To Be or To Do

Jesus has been teaching my husband and I about being.  This is a lot more work than doing.

We have read books on how to be like Jesus, which includes the Bible.  And the Lord has been giving us lots of insights and dreams on this important subject.

However, worldly thinking is very difficult to change because it is constantly being reinforced.  I still was not getting it and continued to pray for Jesus to give me more to do for Him.

Finally Jesus came to me when I was praying and said, "Susan, you are praying wrong."  "You need to pray to be like Me, because only then will you be able to do more for Me."

Thank You, Jesus, for this clear message that even I could not miss!  I now pray to be like Jesus, and He is available for any one, any where and at any time.

The Lord Prepares Us

The Lord always prepares me for what's to come but doesn't always tell me why I'm getting ready.  This last week I went shopping at the Christian store and left with a bag of World Vision magazines.

Then the Lord told me to bring them to the Wednesday evening study at church.  There I discovered the pastor asking for ideas on how the church could help improve the world.

I was all prepared with my World Vision magazine on its work about bringing clean water to the world and extra ones as handouts for everyone.  World Vision has brought clean water to over 2 billion people but there are still 7800 million people that need it, and this information can be found from its link on my home page web site.

Thank you, Lord, for directing my steps and preparing me to do your good work.  Jesus is available 24/7 for anyone about anything with the supernatural power to solve any problem.

Decisions, Decisions

Every day we make hundreds of decisions usually based on our worldly programming.  This programming in our heads begins the moment our brains and senses are developed enough in the womb to integrate information and continues until we die. 

The Lord wants me to stop blindly doing what I've learned and follow His advice.  My mother taught me when I was a teenager to put money in my pants pocket so I don't lose it.

So like I always do, I put the twenties in my pocket, but the Lord told me to not do this because I would lose it.  I thought this couldn't happen because I had done this with no problem for over 40 years, so I put it in my pocket.

Unfortunately, when I went to pull my money out to buy my groceries, it was gone.  Sometimes history repeats itself and sometimes it doesn't.

Even with supernatural help, we have to be open to following it and not just do what we have always done.  When we follow our worldly programming, we are not following our Lord Jesus.

Dear Lord, I am sorry that I ignored Your good advice.  Please forgive me and open my mind to Your advice in the future.  Thank You, Jesus, for helping me!  Amen

New Year's Resolution

My New Year's resolution is to become more obedient to Lord Jesus.  Specifically, I want to finish the two books He assigned me to write.

I put off writing these books because there are already lots of books wrote better covering the same subject.  However, the Lord feels differently and kept telling me to write them.

This last week, He sent a faithful Christian to explain why the books I write are important.  She told me that my books are unique and will reach a huge audience that needs them, even long after I am gone.

When she told me this, I said that sounds like something the Lord would say.  She told me that it is because He told me to tell you it.

So I am making a resolution to write my books this year and become more obedient.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for sending Your messenger to encourage me!

My Birthday Gift

Since it was my spiritual birthday as a Christian, I asked the Lord for a gift.  He gave me five dreams to explain how I am doing.

In my first dream, I learned that I am halfway to being a mature Christian.  I asked how I could improve and He answered me in the next dreams.

The next two dreams showed me how I waste my time trying to rescue pets and people that don't want it or need it.  Then in the fourth dream, I am surround by people at a party that want to hear about Jesus and love Him.

So I ask how I can have this in my life.  In the last dream, I see a body in a tomb and am told that I must die to myself.

What an awesome birthday gift!  Spiritual growth is only a prayer away!

God Directs

Last Saturday I prayed on which pet I should take to the Pet Blessing.  The Lord told me "none."

With curiosity I went to see "why."  Last year I took my little dog and we blessed pets along with the minister.

This year the minister arrived with her sick child and needed someone to take care of her inside, while she blessed pets outside.  Then I knew the reason and offered my services.

We must always be ready to serve for the Lord no matter what job He wants us to do because it's for the betterment of all.  

Life is so much easier for everyone under His direction and it's only a prayer away.

God's Timing

Sometimes I get an immediate answer to my prayers and other times it takes awhile.  God's timing is based on spiritual necessity and immediacy.

In the morning this week, I asked the Lord what to wear and got answered.  Then I prayed about what to do at church, I was told to preach and the Pastor contacted me the next day to do that.

Sometimes I ask and forget about them until months or years later when my prayers are answered.  The Lord always hears our prayers but sometimes we ask for things that are spiritually bad for us.

Prayers that always get answered are the ones for spiritual growth because we are created to grow in holy love and wisdom for an eternal life with our Heavenly Father.  

Spiritual growth is only a prayer away!

Spiritual Growth

It is easy for humans to fool themselves into thinking they are improving spiritually.  All people, including Christians, cannot objectively know themselves.

But as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit to convict us for spiritual growth.  Almost every day I pray for this advising to become a better person.

As a result, I have learned about my selfishness, lack of unconditional love, desire for control, lust after power, etc.

While these shortcomings were difficult to face, I couldn't live in denial because Christ requires improvement.

With supernatural lessons and advising, I work on obtaining spiritual maturity.  This maturity will be evident by the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self control.

All Christians should strive to be actual disciples of Jesus Christ.  With the Holy Spirit, supernatural help is only a prayer away.

The Lord Provides

As a servant of the Lord, I realize the money I have is not my own, so when He told me to give all my cash to someone at church, I did.  However, the next day I wanted money to get a Father's Day gift for my new Christian earthly dad.

The Lord told me to get the coupons off my email for my favorite Christian store.  I took them in to the store and picked out my selections.

I didn't know if the three coupons could be used together and only had some change.  The cashier scanned them all, said they saved me $19.17 and told me that I owed her 66 cents.

I counted out my change and had 67 cents in my wallet.  

Thank You, Lord, for providing!

Christ's Peace & Strength

In my ministry, the Lord sends me people in distress to help.  Some of them appreciate this spiritual advising and some do not.

No matter what the results, I experience miracles.  It's a miracle when people spiritually grow and if they become hostile, I pray for the miracle of Christ's peace and strength.

Jesus never lets me down.  He sends me His peace and strength quickly and my feelings miraculously change within a minute or two.

This ministry would be impossible without Jesus and His 24/7 supernatural help.  The peace and strength of Jesus Christ that surpasses all understanding is only a prayer away!

Spiritual Lessons In Dreams

Since I pray daily for the Holy Spirit to make me more Christ like, He uses all types of supernatural teaching methods.  One of these is dreams.

Some spiritual lessons I have learned from dreams are that I must take direction from God or I will miss out, people are not my enemies but helpers and opportunities, we are in a spiritual battle against evil, I am not alone because lots of people are following Christ, I must tell about my relationship with Christ more and the spiritual journey is not about the adventure but love.  

I once received a song, "Joy Unspeakable," in my dream as an answer to my question of what life would be like if I followed God's will 24/7.

While this made for many restless nights of sleep, my spiritual growth jumped leaps and bounds.  Spiritual lessons are only a prayer away!

Analyze Life

In order to grow spiritually, we must not only pray for this but look carefully at our immediate world.  Our lives not only reflect how God blesses us but most importantly what issues we need to address.

A good way to analyze our lives is to write down everything we do for a week.  How we spend our time reflects our spiritual growth.

Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.  And, just as importantly, He said to love everyone else.

If we really love God and others, then it will show in how we spend our time.  Simple but only possible with supernatural help from prayer.

2013 Ends and 2014 Begins

The last Sunday of 2013 I had the opportunity to preach at church.  For two nights in a row, the Lord woke me up and told me what to say.

I went to the pastor the next Sunday, and he gave me the privilege of addressing his congregation.  God wants to have a revival here and we need to prepare.

Reviving His children is an ongoing need in this difficult, draining world.  The sad part is we don't seek His supernatural support and rely on our own powers, which are weak and limiting.

Begin 2014 by drawing closer to our Loving Father, so we can quit settling for less than what He wants to give us.  An easy, joyful life is only a prayer away!

Miraculous Lessons

When working on discerning God's internal voice instead of my own thoughts or other voices, I asked Him for help.  He gave me many lessons but a few really stood out.

Right after taking a shower at the gym, I put my locker key in my pocket.  While still feeling it, I heard God tell me that my key was not in my pocket and, sure enough, it had disappeared.

Unsuccessfully, I looked all over the locker room, which included the lock on my locker.  My only option left was praying, so I did.

Then God told me that my key was in the lock on my locker and, sure enough, it was.  I learned a lot from these games, but sometimes I needed to know quickly.

For absolute confirmation, God would give me His supernatural love with His words.  This miracle would confirm it, and I learned how to follow His will.

Praise the Lord!  He is the ultimate Teacher!

My Awakening

As a new Christian, I had God's guidance but did not always follow it.  I had relied on myself so much that I could not seem to understand or accept this new way of living.

After my many "no's" to God and then suffering the consequences from His discipline, I finally realized my foolishness.  Every time I finished what He told me to do, I always grew spiritually and learned that no matter how difficult the task appeared God would help make it happen.

The unpredictable support from humans was my frame of reference, but this did not apply in a relationship with God.  Supernatural support always involves miracles and amazing experiences to get the job done.

Thank you, Lord, for my discipline!  Pray to live a spiritual adventure!

God Disciplines His Own

After going to many networking shows and meetings to promote Tranquil Hearts, I was stopped in my tracks by a nose bleed.  I never had a nose bleed before and these ones kept getting worse.

One day as my nose was bleeding so bad that I was having trouble breathing, I realized I could die.  I had prayed for help, but God seemed to be unavailable.

Suddenly, I realized that my refusal to follow God's directions could have something to do with my nose bleeds and His silence.  So I repented and my nose stopped bleeding. 

Then I corrected my transgressions by reading the Bible, writing books, reducing the networking, etc.  

I'm grateful God stopped my rebellion and brought me to my senses for spiritual growth.

God Sends Help

After meeting God and receiving the motivation I needed, I decided to begin my new advising career.  My next step was to get a website, but I tried and failed.

Then I went back to the Lord for help and got directed to place an ad on the internet.  Over 80 web designers responded but only one name jumped out, Anna Marie.

Anna Marie was my Great-grandmother's name, which is the reason my middle name is Marie.  I contacted Web Designer Anna Marie to discover that she was exactly the person I had prayed for, effective communicator, professional, skillful, team player, easy going, creative, intelligent and oh, so nice.  I love nice!

Thank you, Lord, for bringing Anna into my life to help me.  Remember everyone, help is only a prayer away!

God Protects

After receiving the Holy Spirit, any questions I asked Him were immediately answered.  I felt strange but empowered, so I decided to try out my new life.

For my birthday on March 15, I went barefoot on a spiritual walk through an unmarked forest in a large state park without a map or compass.  I was curious if I would get lost or hurt.

Even after many hours, I always knew where I was without so much as a scratch, and I easily returned unharmed to civilization.  God protected me not only from wildlife but sticks and stones, too.

I had a truly blessed birthday.  Pray for God's blessings!

Prepare For Eternity

Apostle John wrote the Bible book of Revelation from a prophetic vision.  The Lord gave John a glimpse into what the future holds for this world and it looks very, very bad.

No one knows for sure when these end time catastrophes will occur but since physical death is certain, everyone should be ready for their judgment, now.  If people prepare for their physical future with insurance, retirement and savings, they should want to prepare spiritually for eternity, also.

Spending an hour or so in church a week does not prepare us.  We must give our lives to God, so we follow His plan for spiritual growth because He knows best what we need.  Luckily for us, God's will is only a prayer away.

Be A Successful Christian

In Apostle John's letter to the Christians, he wrote proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ and how followers obeyed His commandments.  As children of God, believers needed to test their spiritual input to discern if it had a worldly or holy view, so they were not deceived.

Since God is love, they needed to love one another to know Him and be complete in His love.  Also, Christians needed to ask for things according to God's will and pray for others.

What excellent advice!  Christians must follow Jesus Christ, test their spiritual input, be loving, only want God's will and pray for others.  This is definitely a formula for successful Christians!