*Actual Picture of my prayer blanket. Love to wrap up daily under God’s precious names’.  Handed down to me by my late Grandmother Clyde-Thinking of You during these Holidays.  Love you and miss you. Forever yours ~Cheryl*

Matt 5:33 “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you; go in peace and be free of your affliction.”

Anne Edison Taylor was the first person to wheel barrel over Niagara Falls and survive. On her 63rd birthday, Oct 24, 1901, she did what no one else had yet done.  Though she was on a mission simply for financial gain, two could agree that was a bold move.  My husband, a bold and handsome warrior in great eagerness to renew our vows once accidentally unhinged a locked hotel door where the procession was being held because he wanted it so badly for us.  We were late, (sorry honey) but that did not stop Mr. Hercules.  He certainly fazed me with the intensity of his love and commitment.  A memory to last a lifetime.  No question, he was a man also on a mission -where nothing was impossible.

The most inspiring and memorable persons of the Bible were indeed both bold and mission minded.  There was John the Baptist, who dressed in camel’s hair ate locusts and wild honey while preparing the way for the Lord; the weeping woman with the Alabaster jar, who perfumed Jesus feet with nard worth over $54,509 in today’s U.S. dollars in unspeakable love; Zaccheus the tax collector who climbed up a sycamore tree who just had to see the Messiah or the poor widow who put into the offering ALL SHE HAD to live on because she knew the source of her help.  One great commonality is they stood out from the crowd and in return received the Lord’s blessed attention, encompassing forgiveness and grace-filled noteworthy praise! On top of that cake, He became their ally.

Concern (C): Sister, are you more concerned with being cool with the crowd than “catching fire” for Christ? Does it really matter what bullies you face when you know the Lord is your first friend.   Romans 8:38 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Encouragement (E):  Be confident in knowing that no matter how many people are in this world, God sees you directly, specifically and thoroughly.  And Yes that can either be intimidating or entitling- Impress Jesus! Like those biblical lamps, the one thing that always seemed to move and cause Jesus to feel something, was that person standing on distinguishable faith.  He has the power to catch us if we fall having authority over all.  Public evangelizing, preaching, praying -it takes a little bold and awkward to live a Christian life for sure.  Satan is bold without apology.  How much more should we be!

Act (A):  Show God something Great today.  Get down on your knees to pray in the middle of an elevator ride, wake up an hour or two earlier to have a quiet time date with the Lord cause he’s just that special or go for a power walk and invite everyone along the way into a relationship with God.  People will think you are strange but there is nothing strange in loving a Perfect Father, a Wonderful Son and a Beautiful Holy Spirit.  It is weird not to and not to show it.  One thing that show a person’s sincere faith is what they do in marriage to what they say.  Yet to go the extra mile in Jesus eyes, is to be bold and very often coupled with a uncomfortable degree of awkwardness and non-familiarity.  In reply, our Savior Jesus says of us, as he did to the people criticizing the weeping woman at his feet, ” Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-as her great love has shown. ..”Luke 7:47.  What greater recognition is there than that? And from whom greater.  Let a little Crazy be the new Cool. After all that is what they Jesus and the disciples right? Mark 3:21. 2Cor 5:13.

Psalm 100 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;  give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;  his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Oct 3, 1863 was the year President Abraham Lincoln issued the 106th Proclamation to the United States. Basically it states that all Americans far and wide should observe Thanksgiving Day on the 4th Thursday of every November  as an official National Holiday.  Lincoln began as follows:

“The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.”

What is colossal about this is that it was written at the height of the Civil War.  An ugly, divided war of conflict within our country between two sides, with differing economic, governmental, moral objectives so much so it took the lives of over 130,000 persons.  Highlight the word “insensible”!  However, what is to be admired and honed in on is that he first mentions blessings not war, bounties not policy, healthfulness not strife.  In our country today we are still engaged in divided ideologies -whether politically,  religiously, ethically or so forth.  Yet Lincoln concluded with a united recommendation, appealing US to be focused,  “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

Like Psalm 100 which embodies a harmonic call for the earth to lift all praises in joyful thanksgiving .  We have opportunity to worship him just because he is Lord and we are his one people.  It is of first importance,  first that needs to be recalled, and first that needs to be proclaimed.

Concern(C):  Sister, are you habitually experiencing conflict with others or within yourself  while the ever watchful providence of God is clearly present by your blessings?

Encouragement (E):  Confirm you are made by God with the capacity and ability of  being still and thankful always.  When you get that the Lord is God you are brought into an awareness that despite all prospects he is completely omniscient and omnipresent.  He is the Good Shepherd he cannot help but to watch over you.  For that  reason go ahead and claim his peace, stay in his pasture.  His love is everlasting and His faithfulness forever after.  I am so thankful for Him! The Devil has no seat on His throne.

Act (A):  Reflect on your list of all the things you are thankful for.  This Thanksgiving and every day.  Thanks and Giving are two separate and powerfully serviceable words with effect!  In fact, it is the very thing you are commanded to do whether you are sitting around the table with family or surrounded in a circle by your enemies.  Sister, let us not study war no more.  Hope you have a Full Enjoyment of Thanks giving.

Proverbs 31: 25
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

When I was younger how fond was I of my cousin’s collection of comic books! His dresser filled with the Adventures of Thor, The Incredible Hulk and Silver Surfer to name a few.  What was of real fascination were the women comic book heroines Storm, Catwoman and Wonder Woman.  These fictional characters exuded strength, power and an indomitable sense of  purpose.  Battling the forces of evil, with courage equivalent and sometimes superior to their male counterparts, they executed with such ease and savvy.  Not missing a beat in apprehending their villain, these paladins somehow simultaneously managed to keep every strand of flawless hair in its perfect luxurious place. Total WoW!

Wonder Woman was one of my favorite shows, airing on national television from 1975-1979.  I had Lynda Carter’s character downpacked- from the alter ego spin, to the metallic band bracelets (thanks mom), to the theme intro song.  You could not tell me at 6 years old I was not her!  As amazingly wonderful as she was, there are more awesome real life women.  In the Bible my female superheroes are -the devoted and hardworking Ruth, the teenaged obedient mother of Jesus Mary and beautiful, intelligent, humble faithful Queen Esther.  These women were noted in God’s eyes not only for their faith but for their insuperable heroism in the face of great disadvantage.

Sisters today face similar challenges in their marriage, health and other contexts of life.  Despite opposition, odds and overwhelm they demonstrate the truest epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman.  It’s a wonder how she does it all!  Just like her people wonder at how you do it -Working inside & outside the home, helping family & friends, conducting charitable works, all while living uprightly for the Lord.  Certainly, this is just a snip of the snapshot of some things you accomplish daily.   Yet you do All without maid/men servants, because of God’s spirit in you. Whew! No wonder, You sister, are WW!

Concern (C):  What do you Wonder(Full) Woman do to maintain your energy and inspiration?  

Acts (A):  Psalm 23 states that the Lord  “restores my soul”.  Like Jesus refuel on the Bread of God daily (before the world comes looking for you -if possible).  On His words Power up and  not just 1x a day but use as often as needed.  Let the Lord be your energy source since you know the Devil destroys worse than Kryptonite.  The Word promises that we will get no more than we can bear.  Memorize Psalm 17:7  His love is wonderful.

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

In recent news, I read about the passing of Robert Guillaume who was the voice over for the wise sayings of the shamanistic baboon Rafiki in the original film The Lion King.  His quotes brought to mind a multifarious amount of inspirational Disney movie lines.  When persevering through hardship it’s “Just keep swimming” from Finding Nemo. “Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one” from Pocahantas when challenged in maintaining conviction through persecutions.  Then to mention Rafiki’, his line “He lives in you” serves as a reminder to always carry on the  ambassadorship work of  Christ.

One powerful recollection of a quote that forestalls my attraction towards the wrong path is -“Remember …who you are.  Remember”.  At the crossroad of decisions this one line spoken by the character Mufasa voiced over by James Earl Jones is a powerful motivator and inner reminder.  In an evocatively rolling and haunting manner,  this affectation reminds me that I belong to God and am to serve Him with all eternALLy.

Concern (C):  When you are fighting temptation- What thoughts do you allow occupancy?  Are they miserable or inspirational, evil or scriptural? 

Encouragement (E):  The Choice is Yours sister.  In Phil 4:8-12 Paul admonished fellow believers “to think about whatever is ” true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.  Satan can only tempt you to think otherwise, yet it is YOU who has the authority and final answer to what you meditate on.  Focus on the Father and Remember the Lord.

Acts (A): Sister in referring to the above scripture, make a list of every blessing you have in  God and meditate on these things often.  In Matt 18 the Lord encourages us to change like little children to inherit the kingdom of God.  Children love purely and simply.  What other aspects can you humbly learn from the actions, behaviors, attitudes even movies, books and songs for and about children?  Do you remember…why not show it?