​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Monday to you all! It’s so good to be back with you…and I pray that as we begin another new week together; that we will truly come to see that no matter what life may bring our way; that there is always a God who is much greater than these times…Amen!!
You know…it just seems that no matter how much I go through in my life…and no matter how much I learn and grow through these experiences; the struggle is still there…and why? Because a power not always known to us, wants to invade these lessons learned, while taking us back to the moments where we once experienced the difficult moments of weakness. In other words…life is a battle…and I would say that most of my life has been a battle…and I find that the more I long to serve God and help others…the battle becomes very real.
As most of you may know…my life has been a life of dislocations, surgeries…and especially pain.  For many years, I had prayed for God to heal me. I truly believed that His power was so real; that He could even make my legs brand new.
After many years of prayer…I found myself mentioning to Keith that we needed to stop the prayers…for God was revealing to me that these legs weren’t created in this way to be healed; but to be used for Him.
As we continue, I would like to share a few of my favorite Bible verses with you; that are found in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, and we read… “Three different times I begged God to make me well again. 9) Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.”
Lately, I have been experiencing so much pain…more than some will ever be able to understand…and probably right now, you are asking me… “Where has God been?” You know…maybe God didn’t choose to heal me; but He has been there, just as the Bible verse says.
This past Thursday, I was so desperate for help, as I have chosen not to take any prescriptive pain relievers. One thing I can tell you right now; is that my God has been there for me, even more than any other form of narcotic could ever be. In fact…He began to speak to my spirit and show me a way of escape…and within a short time; I began to experience no pain. Yes…a battle remains…and why? Because I have come to see that Satan longs to have my soul and this ministry.
You know…one thing I am being reminded of right now; is that even though God is there for us…evil is to…and as God takes us several steps forward…it is truly Satan’s desire to push us back into the weak moments of the past; but the Bible verse that always keeps me pressing on; is found in Matthew 24:13, and we read “…but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
The lessons we learn and the moments we overcome in life can truly give us hope; but we must be alert to the moments, when Satan may attempt to take us down or push us back…that we may not go back into the weak and beggarly elements of despair, from where we once came.
Let’s face it…for the one who truly knows Christ…the battles rage on; but I know One who will always be there to lift us back to our feet and strengthen us for the journey that still lies ahead…that is; if we are willing to let go and accept His help. Yes…life may not always be what we desire…believe me, I know; but for the one who stands firm to the end…that is the one who will be saved for all of eternity.
As we all walk through these uncertain times, I pray that God will ALWAYS be there, to help us and nudge us along, until we reach the other side…God bless!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone…and very happy and blessed Friday to you all! I pray that your week is ending well…and that your weekend is off to a great start…Amen!!
As we begin our time together today, I would like to begin by asking you an eye opening question. Why do we fear Satan’s power, when that so-called power can only come through God’s consent?
To be honest with you…I had never thought of it that way, until God took me to a Bible reading in Job 1:6-12, and we read… “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7) And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” 8) And the LORD said unto Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9) Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Doth Job fear God for nought? 10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11) But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” 12) And the LORD said unto Satan, “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” What we see here is one of the greatest pieces of hope that we could ever take hold of…and that hope is; that Satan cannot afflict us without God’s consent.
Here…we go back to a time, when Satan had been roaming the earth…seeking whom he may devour. As God began to have a conversation with Satan; God asked him, as to why he hadn’t considered His servant Job…and Satan replied and said that it was because God had placed a hedge around Job and everything pertaining to Job, which really meant that God was in control and the power of Satan…and the power of evil wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the power of God almighty.  Then Satan said… “But put forth thine hand now and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” From there, God allowed Job to be tested by Satan, which meant that Satan needed God’s permission first, before afflicting Job. Even though God allowed Satan to afflict Job…it wasn’t meant to defeat Job…and even though Satan probably thought that he would win this battle and rise above the power of God…he never did, as later in this book of the Bible; we see that Job was strengthened and that he increased even more, in everything that pertained to his life.
Sometimes, it’s not always easy to understand what is happening to us at the time…and from there, we can easily blame God; but once more, we need to remember that even though God may allow something to enter our lives, for a purpose or reason that we may not understand…His eye is always upon us…controlling every move Satan makes.
You know…often I’ve wondered why Satan feels he is greater than God…and even more…how is that we feel that Satan’s power is greater than God’s power? Could it be that we are too tightly focused on what Satan is up to, rather than why God may be allowing these trying times to enter our lives?
I don’t know about you; but I have truly begun to see my circumstances in a different light. Often, I don’t always understand why the pain increases…or why another circumstance may enter my life; but when I think on this story in Job; I am reminded that just as God had control over what He had allowed Satan to do with Job…He is the same God that controls what Satan is doing in my own life and your life too.
Every day, we must remember that God never allows anything to enter our lives, unless He is using it for our good…and even more, we must always keep this thought in the back of our mind; that we do not have to fear Satan’s power, when that so-called power only comes through God’s consent…praise God!!
No matter what you are facing right now…and no matter how difficult it may seem; just know that God has allowed it for a reason…and that His hand holds the control stick to your life continually…praise Him!!
Have a very blessed day…and a great weekend! You all will be in my prayers…God bless!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Thursday to you all! It’s so good to be back with you today…and my prayer for all of us; is that we will be able to find the strength through Christ to rise above despair and see that there truly is a means of escape, during the deepest darkest moments of life…Amen!!
Yesterday, it was time to once more venture out and get groceries. Like I’ve said in the past…Keith and I have been shopping for a month at a time…not only because of the virus; but also due to the condition of my legs.
After being gone for a couple hours…I got home and got all the groceries put away and began to clean up and prepare to rest a little. Even before hitting the shower, the pain in my legs began to go out of control and I was once more sitting in tears.  
Anyways…I finally decided to get a shower and see if that would help, while sharing my heart with God. Within a short time, the pain began to settle down…that is, until the evening…and boy did it come with a vengeance. Finally, I decided to go to bed around 8:30 and try to get some rest.
As I woke up this morning, I had felt as if a truck had run me down…and every negative thought that could have entered my mind did…like how was I ever going to be able to do a few early chores around the house, which absolutely needed to be done, along with some prepping for dinner tonight and of course the ministry work.
Finally, after finishing the early chores this morning, I sat on the couch…feeling pretty rung out and once more, the tears began to flow. Between Keith’s prayers and my cries for help…God began to work…and right now, I can say that I am stable…praise Him!
One thing God showed me; is that He is truly a God who can walk beyond what is wrong, to find a way to make it right…for He is not a God who is focusing on the problem; but rather, He is a God who is focusing on fixing the problem.
While sitting here…preparing to write you; God began to lead me to a Bible verse in I Corinthians 10:13…and we read… “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”…and this is exactly what He did for me.
You know…it’s so easy to become trapped within a web of our own problems; but when we choose to seek God in the midst of it all; then He will come to our rescue. The problem I think we all struggle with; is that we tend to relate more with the problem, rather than God and His word. I know for me…that this can easily happen, as the pain is attempting to take over my thoughts.
No matter what we face in this life…we need to remember that there is a means of escape; but that means of escape only comes through Jesus Christ. When we look back to the cross, we see a time when Jesus went through enormous moments of suffering; but as He cried out from the cross…”…saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46);” His Father never forsook Him; but rather made a way of escape; that would not only free His Son…but at the same time…would also become a testimony of how God will never allow us to suffer beyond what we are able to endure.
As we face the difficult challenges of life; may I encourage you by saying that no matter how dark and hopeless the situation…God is there; but He’s waiting for us to let go of the problem and seek Him and His word for help. Once we choose to walk the path that leads us in His direction; that is when God will be able to work with the problem and make a way of escape.
May God truly be with you…no matter what you face…and I pray that you too, will experience a loving and compassionate God, especially during what may seem to be the deepest darkest hour of despair.
Many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Tuesday to you all! I pray that your day is going well…and even more, I pray that you will ALWAYS find the strength to press on…no matter what may stand before you…Amen!
From time to time…God fills my thoughts with ideas for these writings in advance…and as I write them down, I just thank Him in my heart; for we definitely needs words of hope and encouragement, to see us through these trying times that we’re facing.
The other day, as I was talking with God; one of the thoughts that He shared from His heart to mine; is that we need to continue to press on…no matter what we may be facing. Believe me when I say; that this isn’t always easy. In fact…I have found that sometimes pressing on can mean that the steps become smaller, while the body and mind become weaker; but on the other hand, I have come to truly see that when we pursue and press on, during the worst of times; then we do gain strength and a greater faith that becomes the hand; that can truly take hold of us and lead us to the source of God’s help.
Another one of my favorite Bible readings is found in 2 Kings 4:1-7…and we read… “The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 2) Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 3) Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4) Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 5) She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6) When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7) She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
In this Bible reading, we see a woman who had just lost her husband and was left with a debt that the creditors were seeking after. As she approached Elisha; she opened up her heart and told him of all that had happened…and that the creditors were coming to take her boys as payment for the debt. At first, Elisha didn’t know how to help; but God did.
As the woman and her sons pursued the answer to their need; that was given to them by God, through the prophet Elisha; they began to collect and fill jars and bowls with olive oil and once each vessel was filled…the oil stopped flowing…and they were able to not only pay off their debt; but they also had extra to live on.
Now what would have happened, if she wouldn’t have taken hold of the answer to her problem and pursued it? I would think that she would have lost her sons, as a means of paying off her husband’s debt…and her circumstance would have only worsened with time.
How many times do we find ourselves giving into the problem that stands before us, rather than pursuing God’s help? One thing that I have truly learned in my life; is that if I would have never pursued the help that God was longing to offer me…through the pain and deep heartache that I once faced; then I know without a doubt that I wouldn’t be writing you today…and my husband wouldn’t be eating great meals…and the house wouldn’t be what it is.
One thing I can say to you today…is that pursuing isn’t always easy; but it does lead us to God’s very best. We must remember that if we choose to sit in the midst of despair and focus on what is taking place in our lives; then we will never go anywhere in life. You know…sometimes the hardest answers are found…through the long, hard and difficult journeys of life; but once we choose to pursue and never give up; then we do come to see how far God can take us with our faith.
No matter what you are facing…now is not the time to sit in your ashes of despair; but now is the time to seek God with all your heart…and as the answers begin to flow from His heart to yours; get up…shake the circumstance from you and begin to pursue with all your heart and with all the faith you can muster. One thing I can say to you today… from my heart to yours; is that when we pursue…pursue…and pursue; then our faith will walk us into the answers we so desperately need…Amen!!
Have a great day…and I pray that you will never give up on life; but that you will seek God with all your heart and soul. God bless!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
PS…Tomorrow, there won’t be any writing; but I will hope to see you on Thursday…so come back and see what God has laid upon my heart to share with you then.

​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Monday to you all! Today, I continue to praise God for new days…new beginnings and new mercies; for this speaks hope to me and helps me to see that God never leaves our side; but is always there…ready to help in time of need…Praise Him!!
A few days ago, I was staring out my office window, while relaxing my thoughts. As I watched a gentle breeze blow through the trees, I just knew that the presence of God was surrounding me.  I wonder how many days pass us by, when we don’t feel the presence of God in our surroundings. Just think…we are never alone, even though our circumstances attempt to make us believe that…for God is in all things…surrounding us, even during times when we cannot seem to feel His presence.
The past few days have been a little rougher for me, as the chronic pain in my body seems to be intensifying again…and from there, it seems as though the body just continues to grow even more tired than the day before. Moments such as these can make us feel alone…in a world of our own. The pain or whatever we are experiencing at the time can actually make us feel isolated, in a deep dark prison cell of despair; but I have come to see that when I take a few quiet moments to myself and just let go of the heavy thoughts that are attempting to weigh me down; that I do begin to feel and experience the presence of God.
Back in 1998, I had a poem published and it goes a little like this… “Dew drops fall from Heaven…His sweet tears water each growing thing; tears that have that special touch, for the flowers to bloom in the spring. Dark clouds form, and the rain falls as He weeps; is He lonely, forgotten or hurt, while a world is too busy or sleeps. Snow begins to fall, His frozen tears cause a deep sleep to cover the land; it’s His blanket of frozen tears; that keeps all creatures safe in His hand.”
As I’ve been sitting here; I’ve been thinking on the words to this poem…and just think; when we feel as if God is no longer there…He is; for His presence surrounds us through every living thing. I think that what happens; is that we become so caught up in what is standing before us; that we forget that His presence surrounds us…and even the problems we are facing at the time.
This morning, my heart was truly touched by a couple Bible verses in Jeremiah 23:23- 24…and we read… “I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only. 24) No one can hide where I cannot see them. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth?” Have you ever thought that maybe when the wind blows; that this could be His presence breathing down upon us? What about moments, when the rays of sun surround us and become brighter; could it be that He is holding us close to His heart? What about a rainbow after the storm; could it be that He is reminding us that He is truly in control of every storm that may enter our lives? I think that if we could look, listen and feel, for His loving presence; then we would truly experience not only His presence…but His comforting spirit…something that could carry us through the difficult times of life.
Maybe today, you are feeling down and out. Maybe you have been going through a circumstance…to the place where you wonder where God is. May I encourage you to look around you; for He is in all of creation. I truly believe from my own experiences; that when we can see Him at work…through everything that surrounds us each day; that this will become a gentle reminder to us; that we are never alone in this lonely world.
As we close, I pray that you will truly begin to experience God, above all that you may be experiencing at this time…and that hope will once more come alive within you, as you come to experience a God that not only loves you; but is truly with you!
Many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Friday to you all! Well…we made it through another week…and no matter what we may have faced…and no matter how tired we may feel; isn’t it a blessing to know that God’s strength is ALWAYS available…Amen!!
When I was first led to begin a ministry, there was one thing that God had me share, as a means of encouragement to others...and that was how we could exchange weakness for God’s perfect strength. You know…we don’t have to hold onto weakness and try to remain strong on our own, when we can take hold of a strong God.
A Bible verse that has truly been a great reminder to me personally, as to how weakness is only the beginning of experiencing God’s perfect strength; is found in 2 Corinthians 12:10…and we read… “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
We must remember that weakness doesn’t mean that we have been defeated; but rather, I have come to see that it means that we need a greater strength…one that can carry us beyond, what our own strength isn’t capable of.
There have been many times in my life, while experiencing chronic pain, along with a home to keep up and a ministry to run; that I have actually felt as if I was running on fumes. Even today, I am experiencing those feelings, due to a busy week and a lot of pain; but I am also seeing a God…who out of love, chooses to reach down from the heavens, to keep me lifted up, so I can continue to press on. For example…this morning I have been feeling very tired. After finishing my morning work in the office; it was now time to prep some food for dinner. To be honest, I didn’t feel like cooking; but as I prepared to leave my office, I took hold of a strong God and asked Him to help me and be my strength…and I have to tell you; I was amazed, as to how quickly everything went together…and get this…I even accomplished a couple quick things that I would have had to do tomorrow morning.
I have truly come to see many times; that with a greater strength…such as God’s strength; we can push through the worst obstacle and reach the other side. In other words…we can obtain a strength that can take us way beyond our own strength…that is, if we are willing to exchange our weakness for His perfect strength.
Right now, you may be wondering how you can exchange the weak moments in your life, for God’s perfect strength. Well…first, you need to quit holding tightly to the weakness in your life. Stop standing strong on your own and admit before God that you are weak. This isn’t a sign of failure; but instead, it’s a sign that you are opening yourself up to God…and once you do this; that is when the mighty, powerful and awesome hand of God will come down from the heavens and rest upon you. In other words…that is when His strength will begin to overtake your weakness, while helping you to do…what may seem to be the impossible. Believe me when I say…I have experienced His hand upon me many times. I have seen this tired and weary body, go way beyond what I could ever imagine or think…and why…because I had opened myself up to God and exchanged my weakness for His strength.
No matter what you may be walking through at this time, may I encourage you to not walk these roads alone; but rather take hold of a God, whose strength can truly be made PERFECT through weakness…AMEN!!
Many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Thursday to you all! As we share this very special time together, I pray that our eyes will be open to the things that only attempt to keep us in bondage…and that we will truly come to see how God’s love can conquer all things within our lives…Amen!!
Today, I would like to begin by asking a question. What do you think causes fear? Personally, I think the process begins, when we look around us and size up the situations we face. At first, we see a problem that can seem like any other problem; but then our thoughts take us away from reality and the God we once had hope in…to visualize other things that could stem from the problem and even increase with time. While we are thinking on these thoughts; we don’t even realize that these moments are taking us away from our first love, Jesus Christ…to walk us in unknown territory that can cause us to fall prey to fear.
As we continue on, I would like to share two of my favorite Bible verses with you that relate to fear and they are found in Psalm 112:7-8…and we read… “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8) Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.”
I think the next question we need to ask ourselves is this… “Who is our first love?”  In other words…is Jesus Christ the one we seek after, through a deep heart of love and devotion or is that love not quite strong enough, to keep us from wondering down paths of fear and the unknown?
When I look back on my life, I remember many moments when I would allow fear to become my close companion. In fact…I would even stay up all night with this new found friend and converse on every problem that seemed to be surrounding me at the time…that is, until I woke up and found out where this so-called friend was leading me. When I saw how fear had been dragging me further and further away, from the One who was once my first love…I left fear behind, to run back into the arms of Jesus…and from there, I learned daily how to trust Him, rather than placing my trust in the problem…and once I took hold of trust; that is when fear began to fade into the background of my life. Yes…I still go through a lot in my life; but the difference I now see; is that fear is no longer keeping me up at night or distracting me from life itself.
With all that is happening in this world…and even our own personal lives; it’s so easy to fall prey to fear. As one thought seems to take us to another; we find that we are now seeing the worst of life…even before the worst has a chance to arrive.  
The only way we are going to be able to keep fear at a distance; is to place our thoughts on the One who can speak hope to us, during these difficult times. Once our hearts and thoughts are secure and closely connected to Christ; that is when we will be able to visualize triumph, rather than defeat.
As we close our time together, I want to encourage you and say that even though we are in the midst of what seems to be the very worst; we can find hope and anticipate God’s next move…but only when we are willing to keep the thoughts away; that only lead us to a roadblock called fear.
Have a very blessed day…and may you truly discover a love for Christ; that will help you to trust in Him, rather than the problem…Amen!!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Wednesday to you all! It’s so good to be with you again…and today, I can actually say that I am sitting in a much cooler room than yesterday, which is truly a blessing to my heart!
As we begin our time together; my prayer is that we will find the strength through God, to focus even more, on how far God has brought us in life; that this alone may give us hope for the moments we are now facing…and also for the journey that still lies before us…Amen!!
Have you ever stopped to think on how far your feet have taken you in life? Last week, I caught myself looking at my feet…and immediately, I began to think on where these feet have taken me, over the past many years of my life…and even though they have walked me down many broken roads; they have also walked me back into the sunshine of God’s loving presence. You see…so many times, we have a habit of looking at what we walked through, rather than what we have walked out of…and once we allow our minds and hearts to focus on all the difficult paths of life that we have walked down, rather than how we walked out of them; that is when we lose touch with hope.
This morning, as I was thinking on this; God led me to a beautiful Bible verse in Ecclesiastes 1:9, which reads… “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
I don’t know how many times I have just sat here and reminisced on all that God has brought me through. You know…there were many times, when I felt as though the journey had come to a dead end…to a place where I felt as if all I would do is sit in one spot and continue to suffer the rest of my life. In fact…I remember saying to God many times…did you create me, just so I could stop here and sit in these ashes of despair.
Even though I couldn’t see a road ahead of me; that would lead me out of all the despair…God did. In fact…He carved many roads that would allow me to keep walking with Him, until I had walked out of the painful moments of the past.
I just wonder…how many times have we used the past moments of life, to give us hope for these present times. You know…I think that sometimes, we just need to look back and draw strength and hope; from the moments that God walk us out of…moments that at one time had seemed to be so impossible to get through.
In my own life, I deal so much with chronic pain, tiredness and sometimes memories of the past…but I have found that if I could just take a little time out and think back to the moments that God had already walked me through; that this alone would bring hope to my heart…and you know what…it does.
If we could only quit allowing our minds to drift in the direction of defeat and focus on what God has already done for us; then I truly believe that these thoughts alone would allow the burden to become lighter, which in turn would give us a new strength; that would definitely help us to press on.
No matter what you are facing…and no matter what kind of a road you are walking down at this time; may I encourage you to not get caught up in the ruts and obstacles that may lie before you; but instead, may I encourage you to think back to another road…one that had at one time seemed impossible to walk down…but yet one that you did make it through. From my own experience…when we can focus on what God has already done; then I know without a doubt that these past moments will give us hope, for what God can do once more…AMEN!!
Have a very blessed day in the Lord…and I will see you soon…God bless!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Tuesday to you all! I don’t know about where you live…but it’s a hot one here! In fact…I have two fans on me and one fan under “Max” my computer. I have truly come to see that no matter what we experience in this life…and no matter how challenging it may seem at the time; the hope we live with, is that God is ALWAYS there for us all…praise Him!!
Last week, while taking some time off, I also spent some late evenings with the Lord…sharing thoughts and feelings, while opening my heart up to Him. Just after turning the lights out to go to sleep one night, I began to hear the still small voice of God within mine…bringing me hope…hope that would encourage me and hope that would eventually be used to help and encourage you to. The thoughts of hope that entered my heart at that time were these… “If death could not contain our Savior in the grave; then how could the same forces of evil keep Christ from freeing us from despair?”
As I was preparing to write you today…God led me to a Bible verse in Acts 2:24, which reads… “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” This Bible verse is the hope that I believe we all need today. It seems as though we become so focused on the power of our circumstances; that we tend to forget that there is a power that is greater…a power that overcame evil at the time of the cross. Now if Satan and all his demons could not hold Jesus in the grave; then wouldn’t you think that Satan and all his demons could not have the power to keep us in a prison cell of despair?  
The night that God shared these thoughts with me…from His heart to mine; also became a time, when my eyes were opened to the truth that He had laid before me; because no matter what we face in life…the power of that circumstance can never ever supersede the power of a great and awesome God…and sometimes, I just think that we all need a little reminder of that.
One thing that God is reminding me of right now is the words of Hebrews 13:8, which reads… “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Even though life has a way of changing from better to worse; just think…God’s power still remains the same, as it was thousands of years ago. I think that if we could focus on that, rather than what seems to be an overpowering circumstance; then instead of living with fear…our hearts would always be filled with hope…a hope that would always keep us closely connected to Christ.
Today…with all that is taking place in this world; it can be so easy to fall prey to a power that actually isn’t as powerful as it may seem to be at the time. Believe me when I say; that when we become attached to the things of the world; we are only giving way for Satan to increase in power, which only keeps us in a form of bondage that can truly make us believe that there is no other power greater than these moments we’re facing.
Instead of focusing on moments that will only worsen with time…why not take a trip back to Mount Calvary…to a place where the power of God freed His Son, Jesus Christ, from the pain and agony He experienced.  When we can do so; then we too will discover a hope that can carry us above these moments of despair.
May God truly be with you all…and may you come to see that there is a power that is greater than evil…a power that can free us from these prison cells of despair.
Take care & God bless!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Monday to you all! It’s so good to be back with you…and my prayer today; is that we all will come to see God’s ways, as the best solution, for the problems we may be facing right now…Amen!!
You know…when God is truly Lord of our lives; then we come to experience Him in ways that we never imagined could be. We must always remember that God always knows the best solution to our problems. When we seem to think that we have the answers…God always seems to have a better one…and that is what I experienced these past few days, while taking some time off from the ministry.
One thing I have come to see about my life; is that there are times when God allows me to first live what I write. When I took the past few days off, I thought that I would be bedridden and just lying around until I went back to work; but that wasn’t God’s plan.
I would say that it was about 6 months ago that I was able to purchase a $399 cabinet for $67. I had planned on eventually assembling it and staining it; but due to a lot of work and my health, it got put on hold for quite some time.
Anyways…when I told you that I was taking some time off, I had no idea of doing anything but resting…at least that was my plan…that was until God intervened. I guess it was time for another lesson in life; so before I knew it, Keith was outside sanding each piece of the cabinet for me…thinking that it would still be a week or two before I could manage to assemble the cabinet and stain it. Again…that wasn’t God’s plan. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the living room floor…assembling a cabinet, in the midst of feeling my very worst.
As each piece came together…I truly had a feeling, as if God was there right beside me. It seemed that my mind had now left the pain and tiredness behind…to truly experience Philippians 4:13, which says… “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.” I would say that within a few hours, this beautiful cabinet was now assembled. I still wasn’t feeling my best; but I had accomplished something beautiful, in the midst of my ashes of despair.
After finishing the cabinet, I took a shower and went to lie down…and before doing so, I remember saying to Keith… “I will have to wait and stain the cabinet later, due to how I was feeling.” Even though I had decided that…God hadn’t.” By the next day, I had now found myself in our garage beginning the staining process. For some reason…the work from the day before gave me a drive to continue on. By the end of a long bought of staining, I once more went into the house and began to prepare for a shower and some rest…thinking that my project was now finished. Even though I thought I had finally succeeded; God once more had other plans…and the more I began to see what He was up to…the more I began to see how He was using this experience to show me that I could go the distance with Him.
After waking up the next day, I hobbled out to the garage and was looking at what I thought was a finished project. As I looked around the cabinet, I saw some places where I had missed; so I told Keith that I would do a little touch up work and get the doors and drawers in place.
First, I thought it would be a good idea to get the drawers bolted to the pieces that allow them to slide in and out. I studied the directions, while sitting on an old folded quilt. I had put the small screw bolts on the outside of the draws and was ready to see how they closed. After getting the bolts in place, I went to close the drawers and they wouldn’t fully close; so I took the drawers off and pushed the sliders in and out and thought…how is that the sliders go in and out but the drawers won’t. Right then, I began to hear God’s still small voice within me say… “Screw them on the inside of the drawers”…so I did. After finishing, I closed the drawers and they went right into place. From there, I needed to get up off the floor, which can be fun with a rod in my right leg, which won’t bend. As I began to lift myself up…I came right back down. As I looked around, I didn’t know how I was going to get up…and Keith was in the house somewhere; so I cried out to God for help…and from there, it was as though He had once more entered my spirit and said… “Take your socks off”…so I did and from there, I was able to get myself up. I’ll tell you people…God is there to help us all, if we will only listen for His solution, rather than panicking, while trying to figure it out on our own.
To make a long story short…everything was completed and I once more hobbled off to the shower and was able to get some rest; but through it all, I came to see that God was using this time to not help me my way…but His way instead…and by Sunday afternoon, He had wrapped His loving arms around me and had given me His sweet peace and rest…and today, I am doing much better. Soon the cabinet will come into our home…and I’ll tell you one thing…that cabinet will always be a reminder of what God did for me, during some of the darkest moments of despair.
You see…we can experience moments in our lives, when we feel as if God is making life more difficult, while possibly pushing us away from Him; but over these past days, I came to see that this was His way of taking me away from the problem, to pull me closer to Him…what a God!
No matter what you are facing right now…and no matter how dark life may seem; may I encourage you to turn to a God who truly has the solution to your problem. It may not be what you expect it to be; but in the end, I’m sure that you will truly come to see that God’s ways are ALWAYS the best solution to our problems.
May you truly experience His loving presence in your life each day!
Many…many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane