There are times when, if you know a person really well, you can read their mind, or their intent. You know by the wording whether they said something particular or not. Example: A lady once told my mom that, after having asked my dad why mother wasn't at a particular event, that he told her that "she was so sick she was green." Not that it mattered, but she knew he had not said that, in the first place she had not been sick, second place he wouldn't know what being 'green' meant! A little warning buzzer went off in mother's head, here was a woman she would not trust, why would she say something that was obviously not true? The incident that made me think of these things happened last night. My grandson had gone looking for his dad who was taking an on-line test for a course he is taking to get his degree. Gabe came into the den with a giant pout on his lips. When my daughter asked him what was wrong, he answered "Dad told me to shut up, get out of there and close the door!" If you know my son-in-law you already know that was not the truth! Cherita questioned him, "Gabe, are you sure your dad said that?" Gabe slowly shook his head back and forth, "No", "Then why did you say he did?" The answer sent us both into hysterics trying to keep from rewarding this lie with a laugh, "I read his mind!" I thought about how many times we assign motives to a person's glance or (perceived) body language, or a misunderstood statement. The only one that can truly read minds (heart's motives) is the One that created us. He communicated His desires to man, no misunderstanding there, He told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, did they misunderstand Him? No, they blatantly disobeyed. Mark 8:33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." In John 13 Jesus correctly predicted that Judas would betray Him and that Peter would deny him, not once but three times before the next morning. He knew what was in their mind, their heart. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. When you go before God to pray, have conversation with Him, keep in mind that He already knows what you need. Matthew 6:7-8 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me.While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!God already knows what I need! Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,and desperately wicked.Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts" Be blessed! He KNOWS!

Larry Gatlin wrote a song which Johnny Cash recorded and we sang it many times, it was called simply, "Help Me." Part of the lyrics went like this: Lord, Help me walk Another mile, just one more mile; I'm tired of walkin' all alone. Lord, Help me smile Another smile, just one more smile; You know I just can't make it on my own.  If you read the Psalms, you find many times that the Psalmist David said these same words, over and over again. Oh I know they sound different, but these words capture the heart of the writer. As I have been going through boxes of old pictures and looking at faces smiling at me, relatives, long gone, children grown with children of their own, minister's and church members we thought were loyal friends that have moved on, it almost depressed me. The song made famous by the Righteous Brothers says "Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.." the true part of that is that time can do so much, the slowly part, not so much. Job 7:1-6 "Human life is a struggle, isn't it? It's a life sentence to hard labor. Like field hands longing for quitting time and working stiffs with nothing to hope for but payday, I'm given a life that meanders and goes nowhere—months of aimlessness, nights of misery! I go to bed and think, 'How long till I can get up?'I toss and turn as the night drags on—and I'm fed up!
My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life! Sounds to me like Job was the epitomy of depression! It is easy to let yourself slip into that familiar "robe" of depression. I am convinced that when Satan was defeated as Jesus died on the cross and then rose again, he looked around for something that would defeat the body of Christ in a manner that would catch us "off guard" to the point that we would just be overcome with this damned thing and  wilt like a flower that needs water! There are OBVIOUS things that he could bring to us, but we recognize obvious and therefore we could ignore him or tell him to go on back to his home (hell) and leave us alone! BUT...this depression thing is meant to kill us without us ever raising our hand to stop him.

So do you see how we have to handle this? The devil is like a wasp that comes in on us while we are doing our every day chores, lands right on your head (in your mind) and if you don't "brush him off" you will find yourself stung with thoughts of suicide, worthlessness, feeling that you have made all the wrong choices for your life and feeling like "it is all over for you"...as I say this I feel that one of you who will read this is feeling this RIGHT NOW...so stand up shake your fist in the devils face and tell him that "you have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony" Revelations 12:11, and your testimony should be "Satan I don't have to fight you, you are defeated by the Blood of Jesus and I know that no matter how bad things look, they will all work together for my good because I love the Lord and I am the called according to His purpose by the Word of God in Romans 8:28!"  Also I am asking you to read Psalm 30...the whole chapter, but I will give you one piece of verse 5 which says..."weeping may endure for the night, but JOY comes in the morning!" and I say AMEN and AMEN to that!

Again I say "Unto you"...WHY are you depressed?

The lyrics to this song, which was recorded by Whitney Houston, started going through my mind...I haven't heard it in a long time and yet those words, "One moment in time" kept playing in my brain. I was thinking how one small incident can change the course of your whole life, and it makes you want to be very careful and prayerful every day of your life. One moment before I was rear ended while sitting motionless wating to make a left turn, I was happily listening to my radio and going to my office in the church to do some work, my car was smashed, but I was not harmed! Saturday night, two weeks apart, I was laying down to sleep, thinking all was well with my world, when I got the call that there had been a death in the family. First it was my dad's brother, then my mother's. Both times, I waited until early Sunday morning to go into their bedroom and forever change their world. It is hard to see someone greet you with a smile knowing that you are about to give them shattering news. Each time I just stood there for a moment, waiting, giving one more moment of peace before the storm. It happens to many people every day in every place on earth, from the family of soldiers, to families of the elderly. A few summers ago,lightning struck my house. I was working in the kitchen and suddenly out of nowhere a thunderbolt sounded and my house seemed to rock on it's foundation. I could smell smoke and went to find it, the power had gone off so I was just trying to feel my way around and ended up in my bedroom where everything was all over the floor from the power of the strike hitting right behind a book case. The fire department finally found us and determined that the fire was out. Next day in the day light I could see where the beam,inside where the sheet rock had been blown off, the wood had been on fire and was charred and had supernaturally gone out. The insurance man couldn't believe his eyes and it gave me another opportunity to witness to him about God's miracle in stopping my fully cedar wood house from burning to the ground. I pray Psalm 91 over my household and family.Here are a few verses from it:That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you-under them you're perfectly safe;his arms fend off all harm.Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,not flying arrows in the day,Not disease that prowls through the darkness,not disaster that erupts at high noon.He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go.If you stumble, they'll catch you;their job is to keep you from falling. You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes and kick young lions and serpents from the path. It is true that one moment you may be happy and tragedy strike, then just as well you may be in trouble and suddenly you get a miracle and everything is all right once more! Lack of space in this forum keeps me limited from giving a long list! Remember that God can use YOU as an angel to someone in need. Always look for someone that needs an encouraging word or a prayer. How do you want to remember your 'One Moment In Time'?  "Each day I live I want to be a day to give the best of me. I'm only one but not alone, My finest day is yet unknown!

Be blessed, Pray and make all your 'moments in time' the best you can, remembering that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you! Philippians 4:13 Let me hear from you! harolene@att.net

One of her eyes stuck out from her face, it looked like a bluish white marble,her mouth opened to speak and there were no teeth, she was using a cane to hobble along and her clothes were dirty. I was looking for the newest flavor of diet Snapple, not thinking of anything but how happy Chloe' would be that I had found her new favorite drink. I heard a rustle to my right and looked up to see this battered looking old woman coming right toward me, she spoke, "Lady do you have a few dollars you can give me to buy myself a Tshirt and some food? I'll love you forever if you will." My first instinct was to sniff the air for alcohol, I did, there was none detectable. I answered her "Is what you need in this store?" Yes'm it is, I'll love you forever if you can help me." She was pleading, my heart was touched. "Go and gather what you need and meet me at the cash register, I will pay for whatever you get." Her face lit up as she went off saying "I'll love you forever." I finished looking around for what I needed, 1.5V batteries for an "as seen on TV" device for amplified sound, for my dad. I didn't see her as I went to the front, but I heard her "Hey lady, here I come", she continued her crippled walk toward me, smile on her old face. I had her to lay her things on the counter, just a few items; a boxed mac and cheese dinner, a Tshirt, a Gatorade. I said "Are you sure that's all you need?","Yes'm it is, I'll love you forever." I had the cashier scan her things and bag them before he did mine. She asked him to double bag it so it wouldn't break, took her treasures and turned to me, "Can I give you some love?", her arms reached out and I walked into them. As she hugged me she whispered, "God bess you, I'll love you forever." I wasn't more than two minutes behind her, I walked out to see if she was at the bus stop, no bus, no lady, she had vanished into thin air. I looked up and down, as heavy, old and crippled as she was she couldn't have gone far, but she was no where to be seen. It gave me a chill. Had I entertained an angel, unaware? I thought of the lyrics to a Phil Collins song, Another Day In Paradise

She calls out to the man on the street "Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep, Is there somewhere you can tell me?" He walks on, doesn't look back He pretends he can't hear her Starts to whistle as he crosses the street Seems embarrassed to be there Oh think twice, it's another day for You and me in paradise Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, You and me in paradise She calls out to the man on the street He can see she's been crying She's got blisters on the soles of her feet Can't walk but she's trying Oh think twice... Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do Oh lord, there must be something you can say You can tell from the lines on her face You can see that she's been there Probably been moved on from every place 'Cos she didn't fit in there Oh think twice  Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.  Whether this lady was an angel, or someone that needed help from a stranger, I felt I had seen God and strangely, I saw Him in me. How wonderful to feel that you have been the hand of God on earth. Somewhere someone is "loving me forever", thank you Jesus. Be blessed, think twice.

What happens when you feel that you have done everything you are supposed to do, like paying your tithe and giving offerings, volunteering to feed the poor and take meals on wheels, work in the nursery on Sunday morning when you would rather be sitting in the service, and then you pray and feel that you have hit the wall, no answer? I saw someone today to which that scenario applies. This person is kind and gentle and good, gives generously of their income and volunteers to help the "old folk" and anyone that is down on their luck, yet when I saw them, their eyes were brimming with unspilt tears and a look that would melt your heart. It is at times like this that I would give everything in me to be rich enough to solve the problem at hand. What do you say? The truth is so simple that it sounds cliche', it is that when you are doing good it is the devil's job to try you at every level, to see if you will turn aside from your faith so that he can devour you, soul and body. When Job was tried, he suffered the loss of his family and his properties, plus he was covered with boils! He sat on a dung heap and scraped them with a broken piece of pottery, just trying to feel better. He went from bad to worse and then his wife capped it all off by asking him why he didn't just "curse God and die"! Job was faithful in the face of losing everything and then endured all his well meaning friends, commonly referred to as "Job's comforters", telling him that he must have lived in sin or displeased God in some way or this would not be happening to him. It wasn't until Job, feeling lower than a snake's belly, actually prayed for those "friends", that is when God put a halt to all that Satan had put on him. From that point his fortune began to rebuild, he had more children, he regained his properties, he had it all and on top of that, seven times more! WOW! Satan had thrown it up to God that He had protected Job, and said "Does Job serve God for nothing? You have put a hedge around him!" That is when God gave Satan permission to try Job in whatever way he wanted, except he could not take his life. I am sure there were times that Job, and perhaps YOU, have wished you could just die to get out of all your troubles. But consider this, have you armed yourself against this enemy of your soul? Ephesians 6:12-18 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.This was written by the Apostle to the Christian church of the day, he was giving them the best advice he could! Did you notice he encouraged them to PRAY for their brothers and sisters? Are YOU having a hard time? Does it feel like your prayers are hitting the ceiling and falling back in your face? ARM yourself! Be Blessed, pray, pull up those armed drawers and Fight!