Monthly Archives: July 2012
Our Daily Bread – Planted In The House Of The Lord
READ: Psalm 92
They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. —Psalm 92:14
After conducting a series of interviews with elderly people, author Don Gold published the book Until the Singing Stops: A Celebration of Life and Old Age in America.
Gold loved and admired his grandmother, and it was the memory of her that moved him to meet and learn from other elderly people. He recalls that on the way to one of his interviews, he got lost on a dusty country road in Missouri. When he pulled into a farm to ask for directions, a teenager came up, listened, shrugged his shoulders, and then replied, “Don’t know.” So he drove on. A few miles farther down the road, he stopped again at a farmhouse. The farmer, who was an old man, graciously gave him flawless directions.
Perhaps, Gold mused, that experience sums up what he was searching for when the memory of his grandmother sent him out to find people like her. He was looking for someone to guide him in his life journey.
If you’re “young,” seek out older people who have been drinking deeply from God’s love and goodness throughout their life. They have wisdom to share that will help you so that you also might flourish and grow in your faith (Ps. 92:12-14). —David Roper
Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand,
And grant me this, I pray:
That I through Your sweet love may grow
More like You day by day. —Garrison
Fellowship with Christ is the secret of fruitfulness for Him.
Copyright © 2012, RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA.
Be Thankful
by Joyce Meyer – posted July 24, 2012
Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad hearted continually (always); be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit. —1 Thessalonians 5:16–19
Be thankful for everything, and be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit by complaining, or you will lose your joy. You can be glad hearted no matter what your circumstances are.
Renew your mind to God’s ideals and attitude (See Romans 12:2). If you spend time in God’s presence, you will think differently about yourself, and about the people around you. You will have the mind of Christ, and be full of His love.
From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Need Some Help?
by Joyce Meyer – posted July 23, 2012
Behold, God is my helper and ally; the Lord is my upholder and is with them who uphold my life. —Psalm 54:4
There are many people who have received Jesus as their Savior and Lord who will live their Christian lives and go to heaven without ever drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit available to them, never experiencing the true success God intends for them. People can be on their way to heaven, yet not enjoying the trip.
We often look at people who have wealth, position, power, fame and consider them to be totally successful. But many people who are viewed as successful still lack good relationships, peace, joy, contentment, and other true blessings that are available only in the context of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Self-sufficient people often think it is a sign of weakness to depend on God. But by drawing on the ability of the Holy Spirit, they could accomplish more in their lives than they could by working in their own strength.
There are countless things we struggle with when we could be receiving help from the Holy Spirit. Many people never find the right answers to their problems because they seek out the wrong sources for advice and counsel instead of asking the Divine Counselor who lives within them for guidance.
I encourage you to lean on God for everything, and that means little things as well as big things.
Love God Today: The only way to experience the success God intends for you is to become totally dependent on the Holy Spirit.
From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Praying Bold Prayers
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you’ ” (Matthew 9:29, NIV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Osteen
A recent study showed that 90% of people believe in the power of prayer. People typically pray over their food, their kids, or they ask God for wisdom, strength and health. But oftentimes, people pray what I call “get by” prayers. They pray, “God, help me get by this year. God, help me endure this sickness. God, keep my child out of trouble.” There’s nothing wrong with that, but don’t limit what God can do. If you ask small, you’re going to receive small. But when you learn the Word, your faith grows, your confidence grows, and you’ll learn to pray bold prayers that honor God!
Instead of praying, “God, help me pay my bills,” pray, “God, help me pay my bills and have plenty left over so I can be a blessing to someone else.” Instead of praying, “God, keep my child out of trouble,” pray, “God, let my child become a leader and fulfill his destiny.” Instead of praying, “God, help me endure this sickness,” pray a bold prayer, “Father, I want to thank You that I’m coming through this sickness better off than I was before!” As you continue studying His Word, your faith will grow. You will know Him more, and you’ll be empowered by your union with Him to pray bold prayers and see those prayers come to pass!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, today I open my mind and heart to You. I receive Your Word which directs my steps and builds my faith. Help me to hear Your voice clearly so that I can pray bold prayers in line with Your will in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen
© 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Troubled Times
READ: John 16:25-33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. — John 16:33
If you’ve never heard of Murphy’s Law, you’ve probably experienced it: “If anything can go wrong, it will.”
Murphy’s maxim reminds me of the principle Jesus shared with His disciples when He told them, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV). In other words, we can count on it—sooner or later we will hit troubled times. It’s not the way God originally intended life to be, but when the human race first succumbed to Satan’s seduction in the garden, everything on this planet fell into the grip of sin. And the result has been disorder and dysfunction ever since.
The reality of trouble in life is obvious. It’s the reality of peace that often eludes us. Interestingly, when Jesus warned His followers about trouble, in the same breath He also promised peace. He even told them to “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (v.33). The word overcome indicates a past event that has a continuing effect. Not only did Jesus conquer the fallen world through His death and resurrection, but He continues to provide victory, no matter how much trouble we may face.
So, although we can expect some trouble in this fallen world, the good news is that we can count on Jesus for peace in troubled times. —Joe Stowell
Dear Lord, thank You for always being with us.
We ask that when troubles invariably come,
You would renew in us once again the blessed
peace of Your presence. Amen.
In the midst of troubles, peace can be found in Jesus.
Copyright © 2012, RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA
Jacksonville Bucket List
My husband and I have been settled into our new home in Jacksonville, Florida for almost 2 years now. However, we still have not seen nor experience everything there is to love about Jax. So with that thought in mind we compiled a bucket list of things that we wanted to see and do in this beautiful place we call home.
1. Go to a Jacksonville Jaguars game
2. Go to a Jacksonville Sharks game
3. Go to a Jacksonville Suns game
4. Go to a Jacksonville Giants game
5. Visit the Jacksonville Zoo
6. Visit the MOCA museum
7. Go Parasailing
8. Rent a Jet Ski
9. Fish Jax
10. Ride the skyway tram
11. Take a sunset cruise
12. Spend the night at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront
13. See the Blue Angels Air Show
14. Go to the Greater Jacksonville Fair
15. Go to JazzFest
16. Play with the dolphins & manatees
17. Go snorkeling
18. Explore Huguenot Memorial Park
19. Ride the St Johns Ferry
20. Attend some of the local festivals
21. Take a tour of the Budweiser Brewery
22. Visit the MOSH museum
23. ????
I know that there is so much more to this great city that I am over looking some things. So if anyone have any great ideas on what to do and/or see in Jacksonville, FL drop me a comment. We would love to hear from you. Thanks!
One Tank Trip From Jacksonville – Graham Swamp Mountain Bike Trail
Destination: Graham Swamp Mountain Bike Trail
Directions from Jacksonville: Take I-95 South; The trail is located on Colbert Lane at Flagler Beach in the Graham Swamp Preservation Area, about half-way between SR100 and Palm Coast Parkway
Details: Just a few short miles from beautiful Flagler Beach lies one of Florida’s premier mountain biking destinations, Graham Swamp. Situated on The Graham Swamp Preservation Area, it provides nearly 7 miles of intermediate singletrack littered with advanced features including everything from sweet drops, nasty climbs, and double jumps to tight switchbacks, log rides, and gnarly rock gardens.
Family Friendly: Yes
Cost: Free
When you think of mountain biking, you probably don’t think of Florida. But we found a place that’s a hidden gem on this one tank trip.
Before hitting the trail. Who better to talk to then local bike shop about the best place to ride.
“Palm Coast has gone in the direction of make it the cycling capital of Florida,” said Tony Libretti of the Bicycle Doctor. “It’s become a place to bring your bike, ride the trails, see the scenery, stay the night. We actually have rolling hills, tough decents, and everything out here.”
Flagler county offers miles and miles of trails. The one that came highly recomended was the Graham Swamp Trail. The best thing about it is it’s free. Just bring your bike and your helmet. Volunteers carved out this challenging single track out of the landscape.
One Tank Trips From Jacksonville – iFLY Orlando
Destination: IFLY Orlando
Address: 6805 Visitors Circle • Orlando, Florida 32819
Directions from Jacksonville: Take I-95 South to I-4 west. Turn right on International Blvd. Exit at Visitors Circle.
Details: You can experience human body flight! Indoor Skydiving at iFLY Orlando is safe for kids, challenging for adults, exciting for teens and realistic for skydivers. No experience is necessary, great fun for all ages, three and up.
Family Friendly: Yes
Cost: Contact the center at (800) 759-3861 or visit iflyorlando.com
Located off of Interstate 4 near International Boulevard, IFLY Orlando is one of only 24 facilities in the world where adventurers can
skydive indoors. The facility is a vertical wind tunnel that looks like a spaceship from the outside. From the inside, the adrenaline starts racing as you hear the roar of the engines.
The attraction uses five airplane engines that suck air into the tunnel, which creates the lift for your sky diving adventure. Starting at $54.99, an experienced instructor, like our guy striker, will walk you through instructions
Thrill-seekers receive two flights for 1 minute each. And while that may not seem like a lot on paper, it actually feels a lot longer while inside the wind tunnel. No experience is necessary and the only age restriction is that participants be at least 3 years old and in decent physical shape.
Judging from the experience recently by several kids who were at the center, the experience is a blast. As for the ride itself: One word, thrilling.
One Tank Trips from Jacksonville – Kayak Amelia
Destination: Kayak Amelia
Address: 13030 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32226
Directions from Jacksonville: Take I-295 north towards the airport; Take the SR-105 N exit, EXIT 41, toward Blount Island; Merge onto Heckscher Dr.
Details: Northeast Florida offers thousands of acres of tranquil inland marshes that can be explored via a variety of tours offered by Kayak Amelia.
Family Friendly: Yes
Cost: Ranges from $32-64 and daily hours are from 9am-5 pm.
Contact: 904-251-0016
One Tank Trip to Amelia Island, a peaceful resort that offers an urban getaway. “People can’t believe this is here in Jacksonville,” said
Ray Hetchka, owner of Kayak Amelia. “We are actually in the city limits. It’s peaceful.”
Kayak Amelia is an easy 30-40 minute ride from downtown Jacksonville. Located in Talbot State Park, it’s close to a major city and feels like another world — especially on the miles of tranquil inland marshes. Adventure seekers can go by themselves or take family and friends.
Prices range from $32-64 and the attraction is open from 9 a.m. to 5 pm. daily. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, bug repellent and a zip lock bag for phone and valuables. Supplies can also be purchased at Kayak Amelia. There is plenty of wildlife but not alligators — they don’t like the salt water. Kayak Amelia is a good place to experience northeast Florida.
I Am Lady Fab 