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To Love Again Ministries

Content October 2012 Stick Like Glue 4 Getting Ready For The 6 Next Season

My Squishy Grandma 8

Captive Heart 10

Credits

Writers Debra Lilly Kimberly Borst Beverly Huffman Briel Borst

Editing Alan Porter

Photography (Photographers are named if available)

Design Kimberly Borst

Copyright © To Love Again

Ministries 2012, Photos © very

To Love Again Ministries

Pick of the month

This month we are highlighting an article by Charlotte Siems on adrenal fatigue.

This Lovely Place

Charlotte shares her journey to overcome health and heart issues. Her website gives home and fitness tips. Take a look around, I think you’ll enjoy it. http://charlottesiems.com/recovery-from-adrenal-

fatigue-part-2

Stick Like Glue

Debra Lilly

Some people think they are ‘down here’

and God is ‘up there’, as if we are separate or apart from Him. The presence of God surrounds us like the air we breathe. We could not exist without Him. We cannot take a breath or our heart beat without Him. We cannot escape Him. He knows exactly what we are thinking and where we are physically and spiritually every moment. He even knows the number of hairs on our head at any given moment. We are not apart from Him. He breathed His breath of life into us in the beginning when He formed us and He continually sustains our life with that same breath of Life. Without Him, we cannot ‘be’. So it is with everything in nature – He is the giver and sustainer of all life.

No, we are not apart from Him - but

ONE with Him as 1 Cor. 6:17 states, “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” However, just because we believe in Jesus doesn’t make us a Christian; we must have a relationship with Him. We need to make Him LORD of our lives and be joined to Him. The word ‘join’ is the Greek word ‘Kallao’, meaning: “to glue, to stick, cleave, join self, keep company”.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or

where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If

I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around

me will be night," Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as

bright as the day darkness and light are alike to You.

Psalm 139:6-12 (NASB)

Our true peace comes from knowing

that we are one with Him. He has us in the palm of His hand and nothing can separate us from Him! He knows all about our situations, our circumstances, our dreams, our desires, our failures, our very thoughts; and yet - He understands and will never let go of us! Why do we have this confidence? Because all of our being loves Him and is stuck like glue to Him! By faith we know that all of His promises are for us; nothing can hurt us or separate us from Him!

He loves us beyond our imagination.

We just need to commit ourselves and all of our ways to Him - whole-heartedly, and see ourselves ‘stuck like glue’ to Him! As we renew our love to Him everyday like a wedding vow, He will reveal Himself to us, and then we will be able to see and understand that He is real and desires to have a loving, personal relationship with us – in every area of our lives.

Debra Lilly

Getting Ready for the Next Season

Kimberly Borst

It seems like spring inspires me to

awaken and refresh everything in my home. For me it’s not even intentional. I just find myself cleaning out the pantry, closets that I have barley ventured into all winter. Every couple of days it’s a new drawer or window. Fall has the same effect on me.

The funny part is that all this cleaning,

de-cluttering, and refining overlaps into my spiritual life too. I read my Bible every day, write in my prayer journal a couple times a week, and pray off and on all day as a foundational part of my relationship with God. But I find myself going over new ways to influence my kids with the word and how I could reach out to others on a regular basis. The point of spring cleaning is to keep the good and throw out the bad, and to keep things fresh. I pray with a friend every Tuesday. The timing and friend or quantity of friends has changed over the years. It has been pivotal for me to have the support of that time together beseeching the heart of God for our families. This activity stays. TV time in the evening on the other hand could defiantly decrease, at least for me.

It is impossible to become like God

without spending time with God.

Kasia

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18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

We have to look to Him to behold

anything. So where does God fit into our lives. If we say “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me,” then are we actually letting Him live? Are we living for others and for their good? Are we serving those in need? Do we know the Father? All of this can fit into everyday “living,” mopping the floor, wiping noses or fixing dinner. Actually, it makes the daily tasks go better and our lives have more purpose. If you want to sin less, spend more time with God.

Be creative. If you find you just can’t

find time to read the Bible, get it on CD or download it, and listen in the car or while working. I like reading the word in the bathtub to start my day before the kids get up. There are seasons though. When I was up with babies all night in survival mode, life looked very different than today, but I found ways to keep God in the middle of it.

As we get our homes in order for the

next season, let’s take a little time to look at our spiritual lives and get them spiffed up too.

A Word from the Lord

It is an illusion to think you are alone;

just the same as it’s an illusion to think that just because you are married to a man, you have more of Me! I want to be your ALL sufficiency. Only in Me will you be satisfied. Just because you cannot see Me with your physical eyes right now does not mean that I am not closer to you than your own breath. We are one - you’re in Me and I’m in you. I AM truly all you need. I am the one who adds to your life what I will and I take away what I will. I desire your intimate friendship, your loyalty and your obedience – to take you deeper into My presence than ever before - to know Me more fully. I have chosen you for such a relationship. Trust Me and abandon yourself to Me. You will never be able to arrive in the place I have for you on your own – without Me. I am leading and guiding you. Follow closely. Be thankful and praise Me for what I am doing in your life. Remember, joy comes in the morning. It’s soon to come. By Debra Lilly

Home Made Lemonade

Our family has been making fresh

lemonade for many years. It has become a tradition for those hot summer days and special events. 1 gallon of water 6 lemons 3 limes 3 cups of sugar (or 1 cup sugar and the 2 droppers stevia; some sugar is a must) A frozen lemon, or a lemon rind (the oil in the rind is the key to excellent lemonade)

Juice your lemons and limes and

combine with water and sugar. My mom mixes her juice, sugar and lime slices, and freezes them in zip lock bags, to make up quickly for unexpected visitors. Kimberly Borst

“I loved my squishy grandma! She

was wonderful! Great-grandma was kind of plump and she had squishy things hanging down from her arms,” he said as he waved beneath his own biceps. “Get the picture?” Pastor Bill related fond memories of his “squishy grandma” with joy bursting from his face like a morning sunrise!

“Every Sunday grandma and grandpa

went to church. No missing! After church, somehow a lot of friends and family ended up at grandma and grandpa’s house. Grandma put a big, and I mean a big spread on the table! There was enough for everybody! After the meal was done she would say to the girls, ‘I hope you enjoyed the meal. I cooked it, now clean up!”

“There was a landing on the stairway.

I can still see it,” Pastor continued.

My Squishy Grandma Beverly Huffman

“Grandma would go up to the landing and sit in her chair. I was around five years old. I would get up in my squishy grandma’s lap and sink into her arms. She would hold me and say, “Billy, God has something special for you and I pray that you will embrace that and do it.”

His mother had been told she would

not be able to have children, but God had different plans. “My family was ‘heathen’ at that time.” Pastor smiled, knowing that God has reached the hearts of many of his family members since. His great-grandma and an aunt prayed that his parents would be able to bear children and that the oldest one would be a minister. Along came Billy and then his two brothers arrived.

Pastor Bill was not told about the

prayer agreement his great-grandmother and aunt made until after he was in the ministry. God is faithful! The same God who protected and led Moses is faithful to our children. (See Psalm 91.)

Begin to decree, “Our children belong

to God! Our children are taught by the Lord. They love Him! They obey His word! Our children live in peace. Their hearts are firm, trusting God! God protects our children! No weapon that is formed against our children will prosper. Every tongue that rises

Thadianna

against our children will be shown to be wrong. Jesus is Lord over our children. He loves them, teaches them and protects them in every way!” (See Isaiah 54:13-17.)

Speak blessings upon your children.

The power of life and death are in your words. (See Proverbs 18:21.)

Here is another wonderful blessing to

help you encourage each child. You can hold their hand or put an arm around their shoulder as you speak this. Bless your children regardless of what things look like. Bless them regardless of their age or natural abilities. This is based on the blessing God directed Moses to speak to the children. Say this out loud. “The Lord blesses you and watches, guards and keeps you. The Lord makes His face to shine on you. He is kind and gives you favor. Deepres

The Lord smiles at you with approval and always gives you peace. His name is on you. The Lord blesses you!” (See Numbers 6:22-27.)

My 87 year-old mother, “Big Mama,”

smiled and stretched her 4-foot 11-inch self upward as she took both of her hands and clasped my hand. She slowly and lovingly spoke this blessing over me. Each word was a savory morsel. My heart burst with joy knowing I was being blessed. I know God is faithful and He will see to it that mom’s blessing continues to work in my life!

Bless. Bless. Keep speaking blessings

over your children. Speak blessings over them whether they are near or far away. Speak blessings over yourself too. Dare to receive the good things God has promised for you. Then, watch as God works in their lives and yours. Be blessed.

Captive Heart

Briel Borst

I want to look at the butterfly. It seems to

be such a good example of our lives and growing up. The first stages of life, we are allowed to move around, we see things, learn the ways of life. Just like the caterpillar, it seems to know where it is going. She is just beginning to understand and enjoy her life when all of a sudden; by instinct she creates around herself a cocoon. This part of our life comes and it’s like we have no idea where we are going anymore. We are blind to the world, to the things we thought we might do. We begin to question everything, from what we believe to what is right or wrong. In the end, we just feel confused and stuck.

For me it is an extremely hard phase of

my life; because I’m unsure of where I am going and feel like I am not taking any action to get anywhere. I am blind to my future, and it seems like I am simply going in circles.

Some people try to break out of their

cocoon too early, they try going down a path while making rash decisions; maybe they choose to start a relationship, go to college because everyone is going to college, or do even crazier things. But when they do these things, they have failed to realize their

wings are not fully formed. Then as they try to fly, they are only able to fly for a little ways, and they fall because their base is not solid ground. Luckily for us, God is there to pick us back up when we do fall. He is there to restore our unformed wings. So, even if we make the choice to go out too soon, he is still there for us.

Yet in a different light, those of us who

make the choice to wait have a different hardship, ‘Waiting.” We all dislike it, and even though we dislike it, we all must go through it at some points of our lives. I find it extremely hard to wait, and although I could go to this college or that DTS, I won’t because I know it isn’t what God has planned for me at this point. Being in constant prayer and being in-tune with the spirit is well-advised, even when you feel distant from God. He deserves your praise and offering, and He is still the almighty God of the universe. I believe it is so very important to enjoy our lives in this phase and in every phase of life. We are alive, breathing and have people who love us. We need to make sure we take time to enjoy the people in our lives, their company and grow in these relationships.

Kasia

Then comes our beautiful awakening,

when we are finally free to climb out of our cocoon and see the world again, with a fresh new perspective. It is what we have been dreaming about for a long while, and now it has final come about! This point of our lives may be short or long, it may come soon or in the far future. As we await it’s coming, we can rejoice in the Lord, enjoy our family and friends, and remember that God is always by our side.