​Hello everyone…and how are you doing today? I hope that you are all doing fine….and even more; I pray that you are experiencing the loving and powerful presence of God in your day.
As we begin our time together, I’ve been thinking on how this Coronavirus can seem like the worse storm ever…one that seems endless…and one that is trying it’s hardest to beat us up and whip us around in life. Storms like these can make us want to seek shelter, in a place where we aren’t affected by the blunt of the storm.
As I’ve been thinking on this more…I came to see how easily we can find ourselves taking refuge in a broken down shelter (Coronavirus). You ask me how? It actually happens, when we get caught up in the storm. In other words…for every thought that draws us deeper into the problem…those thoughts only become bits and pieces of a make shift shelter…one that is not sturdy and safe to be in; but rather, one that keeps us closer in touch with the storm.
Before coming on here…to spend some time with you today, I was looking for a Bible verse that would encourage us all…and from there; God led me to a Bible verse in Psalm 9:9, which reads… “The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”
You know…I remember a time in my life, when I found myself in one of these broken down shelters. All the negativity…and all my thoughts had placed me in a shelter, where the roof was leaking, with cracks in the walls…and an open window, where I was definitely feeling the blunt of the storm that I was facing.
As I looked out the window…the ground around me seemed barren and the sky grew darker and darker, as the rain seeped through the cracks and the wind attempted to whip me around within this make shift shelter. It seemed that the more I looked out that window and focused on the storm…the more I began to fear the storm that was headed my way…that is, until I began to pour my heart out to God and cry out for His help, from the very depth of my being.  Within a short time, God did come to me…and He lifted me out of the shelter that was about to collapse upon me…and from there, He carried me off on wings of love…and transported me to a place, where I could take refuge in Him, until the storm had passed.
Today, I wonder how many of us are unknowingly taking refuge in the Coronavirus. In other words…have our thoughts and negative thinking drawn us into a broken down shelter that is not safe…one that could eventually collapse with time. You know…it’s so easy to be drawn into these make shift shelters; believe me, I know; but there is hope…that is, if we are willing to try, rather than give up.
There is one thing I definitely know about God…He can be the strongest and safest shelter, during times like these…for as we focus on Him, rather than the problem; we will be drawn closer to Him, where He can truly shelter us, with the wings that first brought us to His side.
As we close our time together today, may I encourage you to take refuge in God, rather than what is going on around us…for He can truly be a shelter for the oppressed…and a refuge in times of trouble.
Today, if you are looking to find shelter in God…a place where you can be free from all that is attempting to take you down; then you must first turn to Him, during these difficult times, rather than focusing on all the debris that is attempting to take you down through this storm. Once you choose to do so; that is where you will definitely find peace and safety, in the midst of this storm.
Have a great day everyone…and remember that God loves you so much! Take care and I will hope to be with you soon!
Many…many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

Hello everyone! I hope that you are doing well today…and even more...I want you to know that I am praying for you. I may not know you by name; but God knows who I am praying for; so I do pray that He will watch over you and keep you safe, throughout this very trying time in our lives.
As we begin another new week…to some it can seem like the week before, as we continue to go through this Coronavirus. We can even wonder from day to day, as to whether this virus will continue to rage out of control; but as we step into this brand new week, I would like to start it out by saying that our God has control over all things, including this Coronavirus. We must remember that good can never produce evil; but on the other hand…God can allow it, for reasons that only He knows. Even though He allows these moments to enter our lives; we can rest assured that He has control of all things.
As we continue our time together, I would like to share a Bible verse of hope with you, from Jeremiah 29:11…and we read… “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
You know…I remember a time in my life, when I was truly at rock bottom. All I could say to myself at the time was this… “Well Diane, you are really in a bad place now.” To be honest with you, I never thought that I would experience such darkness in my life, as I was experiencing at that time; but a moment did come, when Jesus stepped into that darkness with me…reassuring me that He would bring me out of what seemed so impossible at the time.
Now, as I look back on those moments…one thing I know for sure; He definitely held the control stick to my life in His almighty and powerful hands, even though Satan’s plan was to afflict me and bring me down to destruction.
You know…I think sometimes we don’t always see an end to moments such as these; because we are doing as I did 28 years ago. In other words…we tend to believe even more in what the circumstance is doing and where it could lead us, rather than how our God has everything under control.
We must remember that God’s plans aren’t to harm us or even destroy us; but rather, His plans are to renew us in His spirit and teach us new things, while giving us hope for a brighter tomorrow…and sometimes that happens by going through the worst, to get to God’s very best, just as I have learned throughout my life.
No matter how bad everything seems to be around us; there is a God sitting in the heavens, with control stick in hand…and this alone should give us hope that our God will sustain and keep us…and control every moment, of what He is allowing into our lives.
One question we need to ask ourselves as we close; is why would God give up His only Son, Jesus Christ on the cross, to display such love and forgiveness…only to turn around and harm us? One thing I’ve learned about Christ’s love; is that it’s a love that continues on and never wavers…so whatever He allows into our lives; we definitely have the hope and assurance that He will always remain faithful and be there for us, with control stick in hand…praise Him!!
Have a great day everyone and remember that you are never alone; for I am praying…and God is listening. See ya soon!
Many…many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
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​Hello everyone…and how are you doing today?  Even before we begin our time together, I would like to come heart to heart with you and let you know that Jesus loves you so very much!  I know that these times we’re facing can make us feel shut up, in a world of the Coronavirus; but one thing I know without a doubt…Jesus is there, in the midst of it all…and He will always be there for us, until these difficult times find their end.
Last night, as I was preparing to go to bed, I was hit with a question that goes like this… “Do we truly understand the love that Jesus has for each of us?” As I was thinking on this, I began to think on how it is so easy to say, I love you Jesus; but we must remember that it’s not only through our words that we express our love for Him…but even more, it’s through our actions…just as Jesus’ actions displayed a very real love for us on the cross.
In Romans 5:6-8, we read… “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  
The love that Jesus displayed on the cross was a very sacrificial love…a love that was willing to look beyond every fault, to lay down His own self and His own life…to pay the complete price for our sin; that we might be set free forever. Now if He was willing to go to the very extreme, as a means of opening up His arms of love to us, on an old rugged cross; then don’t you think that this same love would be available to us, during times such as these?  
You know… these difficult times that we are facing, can make us feel as if no one could ever understand the feelings that seem to overwhelm the heart at this time; but you know what…I have come to see that Jesus does care and that He is there for all of us and even more…He truly does understand; but you know…sometimes, I think we just get so caught up in what is happening and surrounding us at the time; that we find ourselves in a dense fog…that seems to have hidden us from the One we need the most, which is Jesus Christ. One thing we must remember; is that Jesus didn’t give Himself up freely for us at the cross; just to walk away…at another time in our lives, when we truly need Him the most.
I remember a time in my life, when all the problems I was facing were so overwhelming; that it actually seemed like a dense fog…one that I was lost in and one where I couldn’t find Jesus…just the density of the problems that surrounded me. It was during one special moment in my life, when I found myself crying out to Jesus; that I felt the need to look up, rather than straight ahead into these foggy moments of circumstance…and as I did, it was as though a ray of hope began to shine through the fog and clear it away.
You know…sometimes I think we just need to stop and regroup, so we can get our thoughts back on track with Jesus. Maybe your day to day life lately has felt dreary and fogged over, by all that is taking place with this Coronavirus; so may I encourage you to look up…not out. Let your thoughts soar above these moments of despair…and one thing I know…the light of His presence will shine down upon you…and lift you up into wings of love…a love that will transport you, from these darkened moments of despair…into the loving presence of Jesus!
As we close our time together, I pray that you are well and that you will truly…truly experience the love of Jesus, above everything else in this life. Please take care…and may God truly bless you! See ya soon!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

​Hello everyone! I sure hope that your day is off to a good start! As I’ve been sitting here in my office …listening to some music, God began to lead me to a beautiful Bible verse of hope; that is found in Isaiah 43:2…and we read… “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
You know…times like these can make us wonder where Jesus is. All we seem to be experiencing right now is suffering and death…and a situation that seems to have no end.  Moments like these can become so overwhelming; that before we realize it…we find ourselves to be more attached to these thoughts of despair, rather than the hope that Jesus longs to offer us…which only makes us feel distant from His presence.
One thing I have truly come to see and experience over my life; is how a circumstance can actually make us believe that what it’s conveying to us will really happen. In other words…the thoughts that come out of these darkened moments…truly do attempt to make us believe that the situation will never get better; so from there, we find ourselves puzzled and confused, while wondering where Jesus is; but that is only because we are choosing to follow after the voice of circumstance.
We must remember that whatever we choose to follow in life; will become the path we walk down….so if we choose to believe the thoughts that are coming out of these darkened moments right now; then this is what will make us feel even more drawn into the circumstance, while making us feel even distant from Christ. I don’t know about you…but I choose to let go of the hand of circumstance; so I can feel the presence of Jesus walking close beside me, until we walk out of the darkened moments of Coronavirus together.
One thing that I have come to understand, through a very difficult life; is that when we choose to seek after Christ, rather than what is taking place around us; then He will be there to go through these troubled times with us…and when we feel as if these moments are about to overtake us; He will be close by…and will not allow them to sweep over us and cause us to drown deep within them.
You know…I think that if we would slow down and think about it; then maybe…just maybe, we would come to see that we are the ones who have made Jesus distant from us…just by the way we are being drawn into what is taking place around us. 
As we walk through this day…and the days that lie ahead of us, we need to understand one thing…no disease or nothing else in this world, can ever separate us from Christ…or even rise above the love that He has for each one of us.
Maybe today you are feeling alone, in the midst of what you perceive to be the very worst. May I encourage you today, to seek the Lord with all your heart…for when you do; He will be there…and when you pass through the waters, He will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you…and when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned…for the Lord your God will be with you.
As we close our time together, I pray that your day will be filled with the loving presence of Jesus…and that you will come to see and experience a God that can never be taken down, even by the Coronavirus…Amen!
Have a great day…take good care and know that you are in my daily prayers! See ya soon!
Many…many blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane