Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for...so very, very much. Has everything gone as I would've liked for it to? No, there have been many disappointments in my life, but I am so blessed even still.
I have lived all of my life in the greatest country that has ever been on this earth. I love America and am grateful to be free.
I am grateful for Christian parents and for most of my education being in a Christian environment. My parents sacrificed a lot to make that possible.
I am grateful for good health, family, friends, a car, a job and clothes to wear, food to eat...and I could go on.
The greatest blessings however, are that Christ came into this world to save sinners, and that included me. I am grateful that as a child I began to sense that I needed Christ in my life. In spite of my many failures, He has been more than faithful to me. For His precious Word, The Bible, I am grateful.
"Come ye thankful people come.
Raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in. Ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide. For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple come. Raise the song of harvest home."


--- Henry Alford

I Still Believe

I still believe...in God who created this world. I still believe...that Jesus died for my sins and rose again the third day. I still believe... that God will have the final say in the affairs of this world. I still believe...that He is running this world. I still believe... that God caused men and women to come to this great land and build this nation from the bottom up. I still believe...that God will decide if this is the end or when that is.
I still believe...that He, Jesus, wants me to "look away unto Him, who is the author and finisher of my faith." (Heb 12:2) I still believe that ultimately the only way to change things in America, or anywhere else, is by introducing people to Jesus Christ as the Creator, Savior and soon coming King of this world!
In John 12:32 Jesus said "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." In John 1:3-4 we read "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
Jesus is life. He is the only One who can bring purpose and meaning to this life. He is the One who can change people's hearts. He is the One I need to think about lifting up. How can I lift Him up?
In the secular work place, I can ask Jesus to live through me. I can ask Him to show me how to act and react to difficult things so that He will be glorified.
I can seek to spend time with Him in the Word and prayer so that my life might radiate His presence, beauty and holiness.
On a more practical note, I can search out a positive way to seek to lift Jesus up. I am considering becoming a more active part of the prolife movement. There is a crisis pregnancy center near here that probably could use some help. There will be the annual March for Life in January at the state capitol of Kansas in Topeka. There is the Kansans for Life organization that works tirelessly to promote life and save babies. I can seek to be God's instrument to change hearts of women who are considering what to do about their pregnancies. I can seek, with God's help, to show them that Jesus is Life. That He created them, that He came to set them free. That He understands and has forgiveness and cleansing and hope for them.

"Lord Jesus, help me to get beyond myself and beyond this election. Help me to go deep into Your heart, that I may be a light for You in this darkness. Show me how to be Your conveyor of life and peace."

The Day America Died

Did I become emotional tonight? Yes. As I watched beautiful, smart, intelligent Sarah stand on the platform as the America hero John McCain delivered his speech, it was a sad time. Here were two people with such credentials and substance. Not only two attractive couples, but people with character and values.
What has happened to America? She has gone mad. No longer does substance, character and honesty matter. All that matters is style and...what? Can somebody fill it in?
Our forefathers literally gave their life's blood for freedom. They came and fought with all that was in them to give us this wonderful country. Now, we have thrown it all away, for what?
We were the ones who stormed the beaches of Normandy to free Europe. Who will be there for us? When the extreme left liberals have their way, who will free America?
Today is the day America, true America died. This is a sad Requiem. What is our future?
Please forgive me for being so dark. God is still ruling and reigning. He has a plan and a purpose.

God is STILL running this world!

Is anyone out there discouraged about the course of our country? I love America. God planted in the hearts of brave men and women in the past to build this country from the bottom up. What a shame to what it has come. I pray that God will have mercy on us. This evening, I spent some time kindav praying/reading through Psalm 37. I would encourage anyone to read this chapter. Here we see what is coming for the wicked. They will be cut down like the grass; they will whither as the green herb, we will look for them but they will be gone. It certainly seems that evil is winning.
But, God is still on the throne. He delights to do great things in difficult circumstances. He loves to come through at the last minute! He enjoys winning big victories with small groups of His own. Think with me for a moment. Remember David and Goliath? David didn't have much to fight with in the human. He was a young man, much shorter than the giant, Goliath. But, he came in the name of the Lord and the victory was won. Think about Gideon and his small band of 300 soldiers. The victory was won with only this handful. The secret? They had God on their side! We too, can have God on our side.
While Satan and his cronies are having their heyday, we can be sure of one thing. Their heyday is going to be very short lived. The day is coming, maybe sooner than we think, when they WILL be cut down and whither away. You can be sure of it!
Remember this little chorus??
"God's still running this world.
God's still running this world.
Satan said he thought he could,
God said he never would.
God's still running this world."

"When God Says No, He has a Greater Yes"

Hello, everyone! Yesterday was our Ladies' Retreat here in Kansas City, which we had been planning for since last year! The day went off so well! We had over 80 ladies attend. There was something like 18 different churches represented. Wow! God really came and blessed and annointed our main speaker, Sandy Adams as well as our other speaker Ruby Mays Rice. They both spoke around our theme "When God Says No, He has a Greater Yes." Examples from the Bible and from moderm times were given. It was wonderful to be a part of such an event. A lovely lunch was fixed by Gloria Meyers and her daughter Suzy. I am so grateful for all who prayed and helped in any way. May God have the glory.

Lean upon the Savior...

Greetings, everyone. Here are four beautiful reasons why I, Sharmen, need to lean on my Savior, Jesus. These are my three beautiful nieces, Luanna, Esther, Juli and my adorable nephew, Karson. What kind of a world are they going to have to grow up in? I have been worried and discouraged about our country and this election. I need to focus and refocus on Jesus. He has helped many through much more difficult times.

Last evening, I went to church as they are having some special services this week. One of the songs we sang was "Where He Leads, I'll Follow." The third verse is very apt right now...
"List to His loving words, 'Come unto me.'
Weary, heavyladen, there is sweet rest for thee.
Trust in His promises, faithful and sure;
Lean upon the Savior, and thy soul is secure."

Jesus will take care of me!!! He will see me through. He has not forgotten me or you, either one. "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." I Peter 5:7

We Need to Pray

Hello, everyone, as summer turns into fall, our presidential election is getting very close. Perhaps you are weary with all the campaign adds, campaign flyers, yard signs, etc. My friends, I'm ready to elect the next president of the United States, John S. McCain! But, before we start the celebrations, we need to remember that God holds the key.
I believe that we need to pray. Not only for the election, but for our country in general. It just seems there is so much wickedness all around. So many people live as if there is no God, and no judgment. We need to pray that God's will might be done in this election. I know what I want God's will to be, but maybe He has other ideas. My hope and prayer is that God will have mercy on us. Just as Abraham prayed for God to have mercy on Sodom and Gomorrah, I hope that He will have mercy on us. America has been Israel's friend, and God used our former president, Harry S. Truman, as an instrument to help in the establishment of the nation of Israel. Then, there are the many missionaries who have gone out from America to spread the Gospel. There is the American Bible Society and the Gideons who are laboring from America, to spread copies of the Bible around the world. There have been many times, when America has stepped in to help others with financial and material gifts. May God have mercy on us.