What is the Constant Image in Your Mind? Let it be Jesus

They say the battle is in our minds and that is so true. We give our problems "free rent' sometimes and we need to realize that those lingering doubts, concerns and worries will only bring us down. We really do have to think on the good things of above or we will go under. Love, hope and prayers, every day in every way to all that visit this page. We hope your prayers feel safe and uplifted here.


I have a lot of devotionals that haven't been published, so at times I will post them online:
A Constant Image

In the front of my mind
In the back of my mind,
To the left and to the right,
There’s an image of a man on a cross. (by Dallas Holm)
These are the words to a song written by Dallas Holm that really moved my spirit. This is how I want to live my life, with the Lord in the front of my mind and in the back of my mind. As I go to the left or the right, may his image never leave me. May this picture in my mind help me to walk differently in the world I live in. I need to walk worthy of the calling God has put on me. Let me walk in a way that would not shame the one who is my Lord and Master. Jesus was born in a stable---yet He is the King of Glory.
He lived a simple life. He amazed His mother, confounded his neighborhood, (could anything good come from Nazareth?) called together a group of outcasts to disciple and write about His story.

He carried a heavy cross on which He was crucified for my sins and yours, years before we were ever conceived. He knew what pain was like. He understood how it felt to be rejected by friends and family alike. He wept. He understood what it was like to lose a loved one. But for the joy set before Him, he endured the cross. That joy was giving life to us.

Prayer: Lord, please keep the picture of what You did on the cross for us, ever before us.
Thought: What I allow myself to think on may control my day for good.

Focus: The Cross of Christ and his compassion towards His body of believers.

Scripture: For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Galatians 6:14 The Message
Donna Collins Tinsley

Grateful for the Task Force and those involved with Recovery Month In Daytona

I am always so inspired when I go to the Substance Abuse Task Force meetings. Thanks to all especially Mary Flynn Boener and Mark Jones for their hard work for the Task Force. I also want to commend Vicki Kress for her commitment and organization of the Recovery Month Celebration at the Band Shell.
The recent editorial letter in the Daytona Beach News Journal : "Children suffer most from prescription drug epidemic," was an amazing and informative opinion article. Many caught up in the pill addiction cannot function to really be there for their young children and unless there is early intervention, the child may not ever really catch up in many areas. Sometimes it seems as if these young children are parenting their parents. The article mentions "In July, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office charged the parents of a 17-month-old boy with homicide-aggravated manslaughter of a child after toxicology results showed the baby had oxycodone in his blood when he died. Authorities believe the child had access to oxycodone and other pills used by the parents." The article also states, "Intervention programs can help protect children and keep families together. But there isn't much funding available for these programs. The Family Intervention Program for Volusia, Flagler and Putnam counties can handle 40 cases at a time. With more funding, child welfare officials could expand the effort and help more parents and children."
If the parents felt they had a safe place for their child, when they know they are going to be using pain medications perhaps a tragedy like this could've been avoided. Recently I read that they were closing down a daycare facility at the Daytona State College because there were not enough children using it (http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2012/05/26/post-1.html) Why not use that as a respite care for some of these children so a tragedy like the one mentioned in the article could be averted? I'm not talking about people bringing their kids there at night so they can use or go out and party, but a daytime thing with volunteers or workers from churches or even High School students needing to earn volunteer credits.
I know, this sounds like enabling but how many young children's lives do we lose before someone steps in? If a parent is using this resource too often then that family could be hooked up with the Neighbor to Family, Family In-Home Resource & Support Team (FIRST) program that goes into homes with help.
I attend the Substance Abuse Task Force meetings where many people from all walks of life come to try to find solutions for the drug epidemic that is among us. There are many parents, leaders, people in the Faith community, doctors, School board members, NOPE representatives and others attending these meetings just trying to make a difference in even one life.
The Good Book says, "And The King answers and says to them, 'Amen, I say to you, as much as you have done to one of these my little brothers, you have done that to me.' (Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
We do need to think of the children and the title of the opinion letter says it best, "Children suffer most from prescription drug epidemic." Can our community make a difference for these little ones?
Check out recovery month link:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151773805566490&set=a.491050671489.294502.313277221489&type=1

A Modern Family, The Should Haves and Shouldn't Haves of Life

Oh Lord, the "should've haves and the shouldn't haves" of my life. They are so prevalent for my family. It makes me cry at times as dreams of wholeness in family relationships are shattered in the reality of life. "What it is" as in "it is what it is" many times is a far cry from the health and wholeness You planned: "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.


“When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me."(Jeremiah 29:11 MSG)

Yet You saw my days when I was being formed in my mother's womb and You knew exactly how my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren would unfold, some precious, some sad days, but all known by You, Jesus, this being the key verse from Psalm 139 that I am thinking of as I write: "And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them."

Our "Modern Family" may be more like the comedy show portrayed on television but it really isn't much worse than some from biblical times and days. Peace to your day and I'm ending with a link to a Bible Study book that I am working on.

 

I love what Mary Englund Murphey writes in Joseph, Beyond the Coat of Many Colors: "I have a tendency to read biblical accounts and mentally critique the should haves and shouldn't haves. Abraham shouldn't have slept with Hagar; Sarah should have waited on God. Isaac shouldn't have tried to thwart God's plan; Rebekah should have trusted God for His outcome. Yes, they should have and they shouldn't have but they didn't and they did, and in spite of it all, God was gracious and forgiving, and continued to work in their lives to accomplish His will.

We could make an endless list of should haves and shouldn't haves about our lives, too, but the great new is this: In spite of our past, he will use you and me when each of us turns back to Him!" (Mary Englund Murphey)

http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Beyond-Following-Through-Character/dp/0899573339/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348144456&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Mary+Englund+Murphey

Got Love Handles? Get this book:)

This is the kind of email I love to receive: "Your story has made it to the final selection round for Not Your Mother’s Book . . . On Being a Woman. The book is slated for release on Tuesday, October 9, 2012."


A lot of you don't know that I write humor because most of my life story has been pretty painful, with a lot of ups and downs. But the Lord has been so good to me, and if you were to spend time with me, a lot of people say I make them laugh. "Got Love Handles?' is the title and the neat thing about this story and the publication of it, is that I didn't approve the edits that didn't fit in with my voice or ethics and I found favor with the publisher advocating for me. We were able to agree on the final edit rather than me withdraw the story. I found it a pleasure to work with Dahlynn McKowen, the CEO and Publisher. Of course I know that my true favor came from the Lord and although my first thought was to withdraw the story, I felt that He prodded me on. When I wrote this email back to Dahlyne about the story changes, "I would so love to be in your compilation but also have to be true to myself as far as my voice and if you knew me you would know that I am very much a “PG rated” Southern, sister among you. But I realize this market is NYMB so if I could have a few days to work on it and get back to you, I would appreciate it," they were very receptive.

They describe the books as "edgy, hip, different, modern," but there will be at least one story in that will be "G" rated or PG at the most:) That would be mine. I hope I make you smile.

A devo for Mothers of Addicts

Today I was praying, thinking wondering if there is anything I can post to help someone. I had started a book, sent a proposal, got no answer, so I may share some of it here. It was a devotional for Mothers of Addicts.
Help, Lord, My Child is an Addict!
Read Psalm 27:1-6
“Help, Lord! My child is an addict! I can’t bear this!” What painful words and the road to that realization may have been long and hard. You feel like you can’t go on. Is there hope for you and your family?
Is there a source of strength to help you make it through another day, hour or even moment of the types of circumstances you never dreamed of encountering in your life?

Perhaps you were brought up reading fairy tales that end with “and they lived happily ever after?” and most of the Christian books end with a happy ending, and yet your life seems full of pain? The pain that you can literally feel, the pain of hurting for your child.
Where is the comfort for you, a child of God? You may be brokenhearted and wonder what happened to the hopes and dreams you had about your son or daughter?

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience. (Jeremiah 29:11 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Can you live to have hope again even if your circumstances don’t change immediately? Yes, you can. I know; I was there in your shoes for over 25 years and addiction still follows our family. Where did I find strength and hope? I found it in the word of God, which is a daily encouragement and through prayer and you can, too. Find a personal word to hold onto. Go back to it each day. Study it, meditate on it and let it lift your spirits. There is Hope. Let us pray.
Prayer:
Father God, please give hope and help for the journey no matter how long it may take. Take care of my adult child and help me to let go and let You bring the healing that is needed. I realize that You, Lord, love my child even more than I do and even though our lives are complicated I lay these things at Your feet right now, I ask for Your mercy for my whole family and for each one reading this prayer right now. You, Lord, know the full situation, the pain, the enabling and the pain when we want to help, but know we must withdraw and pray the prayer of release that their bottom come soon and even horrible if that is what it takes.

After praying this prayer, just take a deep breath, do the next best thing, smile, as best as you can remembering you are not alone but in a mighty army of mothers, envision the Lord holding your child in His loving arms. Release, Peace, Serenity will come as we say the name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Then I suggest that you share your problems with at least one person who will commit to pray with you and for you and your adult child.

Donna Collins Tinsley thornrose7@aol.com subject "A sister among you blog" if writing

Project Surrender is not an Elvis song:)

Project surrender had a great start today as six of us gathered to hear Jed Lindstrom's vision concerning what it means to do street ministry and going out in power and strength of the Holy Spirit. It involves surrendering our wills, our plans, our agendas, our pride and even our time as a sacrifice to serve those in our community.

A definition of surrender means "to relinquish possession or control to another, to submit to the power, authority, and control of another." If we have given our lives over to the Lord there can be degrees of surrender, first as we accept Him, then as we yield more fully to that love and touch of the Father's hand.
We are very blessed to have someone with the gifts and the joy that Jed has to lead us on in this Project Surrender. Maybe you don't know if this is for you? I didn't really myself, but I know that the Lord has shown Jed that there will be offsprings of ministry as well as impartations, healings and many coming to the Lord through what may have seemed like small beginnings. I hope to be a part of that and hope that you may want to be a part also. Some of us will be behind the scenes praying, some will be more bold and step out to tell their story.
Two scriptures about small beginnings are:
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin..."(NLT Zechariah 4:10) and Job 8:7 ESV says "And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great." A key verse that Jed used was Rev. 12:11 which says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." That verse has always been a favorite of mine.
You may not feel gifted, wise or outgoing enough but the Lord also says that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. So if you choose to surrender to this call you will be equipped by Jesus.

May the Lord continue to bless Project Surrender every day in every way and may the Spirit be bold among us, shining forth to our community.

Contact Jed at jedlindstrom@letsgoministry.com if you are interested in joining us:)
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