Celebrate Mother's Day With Prayer

I know many Christian mothers that worry themselves sick about their children.  They say that worrying is part of being a mother, so they will do it until they die.

Worry is fear.  Apostle Paul wrote that Christ does not give us a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind.

Christ Jesus said that when we abide in Him and His word, He will give us continuous overflowing joy.  How can we have both excessive joy and know our children are suffering?

We must pray for our children and to build our own faith because worry is a lack of faith.  I have seen Jesus deliver people from addictions, illness, selfishness and even death with amazing miracles to give them eternal life.

When my daughter was dying in the hospital, I prayed for help and the Lord Jesus came to me.  He gave me His love, peace, strength and reassurance that He was in control of this situation, so I did not need to worry.

After my daughter came out of her coma, she was delivered from a deadly addiction and ready to follow Jesus.  Mothers need to pray for their children and build their faith in the One with supernatural power to change all circumstances.

Family Harmony

Every since I got married three years ago, I've been praying for reconciliation in our family.  There are many reasons why families grow apart, like being too busy, unresolved issues, nothing in common, geographical distance, unrealistic expectations, etc.

Since God has a spiritual purpose behind everything He does, there are reasons why we're connected together in a family with these specific people.  However, this doesn't mean that we accept abuse or manipulation but pray fervently in all situations for supernatural help to stay in His will.

While I've seen many miraculous changes in family members over the last few years, this past week and upcoming weekend is awesome.  I had the privilege of meeting half of my husband's siblings last week and now Father's Day weekend will be one of family fun with relatives on both Saturday and Sunday.

When human family fun gets overwhelming, we should pray for help from our real Father because He is all powerful, loves us unconditionally and has a wonderful plan for our lives.  

This supernatural support for family harmony is only a prayer away through Jesus Christ.

New Year's Miracles

My new year began with miracles of healing from the Lord at my church in Grafton.  What a wonderful way to start the year!

Some healing miracles were long term chronic back pain gone, hearing loss restored, breathing shortage improved, etc.  While there was no one raised from the dead, many people were very grateful for their relief from suffering.

Our Heavenly Father wants to take care of us but we often prefer to do it our own way.  He loves us so much that He gave us free will to love or reject Him.

This unconditional love comes from a close personal relationship with Jesus.  He always wants a relationship with us and the only thing required is for us to simply ask Him in prayer.

What a wonderful way to start the new year!

Spiritual Growth

As this year ends, it's important to look back and check for spiritual growth.  Humans are created to grow spiritually, and Christians can recognize this when we become better disciples of Christ.

When we are growing spiritually, it feels awful because it requires us to leave our comfort zone.  In the past year, I've preached and taught more, taken on Christian leadership positions and learned to sing.

The biggest awareness I've had from my experiences is to trust the Lord.  He knows me better than I know myself, always has my best interests at heart and will not let me fail, no matter how unprepared I feel.

This supernatural Teacher is only a prayer away!

Gift of Love

At Christmas, Christians celebrate the greatest gift ever received -- Jesus Christ.  After we receive Jesus and get His gift of salvation, we study His words for direction.

Jesus tells us to love, not as the world does but at a much higher level.  We must love everyone in thought, word and deed, no matter what the situation.

This Christmas I received a vehicle for free.  I was selling my car but the person was struggling to come up with the money.

When praying for direction, the Lord said, " Freely receive, freely give," so I gave the car away.  Only when we put the Lord first can we know how to love at the level He expects from us.

Giving Thanks

Instead of continuing with the story of my daughter's almost death from liver failure, here is an important message from the Lord about giving thanks.  I sure feel grateful!

He told me to read Psalm 100 in my dreams over and over again.  Here it is about giving thanks.

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.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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!

Merry Christ Mas!

In the Bible book of Matthew, the highlights of Jesus Christ's life was described.  

Matthew, a previous tax collector and then disciple of Jesus, knew Him personally and presented this biography in a logical, concise account beginning with His birth.  

Since Christ came here out of love for all of humanity, the Magi journeyed from the east to worship Him.

Jesus Christ is our eternal salvation and physical representation of love.  Every year at this time people from north, south, east and west celebrate the gift of His physical birth into this dark world.  

With the light of Christ leading the way, anyone has the potential for the awesome gift of spiritual awakening all year long.  Hallelujah!!  

Create Peaceful Holidays

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

~ John 14:27

Holiday Thanks

This last Thanksgiving I decided to visit my relatives, but instead of sending them love to change them, I decided to just let everyone be themselves. At the holidays last year, I discovered that it would take me about two hours of mentally sending love to change my crabby relatives into pleasant company.

This year I wanted to practice acceptance, which would allow me to experience them as they really are with clarity and understanding. At the first house, I had a delicious meal, learned about football and received a lecture on my selfishness. At my next family stop, I enjoyed good company and conversation but had to leave early to deliver medicine to my daughter, since she was home sick.

On the way there, my car caught on fire, so I pulled off the road, ran from it and dialed 911. Some wonderful strangers stopped to help and would not leave until after the fire truck left and the tow truck arrived. The firemen were happy to be there and help! They even joked about needing some exercise after their big Thanksgiving Day meal and would not leave until the tow truck arrived.

After meeting all of these great people in my time of crisis, I felt like a part of a community of love and support. This had been a wonderful ending to a day set aside for thanks, and I certainly felt grateful to God for my variety of life experiences.

Free Holiday Stress Relief

If you are feeling stressed for the holidays, I am offering a gift of free advising through email until February 1, 2012.

Just put "Free Holiday Advice" in the subject line of your email, and I will be sure to answer you within a few days. All correspondences are confidential and I am very accepting, so feel free to express your concerns.

Happy Holidays,
Susan

HOLIDAY STRESS REDUCTION

1. Prepare for stress now by storing up tranquility with relaxation techniques that clear the mind and create a physical calmness, like prayer, meditation, exercise, etc. If you need more time to do this, give up something unnecessary, like worrying, watching T.V., playing video games, etc.



2. Prioritize what must be done and eliminate anything that falls at the bottom. Always put “down” time at the top to stay relaxed because this creates clear thinking for good decisions.



3. Think about what experiences you want but be realistic on your limitations. Placing boundaries and thinking creatively are much more advantageous than trying to control with anger or manipulation.



4. Keep your expectations low, so disappointments stay low, too. Know and accept people how they really are and don’t assume they will be more cooperative for the holidays.



5. Need help with specific situations? Call or email me (618-917-5874 or sw@tranquilhearts.com) for FREE holiday advice from December 3, 2010 until January 3, 2011.

Experiment with this adventure called life and have fun! Happy Holidays!

Inner Peace This Holiday Season

Obtaining inner peace doesn't mean life is perfect. It means that you have the confidence, serenity and clarity to enjoy life and the ability to make beneficial decisions. This holiday my extended family is in a conflict and will not be getting together, so I will be spending Christmas with friends. Yes, I gave out advice when asked, but inner peace was not their goal. To stay calm for the holidays, accept loved ones as they are and realize that it's impossible to change people, only influence them. However, we can change ourselves, and when we obtain inner peace, everyone that we meet will feel better in our company. To keep calm, make inner relaxing a priority because this loving care is the best gift we can give ourselves and others.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen