today.

Please pray about this matter.

love
millie

Just Do It, Even When In Fear!

copyright Millie Plastaras 1/18/08


Good Morning Everyone,

Have you ever been fearful? I mean to the point it
seemed to take over your life, your thoughts, your actions?
I think most have faced fear to varying degrees in their
lifetime. What we do next is what counts.

I know people who are so fearful, most of the decisions
they make are out of fear. They protect themselves
(or so they think) by making decisions that isolate themselves.
Basically what they have done is cave into that fear
and built their lifestyle and mindset around it.

I am here today to tell you that whatever life may bring
your way, even if you are fearful, you have to have courage.
You do whatever must be done... even if you are fearful.

I was talking with my son in law who is a policeman. He
was talking about the decisions they make daily and
how many times when they are confronting criminals
they do not know what can happen in the next few
seconds, and they always have to be prepared. He
said even if you have fear.. you do it in fear. Just do it!

Don't let fear control you. Fight it. Do things whether you
are fearful or not. Get my point? Just forge ahead.

I have had fear several times in my life. A couple of
times from dreadful circumstances my family was going through
and it caused me to have severe panic attacks. These are
so frightening in and of themselves, it takes a lot of courage
to face them and overcome them. But I did, through counseling,
and just forging ahead even when fearful. I can remember
being in the grocery store, my heart rate up to 130,
and I felt myself passing out, I could not get my breath.
I said to myself. I am not leaving here, I didn't die from
this yesterday, I will not die today, I am going to fight this fear.
And so I set out on a journey to beat it.. and I did.. totally.

I also have had it from not being able to get my breath
when my asthma gets bad. But caving into the fear
only increases it. So I fight the fear.

I am here to declare to you today, no matter what your
circumstances, God is still on the throne.

Fear is not your friend, or a worthy companion.
It is from the author of confusion. satan the loser.
You can fight it. You stand up strong, face your problems,
just do what you must, whether you are afraid or not..
just be pushy with yourself.

Here are some verses to speak out loud to your fear.

God did not give us a spirit of fear that makes us
afraid, but a spirit of power and love and self control.
2 Timothy 1:7

Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect
love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person
fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.
1 John 4:18

Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected
by the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, You are my place of
trust and protection. You are My God and I trust you.
Psalm 91:1-2

So we can be sure when we say, "I will not be afraid,
because the Lord is my Helper. People can't do
anything to me." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today and forever.
Hebrews 13:6,8

My friends, God is in control. We control almost nothing.
Our job is to keep forging ahead, make the best
decisions we can, do it with courage to make our lives
count for something good in the long run. God promises
over and over to be with us through everything we face.
We must hold his hand, cry out to Him, trust in Him,
cling to Him, and speak His word out loud to our fears
and trials. God's word never returns void but will
go out and have power over your situation and against
the powers of darkness and fear will always prevail.

YOU ARE EITHER TRUSTING GOD, OR TRUSTING
YOURSELF. Which works best?

Only you can choose to trust God no matter what you face.

Hold your head up high, face it, even if you face it in fear,
JUST DO IT.

love always
millie

Ps. Every time I feel fear creep near me.. I speak out loud:
For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of Love, Power
and a Sound Mind. I speak it over and over, it always works.
The fear departs, it cannot stand the word of God.
Just fight it friends, God is with you.

New Life in Christ = New Habits

New Life in Christ = New Habits

copyright Millie Plastaras 1/15/2008

Lord, who may enter your Holy Tent? Who may live
on your Holy mountain? Only those who are innocent
and who do what is right. Such people speak the truth
from their hearts and do not tell lies about others.
They do no wrong to their neighbors and do not gossip.
They do not respect hateful people but honor those who
honor the Lord. They keep their promises to their neighbors,
even when it hurts. They do not charge interest on money
they lend and do not take money to hurt innocent people.
Whoever does all these things shall not be destroyed.
Psalm 15:1-5

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of
my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my
rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

When we are children, we behave as children. We do
things wrong, we get disciplined for them (hopefully)
and we learn what is wise to do, and what is foolish to
do. We become accountable for our actions. These should
be lessons that follow us throughout our life.. teaching
us self discipline and helping us make wise life choices.

The same would apply to our Christian walk. When we are
baby Christians, and just learning the Word of God and APPLYING
it to our lives, heart and thinking, we have much to learn.
We learn to let go of those things we know are worldly and
not pleasing to God by reading His word which tells us what
pleases Him and what does not. But there is more to it than that.
These things that do not please Him also are things that can
really hurt us along the way. These decisions that we make
that are from a worldly perspective can not only lead us away
from God but into addictions, bondages and a lifestyle that will
make us very unhappy, unproductive and often downtrodden people.

You would think that after a while a Christian would grow and change
just as a child does. But many Christians do not make it past the
baby stage. Somehow they think they can sit back on their laurels,
and never change the way they talk, the things they do, or the people
they associate with. They do not come out from among them and be separate
as Jesus called us to do. We are to be new in Christ, not the same old,
same old.

Are you changing? Have you grown from a baby Christian to a mature walk
with Christ? Does the words of your mouth reflect that?

The other day I was at a craft store, and there was this beautiful young
woman in her late teens. She had spent much time on her make up,
her clothing, her hair, and she looked very well turned out. But she opened
her mouth and vile language came out, and it really destroyed all else
she had done to look beautiful. Inner beauty is even more important
than outer beauty. She had compromised herself as we often do,
by not watching what we say and do, and only putting on a appearance
of being beautiful.

Some of you are saying, how snotty that sounded. No my friend, its called
standards. We have to walk the walk and talk the talk. If we are really
new in Christ, it has to show in what we SAY, and what we DO.

There is no middle ground. You are either spiritually seeking to rise
from level to level by being personally accountable to God, or you are in
a rut, and seeking to please yourself first.

There has to come a time where we face the truth and say am I really walking
with God? Am I really reflecting him to others? Or did I just give lip
service to God and go on doing what I wanted to do.

We as Christians preach a silent sermon to people around us everyday by what
we say and do.

How is your sermon looking? What if someone out there needs Christ and you
are reflecting a lie about Christ? What if someone needs you to be sincere
and upright so they can see Christ in you? What if they are desperate for
help, and you are just misleading them by what you are saying?

You must take up the torch. You must be sincere. You must leave the ways
of the world behind, the thinking of the world, and be new in Christ.

I would ask each of you today, to read the 3rd chapter of Philippians. It
will tell you what we must be thinking as Christians. WE continue to pursue
Christian goals, a accountable Christian walk before Christ and others. And
if we fall, if we fail, we ask forgiveness, get up, dust ourselves off, and
keep pushing forward as soldiers for Christ. Learning lessons from
our mistakes, and recognizing our accountability and the need
for personal righteousness before God.

I pray you take this lesson to heart, as we all must if we ever want to
get past that baby stage, and truly be a worthy servant of Christ who seeks
to please Him with the words of our mouth and the deeds we do daily.

How can we give any less to the master who loved us so much He gave his
life for us?

love always
millie

Remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, for Christ will last!

Have You Not Known?

copyright Millie Plastaras 6/26/2006

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends
of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary!
His understanding is unsearchable,
He gives power to the weak, and
to those who have no might He increases strength.
Isaiah 40:28-29

Why is it we think God forgets about us? Why is it
we think He cannot understand our trials, our hurts,
our pain? Do we think he is a God who is insensitive?
Some far away, nebulous creature who doesn't even know us?

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as
we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16

Why would a God make all that we see, and not notice us?
Why would our God give his only begotten Son to die
for all the rotten sins ever committed or ever to be
committed, and take them upon himself on the cruel cross Just for Us?

Why would God do that if He didn't love us, didn't understand
our human frailties? The Bible says God has known us
before we were born, even as we were being formed
in our mother!

Wow.. He has known us longer than anyone!

This being said, if all that is true, why do we doubt His
ability? Why do we try to run and control and solve
everything ourselves? Why do we give him last place
in our lives?

Who is He in your life? Is He in control? Or do you
just run to Him in emergencies.. just in case?

There is a really important verse we should write
upon our hearts (one among many)

That by two immutable
(not capable of or susceptible to change) things, in
which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have
strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to
lay HOLD of the HOPE set before us. This Hope
we have is a ANCHOR FOR OUR SOUL.
Hebrews 6:18-19

My friends, God is our only hope! People come and go,
they love us and let us down, they try to please us,
and cannot always...they cannot be everything that
we need or require, just as we cannot be for them!
We are human.

But God has promised he would never leave us
or forsake us. Most of us never see that kind of relationship
in our lifetime! Why then do we neglect Him? Who can
do better? Who better to solve our problems, give us
hope, strengthen our spirit, protect us from evil,
answer our prayers, and lead us in the path of light?

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,
to eat the bread of sorrows, for so He gives
his beloved sleep.
Psalm 127:2

Did you hear that? All that worrying, and crying,
and stewing, and trying to control is in vain.
He said, come to me, and I will give you rest for your souls!

Are you allowing Him that place? Have you told him
your problems today? Have you talked to Him about
your needs? Do you visit with Him often?

My friends, if you ever hope to succeed spiritually,
you must make God Lord of your life. It has to be about
Him above all else. For when the hard times come
you are going to need a anchor for your soul.

If you don't walk it, talk it, believe it, live it,
don't expect anyone to take you seriously. You have
to mean what you say and say what you mean,
to be a child of the king of Kings... we have to be
serious about it. Eternity depends on it.

When life seems out of control, God is on the throne.
He has the answers to all we need. He is the great I Am.
I Am whatever you need!

The answers are found in the Arms of God.
Who never leaves, never forsakes and never fails.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;
and He knows them that trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7

You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on you, because he TRUSTS IN YOU.
Isaiah 26:3.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield,
The Lord will give grace and glory;
no good thing will he withhold from those
who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:7

Always remember.. He is the door.. walk in and
receive what He has for you.

Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, for Christ will last!

Battleground!

copyright 1/9/2008

Good Morning Everyone,

As we listen to the news on the war, it reminded me today
of what I perceive it is like to be in a battle. Soldiers
go through combat training, and are taught many disciplines
and skills before they are sent to battle. They are taught
how to use various weapons, and taught how to be strong,
and resilient and not to fear when battles rage in front of
them. Even when they feel fear or evil, they are taught
to be self disciplined, and just get up and do their duty.
It is not easy, but it is a skill and a mental discipline
they learn to be battle worthy.

This morning a picture came to my mind, and I felt so led
to write about it, that I could not do anything else until
this was completed.

The picture came to mind of a soldier kneeling on his knees,
saying ok, I am tired, I am afraid, I am just going to give up.
Go ahead and hurt me, I deserve it, and I need it. I am not
a good person, I don't deserve to live, and I don't deserve anything
good. Can you picture this? Its a difficult thing to imagine isn't it?

Yet this is the very thing many of you are doing today. Yes, you are!
You are giving up. You are weary, worn down and saying that is the
end of the story. I have a bad life, nothing good happens to me I am
giving up. You are saying I have no power to do anything different.
You are saying you deserve this and there is no way out.

Does this sound like you? Is this the way God teaches us to be?

Who in the world taught you to give up in the middle of a battle?
You are to stand strong. Not fall apart, fall on your knees and
give up. Fall on your knees temporarily to pray, but not give up!

Remember in 2 Kings 6:17 how Elisha went out and saw a army of
of horses and chariots and many men was surrounding their city?
Elishas servant became fearful, and said what shall we do?
Elish answered him and said: "Fear not for those with us are more
than those with them".

Then Elisha prayed for his servants eyes to be opened and as the
servant looked around he saw the mountain
was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. A invisible
army!

So while we are giving up, we have this invisible army of angels
surrounding us, with all the provision we need. Sent forth by
a Holy, and All powerful God. And here we are in the midst of
them giving up. Is this sad or what? Why in the world would we
cave in to fear, despair, or any other heavy thing when we are
surrounded with so great a army?

If you are giving up today, if you are weary or feeling defeated,
ask God today to give you a fresh perspective, and to open your eyes
to see his provision.

Stand strong. Stand fearless. Stand on God's promises. And don't let
fear be your friend. Let satan and the evil ones fear your relationship
with God. Our army outnumbers theirs, and we must be strong in it, and
never be a weak minded and feeble soldier.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you can hide.
His truth will be your shield and protection. You will not fear any
danger by night or an arrow during the day. You will not be afraid of
diseases that come in the dark or sickness that strikes at noon. At your
side one thousand people may die, or even ten thousand right beside you,
but you will not be hurt.
Psalm 91:4-7

So we can be sure when we say, "I will not be afraid, because the Lord
is my helper. People cannot do anything to me". Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:6-8

Dear Father, remind us today, you are on the throne, and nothing can
happen to us today, that you and us together cannot handle with the power
of God, His army, His precious promises and provisions. Teach us to
have a spirit of gratefulness, and a spirit of joy, and to prosper in what
we do, rather than fall apart at the first sign of trouble. Teach us
to walk in strength and not defeat. Help us to have a new mental discipline
and attitude of a soldier of Christ. That we may be a witness to all those
around us and a constant source of encouragement in the power of God.

In Jesus precious name,
Amen

love all of you.
Stay strong in God.. you have that invisible army there with you.

millie

Armed With God's Word

Good Morning Everyone.

The last few weeks God has really been dealing with
my heart about some new things. For a time I lost
my focus because some things that were going on
in my family and my health were wearing me down.

I let the unkind words and discouragement of a few
who mocked or look for flaws to enter my spirit.
I should not have. I am sure most of you can relate.

We get our eyes off what we need to focus on, and
focus instead on those things which deplete our strength,
and our hope.

Because God has made it clear to me how very important
it is in these times to stay focused. satan the loser
will use every weakness he knows you have to
distract you from the cross of Christ and the
word of God. To keep you out of prayer, out
of church, out of fellowship and worn down.

We must recognize this battle, and be strong
in the Lord and the power of his might, and fight back.

Things are going to happen in the next year or so that will
change the history of this country and the world.
You will see Christians despised more and more.
You will see leaders seeking a way to pacify the masses
to unite them. Organizations that have "world unity"
in mind. You will see leaders that speak of "one religion"
so that all may "work together for the common good".
You will see the concept of the cross denied in
favor of a "feel good God" who doesn't talk about sin,
hell, the need for personal righteousness or repentance.
One gospel who accepts all people, all lifestyles, and
never mentions sin or the need for repentance.

You will see people become confused about what the
word really says, about their own spiritual life, and they
will fall away from their first love of God. They will
seek their own way rather than God's way.

God has taught me to be a purist. One who checks
everything people say out by the word of God. If what
they preach or say about spiritual matters cannot be
backed up by the word of God, I will not receive it.

This is very important. Because there are too many
different beliefs out there, too many different churches
drawing us into scattered bunches of " I am right"
churchianity that leaves out the true message.

Jesus. It is all about Him. That he recognized
we were sinners in need of a Savior, and came to earth
to die for those sins and rose again the third day
after conquering hell, death and the grave. We must
in turn repent of those sins, confess them, and walk away
from them, asking Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our lives.

If people preach any other gospel they are leading you
astray. If people are teaching you your church is the only
one with the truth they are leading you astray. If your
church is telling you that your salvation comes from
works or baptism, they are preaching another gospel.

It is all about the cross of Christ. Jesus died for those sins.
Not our church, not our pastor, and we cannot earn
that salvation, otherwise it makes void the precious
sacrifice of Jesus upon that cross. If we could have
earned our salvation, we could have remained under
the law and Jesus never needed to die.

My friends, the Bible says in the last days many will be
led astray. If you are not into the word, and really check
out what you are being taught, you will be led astray,
subtly, slowly, and perhaps irrevocably.

We must be wise as serpents, harmless as doves.
We must be discerning, full of the Holy Spirit, full of
God's word, focused on the cross of Christ, righteous
before Him.

There is no other way. None.
Jesus said" I am the way, the truth and the life, no
man comes to the Father God, except through me"
John 14:6

Without the word of God implanted in our heart, a
Christian cannot survive. It feeds and fuels your spirit.
It implants the word of God in your heart, so you can
then speak it out to your situations, to witness to
others of Jesus great love for them, and to grow
in the wisdom and knowledge of God.

You must learn to be a purist in the word of God.
Stick to the word.. not what you hear being taught,
not what your pastor tells you, not what people
teach you.. but what the Word of God speaks.

Of course we recognize our pastors, priests, bishops
are teaching us from the Bible, but if we don't read it
ourselves, how will we know if what they say is really
in there, or if we are being led astray. NEVER take this
for granted.

The Holy spirit will open the word of God to you and lead you
into all truth.

Try everything you hear by the word of God.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits (by
the word of God) whether they are of God, because many
false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

How do we know the spirits are of God?

By this you know the spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. (Jesus
being the incarnate son of God)
And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of
the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is
now already in the world.
1 John 4:1-3

My friends, its so simple. It is about the cross of Christ,
that Jesus is the incarnate son of God. If anyone is
telling you it is your church that saves, good works,
baptism or anything other than the cross of Christ
it is a false gospel.

My friend, if you miss this great salvation through Jesus
nothing else matters. Not one thing. Eternity and your soul
hangs in the balance.
Be aware, be strong, be in the Word.
Let no one deceive you.

Together, we will work through the scriptures and
stay true to His word during the coming times of trouble.
We will not be moved, nor distracted. We are the sons
of God.. no man can pluck us out of Gods hands. And
we must be faithful to what is taught in His word,
we must live it, walk it, talk it, abide in it, and stay strong in it.

Then we can say:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last

A Worship Hungry Heart

Good Morning Everyone,



One of the issues I find among most I know anymore,
is a weariness. Life is wearing them down. Whether
it is their problems, or their attitude, by the end of
the day they are tired, mentally, spiritually and physically.

Do you find this true in your life?

I think many of us have become stale, stagnant spiritually.
we find ourselves weary because we have not been refreshed.
Truly we have neglected the thing we need most.

A worship hungry heart. A God hungry heart. One that
seeks God, and the restoring presence that heals the
wounds we have within us. One that inspires our spirit
to get out of the pit and walk on the mountain top with Christ.

We know in this life we will have problems, and sorrows.
But that is not the end of the story, and that is not the sum total of life.

Life has many good times also. But some of those we have to create
ourselves. We have to take time to have fun, to laugh, to sing, to celebrate,
to enjoy people who uplift and inspire us.

And one of the greatest tools is time praising God. Turn on some
beautiful praise music, let it lift your heart. Sing along with it. You will
find the atmosphere in your home changes dramatically, quickly.

Because God dwells in the praises of his people.

It gets our minds off our troubles and lifts them to a higher realm.
A realm where all things are possible with God. A realm where we
are truly loved, and truly forgiven. A realm where our Father God
dwells, and longs to hold us and restore our spirit and give us a spirit
of joy and peace.

If you don't have this.. you need time alone with God. Its not a game
or a catch phrase, it is a reality.

Do this.. and see if your day doesn't go far better when invested
in praise, prayer and the word of God. All these benefit your spirit
and lift your mood and hope level.

love always
millie


´°`·.,¸¸,.·´°`·.,¸¸,.·´°`·.,¸¸,.·°°´·.,¸¸,.·´°`·.,¸¸,.·´°



A WORSHIP-HUNGRY HEART
by Max Lucado

People on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common.

All are on a journey. Most are well-behaved and presentable. Some
doze, and others gaze out the window. For many, the mark of a good
flight and the mark of a good worship assembly are the same. “Nice,”
we like to say. “It was a nice flight/It was a nice worship service.”

A few, however, are not content with nice. They long for something
more. The boy who just passed me did. I heard him before I saw him. I
was already in my seat when he asked, “Will they really let me meet
the pilot?” The question floated into the cockpit, causing the pilot
to lean out.

“Well, come on in.”

With a nod from his mom, the youngster entered the cockpit’s world of
controls and gauges and emerged minutes later with eyes wide. “Wow!”
he exclaimed. “I’m so glad to be on this plane!”

No one else’s face showed such wonder. I studied the faces of the
other passengers but found no such enthusiasm. I mostly saw
contentment: travelers content to be on the plane, content to be
closer to their destination, content to be out of the airport,
content to sit and stare and say little.

Do you see why I say that people on a plane and people on a pew have
a lot in common? Enter a church sanctuary and look at the faces.
Content to be there. Content to sit and look straight ahead and leave
when the service is over. “Seek and you will find,” Jesus promised
(Matt. 7:7). And since a nice service is what we seek, a nice service
is usually what we find.

A few, however, seek more. A few come with the childlike enthusiasm
of the boy. And those few leave as he did, wide-eyed with the wonder
of having stood in the presence of the pilot himself.
_________________________________________
From Just Like Jesus, Copyright 1998, Max Lucado

A Clear and Strong Path

Good Morning Everyone,

How many of you can conclusively say you are a decisive person?
Can you honestly say that decisions come easy to you?

Do any of you struggle with decisions, and almost find
them overwhelming? Is there a solution? I believe there is.
I believe indecisiveness is as much of a choice as decisiveness is.
It actually is a mental discipline. Like any other choice we make.

The Bible tells us over and over again to trust God for our
decisions and to learn what his will is. How many of you
truly sit down and spend time with God daily praying over
decisions you must make? Or just take time to talk with
Him about how you are feeling, and how much you love
Him and appreciate all He has done in your life.

If you look back on the last year, you should have a very
broad perspective of where you have been and what you
have done and how it worked for you. Do you see some
things you would change if you could go back? These
are things we learn from that help us make decisions
in the future more carefully and wisely.

Lean on, trust and be confident in the Lord with ALL
your heart and mind, and do not rely on your own
insight or understanding.
IN all your ways KNOW, recognize and acknowledge HIM,
and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (amplified)

Let us analyze that verse a bit. When is the last time
you could say you were fully relying on God? I mean really.
Not just lip service, but really trusting in Him to work
out situations and problems for you. Could it be your
own insight or understanding might be limited? Could
it be God has greater insight and wisdom and knows
all of your yesterdays and sees all your tomorrows
and knows what is best? Why would we pass up such
help, strength and wisdom?

How do we rely on something? Simple trust. Trusting
in God is just resting in His abilities and not ours. It is
seeking His will first by prayer.

How can we know his will?

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21.

God will lead us specifically if we listen for that still small voice.
But this means actually listening... actually spending quiet time
with Him. Closing out the noise of the world and DEDICATING
time to prayer and meditation upon God.

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the Giving God
who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without
reproaching or faultfinding and it will be given him.
James 1:5

God will show you the way. He desires to. He wants
you to rely on, cling to, trust in, and find your strength
and daily source in Him. He wants to make your path plain,
clear, and wise.

Looking back over the last year, seeing where you have
been and all you have done, don't you wish you had
spent more time seeking God's will and investing your life
more wisely? Would it have saved you a lot of grief?

Today is a new day my friend, seize the day, and seize
time with God. Take hold of His strength, His wisdom,
and His will, and walk the path He has chosen for you.
It will bless you beyond what you imagine, walking with
God, and not turning to the right or left, but taking
His hand and abiding with Him.

Even the little decisions will become crystal clear,
when our conscience and will is turned towards Him.

love always
millie

New Year - New Chance

Good Morning Everyone,

How many of you make New Year's Resolutions every year?
How many of them have you kept? I would be willing to guess
that most people do not do most of what they promise themselves
to do. Yet these resolutions are often worthy ones, and should
be something we should accomplish or change in our lives.

What is holding you back from change? Have you thought about that?
Is it laziness? Perhaps you are afraid of change? Perhaps you
don't know how to stick to goals and work to accomplish them.

All of us need to change. Its part of growth, part of learning about
ourselves, life, and how to succeed and overcome.

Why fear something that will make our life more positive and
productive?

As this new year approaches, we should spend time thinking
about something we want most of all to change, and make plans
to do it. To live a life of purpose, not one that is drifting, and
we just face things as they come. We need goals, some short
term, some lofty, and inspiring, and some practical. But we have
to seek to make this the best life we can. We only have this one life!

Over the years I have learned more discipline about accomplishing
what I want to change and do. It isn't easy for me, I tend to
procrastinate. I have learned however, that time passes
and regrets pile up, and I don't want to do that. I want to take
time for my family, to love them, to share what I have with them
and others, and to be a light to those around me.

Have you ever looked back at your life, and wish you had
done this or that? You still can, with the people you have
in your life now! You still have time to make a difference!

I want to succeed with what I have in my hands to accomplish
and make it worthwhile and successful. I do this one step
at a time, with a game plan, a daily goal to accomplish
just one thing, to make that day count.

I hope that as this new year comes, you will do this. Pray more,
ask God to lead you, and follow that leading. Get involved in
things that help you and others. Forgive people who have hurt you,
so your spirit can be free to move on. Set short term and
long term goals. And write them down, and stick to them. Each
day do one thing towards that goal. And if you fail... try, try again.

Don't beat yourself up over mistakes, and over failures
in the past, learn from them, move on, and do something good now!

Never give up. It only takes one baby step at a time. Whatever
time you have left fill it with joy, and love, forgiveness, hope,
and worthwhile pursuits. These are things you will not regret.

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me,
I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him
Who infuses inner strength into me, that is, I am self
sufficient in Christ's sufficiency.
Philippians 4:13

Have courage! Change. Don't be a quitter. Your life
is a investment, make it look like one by all you say and do.
You are investing in the lives of others, and you are investing
your life for Christ. Be a light.

love always
millie

PS. For those of you who asked, as you know I have
severe back problems. I fell on Christmas day and hurt
my back, shoulder and leg, and it has taken me a while to get past
the pain, and for it to lessen. It has to lessened a great degree,
and I praise the Lord for what He has done for me, and
given to me. I pray He will help me be faithful to His calling,
and His word, and always live a life turned towards Him.

Thank you for allowing me in your home and heart everyday,
it blesses me beyond any words I know to express it. I pray
I can be a inspiration and bring hope to your life daily, and
encourage you to be strong in the Lord, the power of His might,
and In His Word everyday!