In The Stillness Oct. 2009 In The Stillness   And after the earthquake a fire; and after the fire a sound of gentle stillness - I kings 19:12   He is a still, small voice.  A still voice can hardly be heard.  It must be felt.  A steady, gentle pressure on the heart and mind like the touch of a morning zephyr to your face.  A small voice, quietly, almost timidly spoken in your heart, but if heeded growing noiselessly clearer to your inner ear.  His voice is for the ear of love, and love is intent on hearing even faintest whispers.  There comes a time also when love ceases to speak if not responded to, or believed in.  He is love, and if you would know Him and His voice, give constant ear to His gentle touches. (10/03) (excerpted from Streams in the Desert, L.B. Cowman)     In reading this devotion I am reminded of a close friend who lead a Cursillo Retreat using as her theme "Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10.   I observed her prepare for months in the stillness of His presence among the busyness of life and since then there never a day goes by that something doesn't remind of this passage and the photo of a lone adirondak chair at the end of a wooden pier overlooking a fantastic sky and a body of water.  The retreat moments bring us to a place of stillness that resides in us no matter what is happening in life.     In the past couple weeks we've seen earthquakes and tsunamies of record proportions.  Fires blazed across our TV sets for weeks.  Also just this morning we witnessed reports of a heroic rescue of a young child from an apartment fire by a local business owner who apparently did not know him.      During our Annual Charge Conference for the Pearl River Cluster our District Superintendent, Rev. Bill McAlilly's sermon spoke of a true story of a modern-day 'Good Samaritan' who threw himself on top of a man who had fallen under a subway, and in so doing saved his life.  This also was someone he didn't know.  Two individual examples of Good Samaritans in one weekend an abundance of them as rescue efforts are in full swing in the places hard hit by the earthquakes and tsunamies, floods; yet more reminders to 'Be still and know that I am God' in the midst of life's happenings; earthquakes, tsunamies, floods, fires, etc.     Amazed at all these things!  Oh, the stillness of His presence in the activity of everyday life!       Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Rom. 1:7b In His Love and Service,   ©

DGC Testimony

Dec. 2009

 I have an awesome testimony to share with you this month.  As many of you may recall I attended a Discover God's Call weekend in November.  My first experience with DGC was at a pivotal time in my life in April of '04 and I've been involved in as many of the meetings following that initial introduction to this spririt filled weekend as I possibly could since.  For those of you who many not know, DGC is a power packed weekend focusing strictly on assisting the New Discoverers in finding the Call God has placed on their lives.  Often they are already walking in that Call, and sometimes they are just not sure of the direction to go in next.  Sometimes one will come away not knowing at all their next step or God's Call for their lives.  The main thing is that the Lord is the One who gives the Call and not any person. 

   The testimony is one that was shared on Saturday night by one of our Team, actually our worship leader.  As long as I've been part of this great ministry we've been  praying for her son.  I'm not going to share any names because that really doesn't matter.  What matters is the miraculous power of prayer and God's hand at work in the life of a young man and his family. 

   This son has had a time for several years with a variety of addictions.  Many relationships have been greatly tested and some broken completely.  He lost all he had and went through several treatment centers to no avail.  In fact the last few he didn't complete.  But one day while walking down a sidewalk in TX he happened by a church and was drawn by the Holy Spirit to enter.  What an awesome thing happened when he took that step.  He came face to face with the presence and power of God.  The direction his life has taken since that day is phenomenal.  The Lord has used him in a mighty way to deliver His Word in such power that many have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  God has filled this young man with His presence and power and he now is a New Creation and reaches out to the homeless, outcasts, drug and alcohol addicts, etc.  There is life in his step now where there was hopelessness and despair. 

   I know what God can do and many of you do also, but isn't is so refreshing to hear of it in this way?      

   In communication with his mother she shared that during their Thanksgiving celebration there is evidence of the hope of her son's marriage being restored also. 

   So, if anyone ever asks you to pray for their friend, child, spouse or anyone else to be delivered please remember this testimony.  If God can do it for him, you, me He can do it for them, too. 

   The Words of the Lord are pure words, purified seven (7) times in the furnace of the earth.

 

In His Service and Love,

©

New Year Ahead Jan 2010     Here we are with another New Year ahead of us as they say  'Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes' to spend once more.  What are we to do with them?  Right now in our house we've been spending the days since Monday after Christmas doctoring Jonathan with tonsillitis and low and behold now Mama can't talk, well not much anyway.  But she can write!     In retrospect of the year 2009 I've been amazed at all that has transpired.  In reviewing the year's newsletters we've really been busy with the Lord's work.  There have been a good many join Byrd's Chapel and several more in regular attendance along with the family who are continuing in their faithfulness to God in attendance and relationship with the Lord.     Our Pearl River County Cluster has become stronger and our youth are now getting more involved.  There is always room for involvement in the cluster as well as our own individual congregations and communities.    The Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors policy that the United Methodist lives with is a great inspiration and is the backbone of which we live our lives.  All people are welcome to worship with us and we are so pleased to see new friends begin a new relationship with the Lord or renew an old one.     We've seen ups and downs in our congregation, community, country and the world in many ways.  However, over all, the Lord has prevailed and is still on His throne.  Those of us who call ourselves Christian are the ones who can call on our God and see His will come to pass in not only our lives but in the lives in which we come in contact.    Let's continue to look forward with spirit eyes to see what good and wonderful things this new year, new decade, will bring our way.    I look forward to walking hand in hand with you and expect good things along with some bad I'm sure, knowing that God is working in all.   Have a Great New Year,   In His Service, ©

What Has God Done for You in the Past?

Feb. 2010

  Today I have lived with the Sunday message of January 24th for 2 days.  I can't get away from the final two questions stated.

  What has God done for you in the past?  Can you remember?

  First, the theme for this year, 2010, that Carl presented on the first Sunday is "Don't Limit God".  That three word phrase packs a big punch!  Just think.  "Don't limit God"!  That says quite a lot.

   In the sermon on the 24th we took a journey with the Israelites as they had been delivered out of Egypt after the plagues had ravaged that country and its inhabitants.  There was literally nothing to go back to.  Some days had passed and everyone was thirsty with no water in sight.  "Moses, give us something to drink, NOW" was the general consensus of the people.  At this point we begin to be reminded of God's miraculous provision of the recent days.  All provision had been given by the hand of God.  Israel's response was to grumble at the difficulties life was presenting to them.  They also quarrelled with God, Moses and each other.  This is the time of testing, or proving if you will, what they were made of.  God was making them strong through adversity which is just what happens with us today.  Our response can be that of negativity as was the response of the Israelites at this point in their journey or it can be one of doing what we can to see God in the situations or circumstances of life.  We have all heard it said that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  It can also be said that when God is walking with you through the rough patches of life He is giving you a stability in your relationship with Him and leading you in the right way.  He will never leave or forsake us as we continue in His plan and the greatest thing is that even when we step out of that plan God always makes a way for us to get back in step.  

   We must find a way to remember the 'testimonies' of what God has done.  Don't forget.  Write down the things God has done in your life.  Journaling is what we call it!  You can see hundreds of thousands of 'blogs' on the internet of people posting the everyday things of their lives.  In going back one can see the highs and lows in life and see where God brought us out of life's dire situations.

   One thing that stood out to me in the sermon is that 'the worse the disaster, the greater the miracles that happen'!  Just look at the events following Katrina and all the helpful events following the earthquake in Haiti just less than two weeks ago.  God is in the midst of the storm comforting, encouraging and yes, doing the miraculous.  Remembering helps us not to forget! 

   In our society, our Egypt is that we were born into sin.  Our deliverance, is His salvation!  What a powerful statement.

   Again, "Don't Limit God", He has a plan to prosper His children and not to harm them.  His way is true and sure.  He will make a way where there seems to be no way.  He is THE way, The truth, and The light.  Come to Him and walk in His deliverance and begin the journey anew!

 

In His Service,

©

...on note taking> March 2010       Many have commented on my note taking over the years.  In retrospect I can honestly say that I've taken notes on and written about or journaled everything throughout my life but taking notes on the sermons I hear and the Bible studies I attend are a great teacher for me.  The Lord often speaks deeper in my spirit as I apply myself in this note taking.    I'd also like to share that lately I received a great book by Ruth Bell Graham. Let me share a little block in this book that really spoke to me and gave me a kind of 'kindred spirit' feeling with her.  "Ruth Graham on Her Childhood Journal"  We didn't have notebooks in China, so I got some wallpaper and made the back and front cover and then got some of Daddy's stationary from the hospital, cut off the masthead, and made the inside pages."   Mrs. Graham wrote about everything.  Family and her love for the Lord is the highest on her journaling however you can see her love of animals, nature, hymns and most of all people.  She came into contact with so many different people in her life and everyone was of great importance to her.  She, in my opinion, is the epitome of a Christian lady. Again quoted from the book "Footprints of a Pilgrim' is an entry from Barbara Bush "I think of Ruth Graham as almost the perfect woman.  Perfect because she's got a sense of humor and such family loyalty.  And I love her because she says what she thinks.  I've enjoyed our friendship.   I've teased her a little bit because I think she has the world's hardest-to-read handwriting.  That's her only fault.   I love her support of Billy (I guess maybe that's a generational thing).  But to me it is so important to support your husband, your children, and your friends.  And Ruth has been very supportive to us."   I, too, want to be thought of by my friends and acquaintances as a woman who is very supportive of my husband, my children and my friends and as a woman who loves the Lord and yes, takes notes or journals about the most important things and sometimes the most trivial things in her life. Habakkuk 2:2-3   In His Love and Service,   Jennie Heberg ©

Seek God And Prosper 
April 2010

Seek God & Prosper
  This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it.  For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
Joshua 1:8 (Amp)

God has given us a great guide book to prosperity and success, His Word.  Now when I say prosperity and success you may be thinking only money and prestige.  I'm sure God desires us to have all the money we need and an abundance so that we can help others.  However, in this context I think He is also referring to prosperity in the Kingdom and success in living the life He designed for all His family to live.  We all do truly believe in this.  If not we'd not study in school to learn what we need to get the jobs we may be aiming for. We'd not study to learn what God is saying to us in His Word as we apply ourselves to Bible study.

Faith people is who we are when we repent of our sins and ask Jesus into our lives.  Yes, we are faith people.  Surely we're not doubt people.  Who ever saw Jesus go around or any of the Disciples for that matter teaching people to doubt.  No, quite the contrary.  We are to exercise the faith given to us, trust God, even when things don't appear to be working out like they're supposed to.

Psalm 91:1 states that the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  Now that's a big shadow of a BIG GOD.  Be encouraged that as you seek God's face in His Word, walk in faith and believe that what God says He will do, you will then be prosperous and have good success in what He sends you out to do.  Read 2 Chronicles 7:14!  Be encouraged.

In His Love and Service,
Jennie

Be Still and Know That I am God

May 2010

"Be still and know that I am God" Ps. 46:10 is what we often recite. However, in the Amplified Bible we see: "Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!"

     Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life with work, school, giving into the lives of our family members, friends and others who come into our lives we may find that 'being still' is a foreign thing.  I've been learning something that I thought I had a handle on a long time ago.  The fact is that we can be busy on the outside and flowing along in all of life and be still on the inside knowing that God is in the midst of all the activity.

      There is that need to steal away, as it were, and be alone with the Lord regularly.  Prayer, praise and Bible reading and study are essential to life in the Spirit we, as Christians, need to know and walk in.  So often, there is the busyness of life and we succumb to its stress in many areas and let the food of the Spirit be left out of our daily sustenance.  This is the most important area of life. 

      Without this sustenance we will not grow in our walk, be able to minister to ourselves, our family or others the Lord brings along our path daily.  Be sure to, as Jesus said, love yourself so that you can in turn love others.  Truly when we don't love ourself we can not in any way truly love another.  The Holy Spirit is given not only for us to reach out into the lives of those around us but to first and foremost show us how to give our life over to the Father for His direction to be made available to us for everyday living.

     Be still and know ...

In His Love and Service,

Jennie

Mt. 6:33 & Isa. 55:12 

"Be Still and Know that I AM  God!".

©